Saturday, February 24, 2001

Saturday, February 24, 2001, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan

Michigan, like Thursday night, has started this game on fire, buzzing around the Laker goal and applying pressure right from the start. Several Wolverine players got chances at the Laker goal in the early going, but it would be freshman Joe Kautz that would score the Wolverines first goal of this game. Breaking into the Laker zone on a rush Murray and Trainor got the puck to Kautz who sent it home for the early Michigan lead.

Michigan also picked up the first penalty of the game not longer after scoring the go ahead goal and almost came up with a short-handed goal, but just missed on the shot. It was shortly after killing off this penalty that Michigan found itself on the power play, when the Lakers picked up a penalty of their own. Unfortunately not far into this power play Michigan picked up another penalty to end their power play.

The teams would continue to trade penalties and power plays for much of the rest of the period, but it wouldn’t be the Wolverines who would take advantage of those power plays. At the mid-point of the period the Lakers would score a power play goal to tie the game.

Michigan would get several scoring chances in the remainder of the first period, but like Thursday night they were unable to take advantage. The first period ended with the game tied at one goal apiece. Shots on goal for the period were also even at eleven apiece.

Michigan would start the second period by taking a penalty inside the first minute to give the Lakers an early power play chance. The Wolverines would kill this penalty off, but they would make a mistake shortly after killing off the penalty that would cost them dearly. While attempting to take the puck out of their zone Michigan would turn the puck over and the Lakers Jason Nightingale would get an unassisted goal to give the Lakers the lead.

About five minutes later, while on the power play, Michigan would again tie the game when Craig Murray got a longish shot past the Laker netminder to his glove side. Assists on this goal went to Mike Cammalleri (his 50^th point of the season) and Josh Blackburn (his fifth assist of the season).

Penalties dominated the remainder of the period, but Andy Hilbert would find some time between penalties to end his four game drought in the scoring department. Mike Roemensky who dug the puck out of a corner and got it over to Bill Trainor set up this goal. Trainor took the puck into the Laker zone, dumped it off to Hilbert, who got off a wrist shot from the point to put Michigan back in the lead.

The second period came to an end with the Wolverines leading by a three to two score. Michigan also out shot the Lakers in this period to take a 23 to 19 edge in shots on goal.

Lake State started the third period on the power play (they had about 1:15 of power play time left), but the Wolverines were able to kill this penalty off. After killing off the penalty it would be Mike Cammalleri who would extend the Wolverine lead to two. This ended Cammalleri’s five game goal drought with the assists going to Trainor and Hilbert.

The teams would continue to trade penalties and power plays for the remainder of this period until the Lakers pulled their goalie toward the end of the period in an attempt to get the two man advantage in the last two minutes of the game. It would the Wolverines that would pick up a goal, short handed, into the empty Laker net. This goal would go to Andy Hilbert who took the shot from inside his own zone and drove the final nail into the Laker coffin. The game came to an end with Michigan getting the 5 to 2 win. The Wolverines also ended the game with a slight edge in shots on goal with a 27 to 24 count.

With one regular season game remaining against Michigan State in East Lansing it appears that Michigan will hold onto second place in the CCHA. The game in East Lansing will not be easy and if the Wolverines can win it they will split the season series against the Spartans.