Thursday, January 21, 1999

Thursday, January 21, 1999, Yost Arena, Ann Arbor, MI

Well here we are for a rare Thursday night game at Yost. Tonight’s opponent is Bowling Green and yes it is a game Michigan should win. It’s also the last home game until the first weekend of February. It’s also the last somewhat friendly game before going into a most brutal road trip. I say somewhat friendly because Michigan should win this game, but Bowling Green always seems to play close. I know I am always saying that teams play Michigan close, but when you’ve been at the top for as many years in a row, when you’ve won two of the last three National Championships, you have a big bulls-eye on your back and every team you play comes out playing the best they play. Almost everyone is back tonight, but Hayes is out – sitting out his game suspension for the DQ he got in last Saturdays game against Western.

I would be remise if I didn’t mention that Mr. Merrick and Mr. Crozier are considered very questionable as starters tonight and may not play (Merrick is really in the dog house). They were involved in the debacle at Ferris last Friday night and Coach Berenson was most displeased with their involvement. He has stated that if they don’t play it’s not a punishment, but their decisions took them out of the line up and they will now have to work their way back into the line up. Michigan has led the league all year in penalties (sounds like football) and after earning four game disqualifications in last weekend’s two games Coach Berenson has made it clear this lack of discipline must end. We don’t win every game and in some games we slapped around (like last Friday at Ferris), but one thing that you don’t see out of a Michigan team is what the complete loss of control on the ice we saw at the end of the Ferris game last week. I know its frustrating when you’re getting beat bad, but that’s not college hockey and that’s not Michigan hockey. So coach Berenson I for one am 100% behind you on this (for whatever that’s worth). Well enough of that, it’s time to get back on track here. I of course got hung up at work tonight and missed the entire first period and the first five or so minutes of the second. So let’s get to the hockey.

I have dug up this much information about the first period. There were a total of three goals scored in the first. Two by Michigan and one by Bowling Green. The first team on the board was Bowling Green getting their power play goal. The first Michigan goal went to Koch. This was also a power play goal and I believe the assists were given to Huntzicker and Comrie. The third and final goal of the period was again a Michigan power play goal by Kosick with assists going to Huntzicker and Matzka. The first period ended with Michigan leading 2 to 1 and leading in shots on goal, twelve to eight.

I pick up the game in the second period with about 14:00 minutes left in the second period, just as Bowling Green had scored their second goal of the game cutting Michigan’s lead to one, 3 to 2. Michigan had scored their third goal of the night earlier in the period with Ritchlin getting a goal. Assists for Ritchlin’s goal went to Jillson and Peach. Resuming live action Michigan gives up the puck in a bad place and almost gets the tying goal. The puck ends up loose in the crease, but Michigan finally gets it cleared. After a TV time out Gassoff gets a quick one timer that doesn’t find twine. Bowling Green pressing Michigan but UM finally clears it out. Now Michigan again pressing in on the BG goal, they get off a couple of shots but don’t get into the net. Matzka and Clark drive down the ice, Clark lets one go and it just misses an opening. That could have easily been a goal. Here we go, Comrie was driving in toward the goal and got pulled down, we’re going on the power play. I got distracted and not only did we not get a goal out of the power play, but by time I get back to the game, it’s tied up at three to three – what’s up with that?? Michigan has been working the puck around looking for the opening. Nothing yet, but they keep working down toward the BG goal. Ok, here we go another power play opportunity. BG has been called for checking from behind. Lets see if we can get something going with this one. So far we have nothing going on. There was a push to the net, oh wait that was BG driving at our goal. Come on guys lets get into this game. Bowling Green kills of the Michigan power play with no real scoring threat. Now both teams back at full strength, Langfeld gets a pass down deep and gets off a shot, no score. We are down to the last 1-½ minutes of the second period, score still tied at 3 apiece. Bowling Green gets a couple of scoring chances late in the period; neither makes it into the net. Michigan has the puck at center ice, now they drive into the BG zone. There was some passing around, but no scoring chances. Just as the period ends Matzka gets blasted to the ice, Bowling Green draws the penalty so Michigan will start the third period on the power play. This is a great chance for Michigan to jump out fast in the third. The second ends with the Wolverines and Falcons tied up at three each. Michigan did lead in the shots on goal category, 21 to 18.

All right the third period starts with Michigan on the power play. Michigan is working the puck around the BG zone; Jillson gets off a shot, misses. UM still working, still working, Jillson again with the puck, gets it to Langfeld, on to Comrie, SCORES!! That puts Michigan up by one. There back on the hunt, pushing hard at the BG goal. There goes Rominski flying down the right hand side, Matzka gets the puck from Trainor and passes it to Rominski, Rominski SCORES!! Just like that less than three minutes into the third period Michigan has a five to three lead. That feels a little bit better, they’ve come out and really put the pressure on BG early in the third. There’s a bit of a downer, Huntzicker gets called for hooking because of a great acting job by a BG player. The BG player grabbed Huntzickers stick and fell down on top of it. This was on the side away from the referee so he didn’t see the most excellent acting job. There’s the first scoring opportunity of the BG power play, oh my that was Koch of UM getting a look – that’s good. Now Bowling Green pushing into the UM zone. They’ve gotten a couple of quick shots off, but so far Blackburn has stoned them. BG still has the puck down in front of the net, theres another shot, another miss, finally Rominski gets the rebound and clears the puck all the way down the ice. UM has almost killed the BG power play, there it goes UM now back at full strength. Michigan and Bowling Green both going back and forth. This is a fairly fast paced period as both teams drive up and down the ice. The third period is half over with Michigan still holding a two goal lead and both teams still trading rushes at the others goal. There’s Gassoff with the puck, gets a long shot off, it’s not a real threat but it should help to keep BG on guard. Oh my, that was close. All of Michigan’s players were out of position (including Blackburn) and the puck came loose down in front. Rominski cleared it out, we got the icing, but under the circumstances I think we’ll work with it. Again both teams continue to up and down the ice. No real scoring chances by either team, but Bowling Green is certainly starting to run out of time. There are just over five minutes left in the game and Michigan still holds the two-goal lead. Ok, Matzka gets called for a high sticking so Bowling Green gets another chance at the power play. This is their chance to get back into the game. Oh NO, just 14 seconds into the power play Bowling Green gets the puck past Blackburn to get back to within one. Now Michigan is really putting pressure on the BG goalie, Matzka gets a big shot, there’s Koch with another huge shot, what at save. The BG goalie really comes up with a fantastic save. There was a close one, the BG player was marching in on Blackburn, but Jillson got back in time to poke check the puck away and save what could have been a good scoring chance. Now Langfeld is moving back the other way and gets off a shot, misses. Well the action has really picked up here with time running out. Here we go, we’re under two minutes still holding the one goal lead. It shouldn’t take long for Bowling Green to look for a time out to set up a there last charge. I would expect them to try to pull their goalie with about one-minute to go. We need to keep the puck in the BG zone as much as we can here to make it harder for them to pull that goalie. Bowling Green has the puck deep in the UM zone, now UM has it but BG keeps it in the UM zone. Michigan steals it back, they push it up the ice, they get the puck up to Koch out in front, but he can’t control the puck. BG now coming back the other way, they pull their goalie to give them the extra attacker. There was a little chance there, the puck was dancing around out front, and Blackburn finally gets it under control. We’re down to 45 seconds and there’s the time out for Bowling Green. Action resumes the players are going back and forth at center ice. Now Langfeld gets free and they get the puck down to him, he over skates it, but recovers, shoots, SCORES!! Oh badness, they call UM off side, no goal. The BG goalie is back on the ice with the face off closer to the BG goal. Michigan gets a couple of real good shots off, but no scores. There, that’s it, game over. Michigan gets a five to four decision and wins the shots on goal battle five to four.

Well this wasn’t necessarily an all good night. UM did give up four goals, they did have some trouble with their power play, but by golly they got the win. That’s two in a row and perhaps more importantly that’s two games were they’ve scored five or more goals. Now I don’t want to make to much of that because the last two games have been against opponents that are admittedly weaker than Michigan, but they do seem to be working harder, worrying less about the finesse, and pushing the puck deep into the opponents zone to try and cause some scoring chances. That’s it from Ann Arbor tonight, but I did mention that we have a brutal road trip coming up. Here is what I mean. On Saturday we go down to Columbus to take on the dreaded Buckeyes (mentioned in the national poll, not top 10, but they have points). Next weekend we go to Michigan State (#3 in the nation) and on Saturday we go South Bend to take on the Irish (#8 in the nation). This is going to be a tough stretch for the Wolverines. While Michigan (#5 in the nation) has the potential to win all three games (I hope they do), I will be happy if we can get 2 out of the 3. I worry most about ND, we play them the night after MSU and I expect that game to be exhausting for UM, both physically and emotionally. There you have, tonight’s win, and the rest of month’s grind. So lets get fired up Wolverines, LET’S GO BLUE, and C-ya!