No. 1 Michigan Routs Central Michigan in CCLAs

Saline, MI –No. 1 Michigan defeated Central Michigan, 23-1, in the semifinals of the CCLA tournament on Saturday (May 7), earning a trip to the finals on Sunday vs. Michigan State. Michigan set the tempo early, scoring nine in the first quarter and dominated throughout the game with contributions from a number of Wolverines.

U-M found their rhythm early, scoring under twenty seconds into the game as senior captain and long-stick midfielder Matt Asperherim(Grand Rapids, MI-East Grand Rapids) fed senior attackman Chad Carroll (Cincinnati, OH-St. Xavier High) who scored on a high shot out front. After winning the next faceoff, Asperheim scored from the wing on an assist from sophomore attackman Thomas Paras (Lakewood, OH-St. Ignatius).

Carroll scored two more on similar plays from straight out with assists going to Paras and sophomore midfielder Joe Hrusovsky (Lake Forest, IL-Lake Forest). Shortly after, Paras netted his first off a shot on the crease followed by senior captain and defender Harry Freid (Needham, MA-Needham) as he finished just outside the crease making it 6-0 off a successful Michigan clear.

U-M scored two more in the next minute as transfer sophomore attackman Ryan Dutton-O'Hara (Mount Airy, MD-Urbana-St. Johns) scored while diving around CMU's goaltender before senior captain and attackman Trevor Yealy (Pittsburgh, PA-Upper St. Clair) scored on an assist from Paras and with 7:41 left in the first, Michigan led 8-0.

The Wolverines dominated possession throughout the quarter until Paras assisted sophomore midfielder Willie Steenland (Minneapolis, MN-The Blake School) on the mid wing with 1:35 left to end the scoring in the first as Michigan led 9-0.

As the second quarter got underway, U-M began to roll through their bench. Halfway through the quarter sophomore attackman Zach Dauch (Bloomfield Hills, MI-Lahser) beat the Chippewas' goaltender with a sidearm shot on an assist from junior midfielder Alex Vasileff (Birmingham, MI-Seaholm). With 0:39 left in the half, Dauch netted his second from ten yards out on a feed from Hrusovsky to elevate the Wolverines to an 11-0 lead to end the second quarter.

To start the second half, and as they have all season, U-M replaced senior goaltender Mark Stone (Greenwood Village, CO-Cherry Creek) with senior goaltender Andrew Fowler (Grosse Pointe, MI-Hotchkiss, CT) on a planned goalie change. After nearly five minutes of play, Steenland opened the scoring for the Wolverines on an assist from senior midfielder Roy Ichikawa (San Diego, CA-Torrey Pines).

Minutes later, freshman midfielder Andrew Hayden (Carlsbad, CA-La Costa Canyon) scored two goals over a five-minute span on an unassisted crease dodge and off a high shot on a feed from sophomore attackman Matt Joseph (Westlake, OH-St. Ignatius). The squad continued their onslaught for the duration of the quarter as Joseph netted his first goal of the season on an assist from freshman attackman Jeff Chu (Berwyn, PA-Conestoga) with 0:01 left lifting the team to a 15-0 lead going into the final quarter of play.

Steenland intercepted a pass at the top of the box and drove to the net to score his third of the game on a low shot to open the fourth-quarter scoring at 13:41. After being held off the score-sheet for the first three quarters of play, the Chippewas netted their lone tally of the contest at 11:27 to cut the Michigan lead to 16-1 in the fourth. As the team was awarded their second man-up opportunity, Hrusvosky converted on a high blast at the top of the box on a behind the net pass from Chu.

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2011-05-07