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 Derek Punches scored the overtime game-winner Friday against Niagara. |
March 7, 2008
DETROIT - Junior forward Derek Punches' (Manchester, Mich./Texas Tornado) game-winning goal 79 seconds into overtime gave the Wayne State men's hockey team (10-23-2, 6-13-0 CHA) a 3-2 victory over league rival and 20th-ranked Niagara (19-10-4, 11-6-2 CHA) on Friday night at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum.
The Warriors snapped a three-game skid overall and a five-game winless streak against the Purple Eagles dating back to February 2007.
Freshman Brock Meadows (Mission, B.C./Salmon Arm Silverbacks) posted his second two-point game of the season with a goal and an assist, and senior Stavros Paskaris (Dearborn, Mich./Kewadin Indians) extended his point streak to seven games with a helper on Punches' game-winner.
The Warriors, who are 6-1-0 in the seven games in which they have scored first, took a 1-0 lead on Meadows' blast from the left wing at the 8:24 mark. Ryan Adams (Deloraine, Man./Fargo-Moorhead Jets) earned his third assist in as many games on the play.
Ted Cook knotted the score at one with a power-play goal at 4:07 of the second period, putting home a one-timer off a nice passing sequence by Tyler Gotto and Chris Moran.
Wayne State regained the lead during a four-on-four 61 seconds later, however, as senior captain Mike Forgie (Scarborough, Ont./Stouffville Spirit) redirected a shot from the blue line by Meadows, who earned an assist along with Jared Katz (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Baystate Breakers).
Niagara battled back again as Egor Mironov made it 2-2 at 10:40 with help from Gotto and David Ross, whose key faceoff win in the WSU zone set up the scoring chance.
Punches would need just one shot in overtime to put the game away, collecting a rebound off a blocked shot by Paskaris. Derek Bachynski (Belle River, Ont./Leamington Flyers), who has a six-game point streak of his own, notched an assist as well.
WSU netminder Brett Bothwell (Red Deer, Alb./Yorkton Terriers) registered 19 saves, including nine in the third period, for his seventh win of the year. Adam Avramenko totaled 28 saves for the Purple Eagles.
Niagara managed just one power-play goal in six chances, while Wayne State was held scoreless on five man-advantage opportunities.
These two teams will face off at the Coliseum again Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. ET in Wayne State's home finale.