Wolverines Dominate Nanooks

Friday, January 11, 2002
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

After being away from home for the last month the Wolverines finally return to the ice at Yost this weekend for a pair of games against the surprising Nanooks from Alaska-Fairbanks. Going into the weekend Michigan is tied for first place with the Spartans, with Michigan State having one game in hand. This is an important weekend for Michigan in a couple of respects. First, they get their four players back from the World Junior Championships. Second, they need to get a weekend sweep to keep even with the Spartans to set up the showdown between those two teams next weekend at Yost Arena. It should be a great weekend of hockey to get the second half of the season at Yost under way.

Both teams looked to push the puck up and down the ice right from the opening face off in this game and Blackburn was put to the test early as Alaska got a two on one break away early in the contest. Alaska would be called for the first penalty of the game with 16:26 left to play in the period giving Michigan their first opportunity of the game on the power play. With just thirty-three seconds gone in the power play Michigan struck for a goal to take the early lead in this game. Taking a pass from Shouneyia, Cammalleri let lose a shot from near the blue line. The puck stayed low to the ice and sailed past several players, finally coming to rest behind the Nanook goal tender. The lone assist on the goal went to Shouneyia.

Play would continue through the middle of the period with Michigan getting called for a couple of penalties, but the Wolverine penalty kill was looking sharp in the early going of this game. Blackburn came up with a few great saves to keep Alaska off the board and with just over five minutes left in the period Michigan would get their second power play chance of the game.

Again Michigan wasted no time with the power play, scoring their second power play goal of the game just ten seconds into this man advantage. With the puck in the Alaska zone Michigan got off a shot from the face off circle to the left of the UAF goal tender. This shot was blocked, but the rebound was not covered. A couple of Wolverines took swipes at the puck and it was finally back handed over the sprawling goalie by Ryznar who was skating past the net. The assists on this goal went to Komisarek and Murray.

The period came to an end with Michigan holding the two to nothing lead. The Wolverines had also doubled up the Nanooks in shots on goal, holding a fifteen to seven advantage. There was a scrum at the end of the period that ended up with all ten skaters on the ice at the end of the game going to the sin bin to start the second period.

Out of that mess of penalties at the end of the second period Michigan picked up an extra one to put Alaska on the power play to start the second period. The Wolverines killed off the penalty, but once again Blackburn came up with some huge saves to keep the Nanooks off the board. Shortly after killing off the penalty from the end of the first period, Michigan was whistled for another penalty putting Alaska back on the power play. The Wolverines killed this penalty off as well.

With just under fifteen minutes left to play in the period Michigan would again find a crack in the Nanook goal tenders defense. Michigan was buzzing around the UAF zone and kept pushing the puck to the UAF net. Down in deep another backhand shot chipped the puck into the UAF net for the Wolverines third goal of the contest. The goal was given to Moss with the lone assist going to Henderson.

The teams would trade penalties over the next several minutes of play, but it would be a penalty called at the five minute mark against Michigan that would lead to the next score of the game. Chasing the puck into the UAF zone Shouneyia got control of it behind the Alaska net. Turning he saw fellow Wolverine Charlie Henderson closing on the UAF goal. Shouneyia made a great pass to Henderson who wasted no time burying it in the UAF net for a short-handed goal.

The second period would come to an end with Michigan holding the four to nothing lead. The Wolverines continued to double up the Nanooks in shots on goal, ending the second period with a thirty-one to fourteen advantage.

Alaska has been getting some chances in this game, but they have failed to take advantage of them resulting in some frustration for the Nanooks. That frustration started to show itself on the ice as the game started to get more physical in the third period. Both teams would trade penalties in an ever more physical contest, but neither team was able to come up with a goal through the first ten minutes of this period.

The scoring drought would come to an end with just over nine minutes left in the game. Breaking out of their own zone Michigan got a pass up the ice to Helminen who carried the puck into the Alaska zone. As he reached the face off circle to the left of the Alaska goalie Helminen got off a shot that beat the goal tender for Michigans fifth goal of the game. The lone assist on this goal went to Henderson.

Barely a minute later, with a pack of players in front of the Alaska net, the Wolverines would strike again. Getting control of the bouncing puck down deep Ortmeyer would get the puck into the Alaska goal for Michigan's sixth goal of the game, unassisted. Six was the magic number for the UAF goal tender as he was replaced following this goal.

Play continued in this period and continued to get more and more physical as the Nanooks were now visibly frustrated and angry. As the clock moved under three minutes things were getting very physical, with a couple of Nanooks seemingly looking to start fights on the ice. Perhaps spending to much time looking for a Wolverine to hit the Nanooks forgot they were playing a hockey game and Michigan would score their final goal of the game with just over two minutes to go in regulation. There wasn't really anything fancy about this goal. Michigan just skated the puck down the ice, charged to the UAF goal, and Ortmeyer buried the puck for his second goal of the period. The lone assist on this goal went to Cammalleri.

The game would come to an end with Michigan winning by a score of seven to nothing. The Wolverines ended the game with a forty to twenty-two advantage in shots on goal.

Tonight's shutout was the eleventh career shut out for goalie Josh Blackburn, tying him for most career shut outs for the Wolverines with former goalie Marty Turco. It was especially fitting that he tie the record tonight as Turco was in attendance at the game.

While Alaska had some chances they were unable to take advantage of a single one as Michigan came up with some great defensive pay, Blackburn played an outstanding game in goal, and the Wolverines had a bit of luck to secure the shut out. Playing what was perhaps their best game of the season Michigan simply dominated the Nanooks in all phases of the game. Getting their missing team mates back seemed to give Michigan quite an emotional boost. The confidence gained by the rest of the team while the missing four were playing at the World Juniors also seemed to carry over as several of the younger Wolverines continued to play solid games. Perhaps the player that continued to play best was walk-on Charlie Henderson who played another solid game picking up three points. Woodford's scoring streak came to an end, but he certainly had a couple of great looks during the game. These teams will do it all over again tomorrow night and once again the Wolverines need to come up big with the show down against Michigan State now just one week away.