Western Michigan:
Opening remarks…
We're
certainly excited with the outcome. Michigan is a great hockey team. A
lot of focus was on us playing our best hockey. Our guys went our to
play pretty close to what we would call an away game. They played
incredible hockey; they hunted a lot of pucks, picked up a lot of
turnovers. We played pretty strong tonight. We're certainly excited. We
had a great show tonight and I think we'll have a great show tomorrow
against the RedHawk team. We play against an outstanding Miami team,
maybe the best team in the nation We're playing for the championship, so
I'm excited for that.
On the previous loss to Michigan…
That
was an experience that was tough but we needed to learn how to come
from behind and compete and get on the puck. We felt this is a game we
certainly had a chance to win; we felt good about that. That was a
situation we were up 4-1 and we certainly didn't handle it as well as we
did tonight. Those two lessons certainly helped prepare us to execute
in this round.
One the team's accomplishments this year…
We've
tried to move this program forward throughout the season. We've taken
steps along the way, obviously last Sunday getting to the Joe was a big
step and tonight's game is another big step. We have a great chance at a
championship game right in front of us.
On Michigan's goalie Shawn Hunwick…
We've talked about it all week. He's a smaller goalie. Coached talked about it all week and told us to just throw pucks on net.
On preparing for Michigan…
Head Coach Jeff Blashill: Our focus is on our hockey team. What we talked about before the game is, let's go play our hockey.
On their chances at winning tomorrow…
Since
day one, [Coach Blashill] said we had a chance to do it. We just have
to earn it. As long as we keep working and stay committed and stay
dedicated, we have a chance, just as much as everybody else.
Michigan:
Head Coach Red Berenson
On tonight's game…
I'm
disappointed, every team that came to Joe Louis this year came to get
into that championship game. Our seniors won as freshmen and they won
again as juniors. Today we came up short I cannot tell you what went
wrong. We didn't kill penalties well, the puck went in too easy for
them, and we did not generate. Give Western credit they were the better
team.
On Michigan's lack of urgency…
We
played well the first five minutes and then there were penalties and we
couldn't kill the penalties. Then we were on our heels after that. We
were playing from behind and we could not get that goal back.
On the penalty kill tonight…
The
first penalty was a 5-on-3 so were already down two men. It was a great
shot, but the penalty played through. We were not playing like ourselves
and they got a couple good plays and a couple good bounces.
On Western Michigan's goal less than a minute after Michigan's first tally of the night…
Timing
of plays is huge. If we get another one on the next shift, we are back
in the game. But if you give up on the next shift we are back where we
were, a three-goal deficit.
Senior forward Carl Hagelin
On tonight's game…
We
can't be taking penalties like we did. I don't think we were being
aggressive enough. Overall in the game we did not show enough
inspiration. We kept giving a one-man advantage to them. They made some
plays and scored some nice goals.
On rebounding in the third period…
In the
third period we were not going to give up even though we were down 5-1.
At least we worked hard in the third. That is all we could ask from
each other.
Junior forward Luke Glendening
On tomorrow's game…
We
need to show up tomorrow. I think tomorrow's game is our season at this
point. We are guaranteed tomorrow and that is it. We have to show up
tomorrow.
