Saturday, November 21, 1998

Saturday, November 21, 1998, Ann Arbor

Wow! I say WOW!! What a fantastic weekend of hockey at Yost this weekend. First we saw our maize and blue beat the Spartans on Friday and then on Saturday we saw the maize and blue take on league leading Notre Dame. It’s not often that you see a weekend this important this early in the season, but we saw one this weekend. It was everything you expect to see in March during the playoffs and more as we move through the CCHA playoffs and into the regionals – oh wait I’m getting way ahead of myself here. All kidding aside, this was perhaps the best two game weekend of hockey I’ve seen UM play at home since the nine were still at UM. With the nine it wasn’t always so obvious how good they were playing because they were beating everyone by 3, 4, 5, or more goals – they made it look so easy, but this group works extremely hard and they seem to find ways of getting things done. I don’t see any one standout star (although they have several who could be that if they would just take that extra step), but I do see a “team” coming together quite well.

The tempo of this game was much different from Friday's contest against MSU. Both of these teams like to skate and play a transition game. Michigan was moving quickly and smoothly right from the opening face off. I thought their passing and movement was good all night long. There were a few penalties, but not as many as the night before. Since ND likes to skate as well this was a much faster period, except for the delays by a second straight televised game and what appeared to be an all night state of confusion on the part of the referees. There just isn’t much to say about this period except that it was fast paced and very competitive for both sides. It did truly look like playoff hockey. The period ended in a zero, zero tie. The only down side of the period came with less than three minutes to play. ND was already on the power play when UM committed an infraction putting us at a three on five disadvantage. Needless to say UM was able to kill off both penalties without giving up a goal. UM outshot the Irish in this period 10 to 4.

The second period was more of the same. A very fast paced game with scoring opportunities for both sides. Michigan’s defense was playing very well all night long able to disrupt much of the ND push towards the goal. A poke here, a check there, and ND was unable to mount many serious rushes on the net. This changed at the midpoint of the period with UM pushing in hard to the ND net. Coming in toward the net Scott Matzka took a shot that was deflected off Sean Ritchlin’s leg, giving Ritchlin the goal (his second of the year) and Matzka the assist. It might not have been the best looking goal ever scored, but it gave UM the one goal lead. The remainder of the period continued on in much the same fashion, great skating and great defense for both teams. However, once again with less than three minutes remaining in the period UM got themselves in trouble. Once again ND was on the power play when UM committed a second foul – again putting us into a three on five disadvantage. Again the maize and blue were able to kill both penalties to preserve their one goal lead at the end of two periods. Just as we thought the period was over Bobby Hayes was laid out on the ice and he didn’t move much for several seconds. Unlike the scare Friday night when Van Ryn ran into the boards pretty much on his own, this one appeared to be caused by an ND player. At first it didn’t look like any penalty was going to be called and let me just the say the crowd let the officials know the full extent of their displeasure. Anyway after a very long time a ND player was finally called for a five minute major for high sticking. This was called with five seconds remaining in the period. It didn’t mean much for the second period, but it did mean we would go into the third on the power play for four minutes fifty five seconds. UM was still leading in shots on goal by an 18 to 10 margin.

As the third started UM came out pushing hard to the net, looking to take advantage of the almost five minute power play. It looked like they had done just that when with only twenty-five seconds ticked off the clock Josh Langfeld put the puck past the ND goal tender for the second goal of the night. Again, after a very long period of time, the officials waved off the goal. They said it was deflected by a high stick (the stick above the goal cross bar). This was at the far end of the ice away from where I sit, but from where I was sitting it did not appear that the stick got above Langfelds waist. Now Josh is a big, tall guy, but he’s not that tall! Again this officiating crew seemed dazed and confused on the ice. In my humble opinion this particular crew did not seem quite ready to be working a game of this importance. UM got a couple more good runs at the net during this long power play, but ND was able to kill it off with no further scores (or almost scores). Again much great skating and defense filled the remainder of the period, but ND almost got the tying score about midway through the period when Josh Blackburn had stopped a shot, but the rebound trickled behind him where it looked like it would roll over the goal line. Josh got a great assist from his defense in the form of Freshman Jay Vancik who stopped the puck from crossing the line until Josh could get his arm wrapped around behind him and pull the puck into his body. Several minutes later ND got another great opportunity to tie the game when Blackburn got caught on the wrong side of the net presenting an ND player with a pretty open back door, but apparently the ND football team used all the Irish luck in beating LSU because all we heard was CLANG!! That’s the sound of a puck hitting the post and bouncing harmlessly away onto the ice, big sigh, deep breath, we still lead 1 to nothing. As the period wound down the pace got a bit more frantic, with ND doing what they could to score and UM’s defense playing very well. Of course UM was also pushing hard to ND’s net, but ND’s defense was also playing very well. With about a minute and a half left ND tried to pull their goaltender to get a sixth attacker on the ice, but UM got the puck and pushed down into the ND zone, keeping it there for more than half a minute. ND was finally able to pull their goaltender and get their extra attacker with just under one minute left in the period. The frenzy was on again as ND tried to get the tying goal, but with Blackburn in net, and UM’s defense playing so well they were unable to get the puck in the net. By this time tempers were getting a little short and things got a little ugly over by the UM/ND benches, but we thought the game was over. In fact the entire UM bench was gathered around Blackburn in front of the net celebrating the win when the officials put four seconds back on the clock. Many people had not quite realized what was going on, fans and players alike. The fans were already on their way out the door (in fact I believe quite a few actually missed the last four seconds of the game), and the UM players were all lining up for the traditional after game handshake when everyone realized there was now time back on the clock. Well they finally got all the players back on the benches, and dropped the puck for a face off. The UM defense never allowed ND to get a shot at the goal and the win was preserved. UM wins the game one to nothing over ND and Blackburn gets the second shutout of his career. UM ended up outshooting the Irish 26 to 16.

It’s been very hard to explain with words just how good a weekend of hockey this was. They played a brilliant series. A series that had they lost or even tied would have put them at a serious disadvantage within the league standings.

So just where does that leave the maize and blue in the CCHA and in the nation. We started the weekend in third place in the CCHA. One point behind second place MSU and two points behind first place ND. After Fridays game we moved into second with a one point advantage over MSU, but still trailed ND by two as they won their Friday night contest. With the Saturday win over ND we are now in a tie with ND for first place in the CCHA, but we have a game in hand over ND (they have played one more league game that we have, we have the same number of points with one less game played). So as the weekend ends it is now UM and ND tied for first each with fifteen points, MSU second with fourteen, Ferris State in third with thirteen points (after sweeping Northern this weekend, in Marquette!), with Northern and Ohio State next on the list, each with ten points. As always the competition in the CCHA is tight, and any team can beat any other team on any given night. While this makes for a sometimes heart stopping league as teams win and loose and positions change, I firmly believe it helps all the CCHA teams in the long run get ready for the playoffs in the Spring. The competition in this league is as good as it gets, and when we send teams to the playoffs they are ready to play.

One interesting side note. Last year UM set a school record with 17 one-point victories. Last year through this weekend UM had won four of those one point games, two coming in overtime. This year UM has won four one-goal games, one coming in overtime. In the stands we were calling them the cardiac kids last year and it would seem that this year may be no different. They find ways to win, but they make you sweat it out with them as they do it.

It’s the end of November so lets take a quick look at the national scene. UM had started the year ranked second in the country, but had early trouble with newcomer Niagara and then got beat up by Northern a couple of weeks ago. UM had dropped to as low as nine in the polls. They went into this week ranked eighth nationally. Let’s run through the seven teams above Michigan.

#1 North Dakota, won Friday, lost Saturday (#3 Colorado College)
#2 Boston College, swept Boston U.
#3 Colorado College, lost Friday, won Saturday (#1 North Dakota)
#4 Notre Dame, won Friday, lost Saturday (#8 Michigan)
#5 MSU, lost Friday (#8 Michigan), won Saturday
#6 New Hampshire, won Friday, couldn’t find a game for this Saturday
#7 Maine, won Friday, won Saturday
#8 Michigan, won Friday (#5 MSU), won Saturday (#4 Notre Dame)

After this weekend I would expect to see UM move back up in the polls, but perhaps not as far as one would think. The hockey season is a long one and teams don’t generally move up or down a great deal over one week. No one is expected to go undefeated, it just depends on who you loose to, and how bad you loose to that team, that can have an impact on your rankings.

Well UM has only one more home game the rest of year. That’s December 11 against Northern (perhaps we can exact a little revenge the hurt they put on us a couple of weeks ago). The next two games are this weekend when we play in the hockey showcase. First, Friday night against Minnesota, at Minnesota. The schedule says game time is 7:00 PM, but I think that’s really 8:00 PM our time. We then play on Sunday afternoon at Wisconsin, game time 1:05 PM. I will be scouring the sky with my satellite trying to find both of these games this weekend. If I don’t find them on the TV, I’ll certainly be listening to them on the radio and will provide updates next weekend on how we fare against the WCHA. Until next time, C-ya.