Nanooks Force Weekend Split

Saturday, January 12, 2002
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

The Wolverines went into tonights game looking to complete the weekend and season sweep of the Nanooks, but the Nanooks had something to say about that. Michigan got things rolling early when they got whistled for the first penalty of the game barely two and a half minutes into the contest. While the Wolverines killed off the penalty the Nanooks got some good looks at the goal.

The action would continue up and down the ice for most of the rest of the first period. Each team would spend some time in the penalty box, but neither team was able to dent the others penalty kill. Even though they were getting out shot in the period it would be the Wolverines who would draw first blood in this contest. With just under four minutes left in the period Craig Murray would take the puck from one end of the ice to the other. As he closed on the Nanook goal he made a beautiful move on a Nanook defender to get a clean, up close shot at the Nanook goal and he did not miss.

While the goal electrified the crowd the slim Wolverine lead did not last long. Less than one minute later Alaska would score the tying goal. The Nanooks kept the puck tied up in the Wolverine zone and kept a Michigan line on the ice for a very long time. The tired defenders couldn't get control of the puck and Alaska finally got the puck past Blackburn and into the net.

The period would come to an end with the score all tied at one goal each. The Nanooks would hold a slight edge in shots on goal with a ten to eight count.

The Nanooks would start the second period much like the Wolverines started the first, by getting whistled for a penalty. Unfortunately the Wolverines never really got anything going on the ensuing power play and the game remained tied at one goal each. Also like the first period the action would continue up and down the ice for most of the rest of this period with neither team able to score a goal. Michigan's best scoring chances of this period would come while on the penalty kill, but still they didn't score.

The lone goal of the period was scored with just under four minutes to go in the period, but this time it was the Nanooks, not the Wolverines, scoring the goal. It appeared that Blackburn had trapped the puck at the side of the goal, but there was no whistle so an Alaska player kept chipping at the puck. Whether it was the Alaska player or one of the two Michigan players who knocked the puck into the net, the Nanooks had the go ahead goal with little time left in the second period. The second period would come to an end with Alaska holding the two to one lead. Michigan and Alaska were all tied up in shots on goal with twenty shots each.

The third period was a mix of up and down action and pressure relieving icing calls. Whenever it looked like Michigan might be getting control of the puck in the UAF zone the Nanooks were more than content to send the puck the length of the ice, take the icing, and start over off the face off. Michigan never really got any rhythm in this period and never really came close to scoring.

Still trailing and with time running out in the game Michigan pulled Blackburn with just under a minute left to play in the game. With just 33.2 seconds left in the game Alaska sent the puck the length of the ice and into the empty net to seal the victory. The game came to an end with Alaska winning by a score of three to one. Michigan ended the game with a slight edge in shots on goal with a thirty-two to twenty-seven count.

Just like last year Alaska came into Yost, got pounded into the ice on Friday night, and then came back to play a solid game, earning the win on Saturday night. Michigan never had the same fire and zip that they exhibited on Friday night. Whether that was a result of the lopsided victory last night or the fact that Alaska played a much better game is hard to tell. This loss was the first suffered by the Wolverines in CCHA play since October. It was an important game for Michigan to win for several reasons, but the main two are these. First, Alaska has a winning record and wins against teams that win are what Michigan needs to get a solid pairwise ranking. Second, the Spartans lost tonight. While the Wolverines and Spartans remain tied for first in the CCHA Michigan could have gotten the upper hand in the conference race had they taken care of business on home ice tonight. Well some questions will get answered next weekend as the next game on the agenda is the showdown with those same Spartans. That game should be a classic and will have implications in both the CCHA and NCAA standings.