KENT, Ohio - The University of Michigan-Dearborn men's ice hockey team opened the Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League season with a pair of games at Kent State University over the weekend in Kent, Ohio.
The Wolverines fell 3-2 in a shootout on Friday, but rebounded for a 3-2 win in overtime in the finale on Saturday. The weekend moves No. 7 UM-Dearborn to 5-2 overall and 1-1 in the GLCHL.
After Kent State (RV) opened the scoring on Friday with a goal in the first period, the Wolverines took the advantage with two early tallies in the second. Nic LaBurn tied the game 39 seconds into the second with a goal on a feed from Kyle Schnettler (SO/Metamora, Mich.). UM-Dearborn took its first lead of the night on a goal from Kevin Bechard (JR/Trenton, MI), with the assists going to Jared Dedenbach (JR/Warren, MI) and Andrew Palushaj (SR/Livonia, MI).
The Golden Flashes evened the contest with a goal in the final 10 seconds of the second to go to the locker room with the game tied at 2-2. The teams were unable to break through in the third and the five-minute overtime session to send the game to a shootout, which was won by Kent State. Goaltender Thomas Proudlock (JR/Southgate, MI) made 32 saves in the loss for UM-Dearborn.
The Wolverines and Golden Flashes traded goals in regulation during game two, with UM-Dearborn taking a one-goal lead on two occasions and Kent State finding the equalizer quickly both times. Tyler Dalton (JR/Northfield, OH) opened the scoring for UM-Dearborn in the second period on a goal from Michael Scarpello, while Nic LaBurn (JR/Northville, MI) netted his second of the weekend on an unassisted play.
In the overtime session, Andrew Spiegel (JR/Riverview, MI) found the game winner 1:35 into extra time to capture the split for the Wolverines. Adam Ranck (SO/West Bloomfield, MI) got the win for UM-Dearborn, making 24 saves.
The Wolverines return home for a contest with Calvin College at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the UM-Dearborn Ice Arena.
