DETROIT, Mich. -- Josh Pitt netted the game-winning goal with 18.3 seconds left in overtime to down No. 3 Michigan, 3-2, to advance to the Great Lakes Invitational Championship game on Saturday night at 7 p.m. against Michigan Tech at Comerica Park.
With the man advantage and time winding down Pitt picked up the puck at the Bronco blue line and skated through all four Wolverines on the ice and buried his shot into the corner of the net for his seventh goal of the season.
WMU also picked up goals from
Shane Berschbach and
Will Kessel on the night and
Lukas Hafner, who earned an assist on the game-winning goal, made a game-high 30 saves. Pitt finished the night with two points after assisting on Berschbach's goal and
Jordan Oesterle finished with two assists for the second consecutive game. The Broncos were outshot 32-30 but killed off all eight Michigan power plays.
JT Compher gave the University of Michigan a 1-0 at 6:35 in the second period on a short-handed goal. Kevin Clare flipped the puck down the ice to Compher and he skated in and beat Hafner stick side for his sixth goal of the season.
WMU squared the game 1-1 at 10:11 on Berschbach's eighth goal of the season and the first outdoor goal in Bronco varsity program history. Pitt created a turnover in the Michigan zone and Oesterle found Berschbach alone in the slot. The senior forward settled the puck before burying it stick side.
The Broncos took a 2-1 lead minutes later at 15:48 when
David Killip created another turnover and found Kessel at the top of the right circle. Kessel fired it and beat Zach Nagelvoort stick side for his first goal of the season.
The Wolverines opened up the third period with a goal at 5:24. Travis Lynch picked up the puck in the neutral zone and fired a shot that deflected off of a Bronco defender and into the net for his second goal of the season, tying the game at 2-2.
For the second straight season WMU and MTU will battle for the Great Lakes Invitational Championship game. The game is being streamed live at FoxSportsDetroit.com and will be shown tape-delayed on Fox Sports Detroit at 10 p.m.
