April 7, 2011
• Boxscore 
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Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery 
• Postgame Video: Postgame 
| Coach Berenson | Ben Winnett
Site: St. Paul, Minn. (Xcel Energy Center)
Event: NCAA Frozen Four (Semifinals)
Score: #2 Michigan 2, #1 North Dakota 0
Records: U-M (29-10-4), North Dakota (32-9-3)
Attendance: 19,139
Next U-M Event: Saturday, April 9 -- vs. No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth - NCAA Frozen Four Final (St. Paul, Minn.), 6 p.m. CDT (TV: ESPN/Webcast: ESPN3.com)
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Senior forward Ben Winnett's (New Westminster, B.C.) tally at 13:26 of the first period held up as the game-winner and senior goaltender Shawn Hunwick (Sterling Heights, Mich.) was stellar in net with 40 saves, lifting the University of Michigan ice hockey team (No. 2 USA Today/No. 6 USCHO) to a 2-0 shutout win over North Dakota (No. 1 USA Today/No. 1 USCHO) in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinals on Thursday (April 7) inside the Xcel Energy Center.
U-M will go for the program's 10th NCAA title on Saturday (April 9) at 6 p.m. CDT against Minnesota-Duluth (No. 3 USA Today/No. 11 USCHO) in the Frozen Four final. ESPN will televise the game live and a free webcast is available at ESPN3.com.
Michigan took the 1-0 lead at 13:26 of the opening frame on a goal from Winnett. Freshman defenseman Jon Merrill (Brighton, Mich.) received the puck at the left blue line and rifled a shot that came off the crossbar and landed in front of the crease. With a scrum out in front, junior right wing Luke Glendening (Grand Rapids, Mich.) kicked the puck to Winnett in the low slot, where he wheeled around into the right circle, and roofed the puck over goaltender Aaron Dell, who was down from the original shot.
The second stanza remained scoreless, thanks in large part to the tremendous play of Hunwick, who stopped 11 shots, including three outstanding attempts. At 11:43, Hunwick shifted from left to right to rob North Dakota's Chay Genoway at the backdoor. At 12:55, Hunwick stoned Danny Kristo on a wrap-around attempt, and in the final two minutes of the period, denied another Sioux backdoor chance with a toe save on the goal line to keep the lead intact.
The final frame saw back-and-forth chances, including a net-crashing attempt by senior left wing Scooter Vaughan (Placentia, Calif.) and a close-range shot from junior defenseman Greg Pateryn (Sterling Heights, Mich.) that sailed just high.
With 1:10 left to play, North Dakota pulled its goalie for the extra attacker. Hunwick turned away three point-blank chances, until senior left wing Carl Hagelin (Sodertalje, Sweden) picked up the puck and fed it to senior center Louie Caporusso (Woodbridge, Ontario), who finally moved it along to Vaughan for the empty-netter at 19:24 to seal the deal for U-M.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
