Michigan Wins CCHA Tournament

Earns Automatic Bid to NCAA Tournament
Sunday, March 17, 2002
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan

It wasn't easy for either team, but Michigan and Michigan State have both advanced to the CCHA tournament championship game this Sunday. As the only college hockey game being played today, all eyes, at least in college hockey, are on this game. Depending on who wins this game seedings and who travels where for the NCAA tournament will be determined for several teams.

As expected the action was fast and furious in the opening minutes of the game as the Wolverines brought the pressure early and often. After coming close a couple of times in the early going Michigan would draw first blood with just over sixteen minutes to play in the period. Shouneyia brought the puck into the Spartan zone and tried to get the puck to Gajic. Gajic was unable to secure the puck, but it deflected ahead to Mink right in front of the goal. Wasting no time Mink got off a shot that was blocked, but not covered. Gathering in his own rebound Mink slid the puck into the net to give Michigan the early lead. Gajic and Shouneyia received the only assists on the goal.

Shortly after the Michigan goal was scored Cammalleri and Vancik barely missed on a great shot as they brought the puck into the Spartan zone. With just over thirteen minutes left to play Murray would just miss on a blast from out front. Shortly following that last miss Michigan would get whistled for a penalty giving the Spartans the first power play of the game. Wasting little time the Spartans scored a power play goal, barely thirty seconds into the man advantage.

About a minute later matching penalties would be called and both teams would skate with four men each. Nothing would come of the two minutes of four on four hockey and both teams returned to full strength. With around nine minutes left to play the Spartans would be whistled for a penalty giving Michigan their first power play chance of the game. This power play was also killed off and the score remained tied at one goal each.

With just under six minutes left to play Mink would just miss picking up his second goal of the game as Miller made a great save to end the scoring chance. The first period would come to an end with the score all tied up a one goal apiece. While the Wolverines came out hot, they cooled off and the Spartans warmed up. The period came to an end with the shots on goal all even at nine shots each.

Michigan came out flying in the second period, getting off a couple of great shots in the opening minutes. With just under five minutes left to play in the period the Spartans were whistled for a penalty to give Michigan an early power play chance. The Spartans killed off the penalty without giving up a goal.

With barely eleven minutes off the clock it looked like Michgian would take the lead as Werner skated into the Spartan zone and got off a great shot, but that shot was stopped by Miller and the face off came to Millers side. Winning the draw Michigan got the puck back to Cammalleri who got off a huge shot. This shot was blocked by Miller, but the puck rebounded out and Ortmeyer was right there to put the rebound into the goal, giving Michigan the two to one lead.

Shortly after the goal Kommisarek charged into the MSU zone and passed the puck over to Henderson rather than take a shot. This was turned away, but Michigan continued to apply all kinds of pressure on the Spartan goal. With just over seven minutes left to play in the period MSU was called for a penalty putting Michigan on the power play. With all the pressure Michigan had been applying this power play looked like it might be the difference maker, but the Spartans were able to kill the penalty off.

With just over four minutes to go Michigan was called for a penalty to give the Spartans their second power play of the game. This time the Wolverines killed off the power play without giving up a goal. With the penalty killed off and time running out in the period Michigan State scored a fluke goal to once again tie the game. A Spartan sent the puck sliding across the ice, right along the goal line. Making a play on the puck Roemensky got his stick on it, but rather than clearing it away from the goal he deflected it into the goal giving the Spartans their second goal.

The second period would come to an end with the score all tied at two goals each. The Wolverines took the lead in shots on goal as they end the period with a twenty two to eighteen shot advantage.

Michigan once again comes out firing on all cylinders as they keep getting all kinds of pressure on the Michigan State goal. Even with the flurry of activity they were unable to get the puck in the goal. With just over sixteen minutes left to play the Spartans were whistled for a penalty to put Michigan on the power play. Michigan has gone zero for three so far on the power play. Just as the first minute of the power play was finishing Michigan's Captain, Jed Ortmeyer, scores his second goal of the game with a great one time shot that beats Miller. The puck was skated over the Spartan blue line by Shouneyia, who dropped it back to Cammalleri. Cammalleri got the puck down deep to Nystrom, who made a great pass across the ice to a wide open Ortmeyer. Ortmeyer scores the goal with the assists going to Nystrom and Cammalleri.

Ortmeyer continued to buzz the net as he just missed getting his hat trick barely a minute after scoring his second goal. The back and forth play would continue through most of the rest of this period, but niether team able to get one past the goalies. With just under four minutes to play in the game Michigan is whistled for a penalty giving the Spartans a late power play chance. Michigan turned away several Spartan charges to kill off the penalty with just under two minutes left to play.

With time running out, one minute left to play, the Spartans pulled their goalie to get the extra attacker. After a bit of a battle that saw the Spartans get off a decent shot, the Wolverines were able to clear the puck and relieve the pressure. Michigan continued to turn the Spartans back at the blue line as the game came to an end with Michigan winning by a score of three to two. The Wolverines ended the game with a slight edge in shots on goal with a twenty-seven to twenty-three count.

Michigan wins the CCHA tournament championship and the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament to go with their regular season CCHA championship. This was a hard fought game that was close the entire way, going right down to the final tick of the clock before it was over. This win should have moved the Wolverines up in the Pairwise standings, but probably not far enough to get a first round bye in the NCAA tournament. Certainly both the Wolverines and Spartans will make the tournament and could meet one final time in the NCAA tournament. That would have to be in the frozen four if it's going to happen. It would be good for the CCHA if that were to happen, but first things for the Wolverines - the Regionals which they will host next Friday and Saturday night at Yost Arena. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by contacting the Michigan ticket office.