Wolverines Outlast Irish

Saturday, January 5, 2002
Joyce Center, South Bend, Indiana

After skating to a tie last night the Wolverines were looking to secure a win against Notre Dame in tonights contest and they did it the hard way. Both teams hit the ice setting a fast pace on the ice and the Irish wasted no time striking in the game as they got th puck in the net just 1:04 into the game (the quickest goal given up by Michigan this year).

After giving up the early goal things settled down into a fast and furious up and down skate race for both teams. Each team getting a lot of looks at the others goal. Michigan would tie the game late in the first period while on the penalty kill. Andy Burnes got control of the puck in the Michigan zone and pushed it ahead to Shouneyia who flew down the right boards. Shouneyia slipped a pass over to Woodford who was trailing on his left and Woodford got a one timer past the Irish goal tender to tie the game.

The first period came to an end with the score all tied at one goal each. Out of the thirty-two shots taken in this period (by both teams) Michigan ended up with the edge, finishing the first period with a nineteen to thirteen advantage in shots on goal.

The second period was much like the first; both teams pushing the puck up and down the ice, but in this period it was the Wolverines getting the majority of the shots. Even through all the shots the Irish held the Wolverines at bay until the final minute of the second period. Again it would be Shouneyia playing a pivotal role in the goal. Shouneyia gained control of the puck off a face-off and looked for an opening. He got the puck to Henderson who got off a point blank shot on the Irish goal. This shot was blocked, but the puck was not covered. With the puck laying in the crease Mink came through and chipped it into the net to give the Wolverines the goal and the lead for the first time in the game.

The second period would come to an end with Michigan holding the slim two to one lead. The Wolverines expanded their lead in shots on goal as they outshot the Irish sixteen to four in the period for a two period total of thirty-five to seventeen.

Perhaps all that up and down action finally took its toll as both teams settled down and played a more defensive style in the final period of this game. Neither team hit double figures in shots on goal and the Irish got the most. Through it all Notre Dame was unable to find a chink in Blackburns armor, even with an extra attacker after pulling their goalie with 1:12 left in regulation. The third period ended with no goals and no penalties called giving Michigan the two to one lead. The Wolverines ended the game with a thirty-nine to twenty-six advantage in shots on goal.

This weekend went about as well for the Wolverines as you could ask for, especially with four of the top players still not back from the World Junior Championships. Losing that game last night by giving up two goals in the third period was probably the one down point of the weekend, otherwise three out of a possible four CCHA points is a great weekend for Michigan. That pulls them into a first place tie with Michigan State with the showdown between these two teams just two weeks away. Michigan returns to Yost next weekend for a two game series against Alaska-Fairbanks.