Gophers End Season For Wolverines

Thursday, April 4, 2002
Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota

The Michigan Wolverines are playing in their second straight Frozen Four, the only team from last years Frozen Four to make a repeat appearance. In last years contest Michigan lost to eventual National Champion Boston College after starting the game flat and giving the Eagles a three goal lead before they got their legs under them. This year they will look to avoid the same type of start when they take on the host Minnesota Golden Gophers.

After beating two straight opponents from the WCHA to get to St. Paul, Michigan will take on their third WCHA opponent in the Golden Gophers. These two teams have some history this season as they played in November of 2001 in the College Hockey Showcase. In this game Minnesota handed Michigan a five to two defeat at Yost Arena. This was another game that saw the Wolverines come out a bit flat and spot the visiting Gophers a three goal lead before they really got thier legs under them. The Wolverines will look to start this game in a much different manner in hopes of playing their way to their tenth National Championship.

Both teams started this game moving the puck up and down the ice, but it was the Wolverines who were getting the early shots at the Gopher goal. While they were getting the shots Minnesota's goaltender was turning them all away. Then with just under sixteen minutes left to play in the first period Michigan mishandled the puck right in front of their goal giving Minnesota a golden opportunity to score; a chance they did not squander. Blackburn blocked the first shot, but he was down on the ice when a second Gopher got just enough stick on the puck to chip it into the goal. This goal gave the Gophers and the home crowd a huge lift.

Barely two minutes later Michigan would be whistled for their first penalty of the game, putting the Gophers on the power play. Michigan would kill this penalty off without giving up another goal and both teams would continue to play up and down the ice for the next ten minutes. With just under five minutes to play in the period Michigan would be whistled for thier second penalty of the period to give Minnesota another power play opportunity. Again Michigan killed off the penalty.

With just over two minutes left to play Minnesota was whistled for their first penalty of the game, giving the Wolverines their first power play chance. With 1:11 left in the Wolverine power play a pair of matching penalties were called, but they were coincidental leaving Michigan with a five on four power play. Minnesota would kill off the power play and the period would come to an end with the Gophers holding a one to nothing lead. The Wolverines would hold a slight edge in shots on goal with a ten to nine count.

There were matching penalties called at the end of the first period, but both teams continued to play five on five hockey to start the second period. With thirty five seconds left in the penalties called at the end of the first Minnesota was called for a penalty putting Michigan on the power play. Minnesota would kill the penalty off and return to full strength shortly before Michigan was whistled for to many men on the ice, giving Minnesota their third power play of the game. This penalty would prove costly as Minnesota would score a power play goal with 1:23 left in the power play and take a commanding two goal lead early in the second period.

The final fifteen minutes of this period would see both teams getting called for penalties, giving each other power play chances. Michigan would get their best chance to score in the first two periods when they had a two man advantage with about eight minutes left in the second period. However, even with the two man advantage the Wolverines were unable to take advantage of their power play chances. The Gophers had no better luck converting on their power play chances. The second period came to an end with Minnesota holding a two to nothing lead. Michigan continued to hold a slight edge in shots on goal with a twenty three to twenty one count.

There was a late penalty called against Minnesota in the second period and once again matching penalties called after time expired in the second. The third period would start with Michigan on the power play for 1:18. With just over eighteen minutes left in the period and seconds after the Michigan power play expired, the Wolverines would turn the puck over near their own blue line. A Gopher was right there to pick up the puck, getting a clean break on Blackburn. Carrying the puck right in on the Michigan goal Minnesota got their third goal of the game as Blackburn was beat five hole.

Scoring their third goal of the game with just over eighteen minutes to play Minnesota would then get several power play chances over the next ten to twelve minutes as Michigan continued to pick up stupid penalties down the stretch. There first penalty of the period was for taking a shot at the Gopher goal after the whistle had been blown and it was all downhill from there.

Michigan's first break of the game would come with just over six minutes left in the period when J.J. Swistak would carry the puck the length of the ice and chip it into the Gopher net for Michigan's first goal of the game - short handed. An assist went to Roemensky and Michigan was within two.

With 2:11 left to play and still trailing by two goals Michigan would pull Blackburn to get an extra attacker on the ice. With just 1:34 left to play Michigan would score their second goal of the game to get within one. The goal was scored by Ortmeyer with assists going to Nystrom and Cammalleri.

After returning to the ice while the initial face off was taken, Blackburn again left the goal with 1:13 left to play to give Michigan an additional attacker. With 1:10 left to play and a face off coming in the Minnesota zone Michigan took their one minute time out. Even with the extra attacker Michigan was unable to get one more shot past the Minnesota goalie to tie the game and send it to overtime. The game came to an end with Minnesota winning by a score of three to two. Michigan ended the game with a twenty nine to twenty six advantage in shots on goal.

In the end Michigan made it interesting, but they simply committed to many errors during the game to overcome. Two untimely turnovers in the absolute worst places led to two Minnesota goals and the third goal was on a power play created by yet another bench minor penalty for to many men on the ice - a penalty that Michigan has been called for a number of times during the year.

For the first time in several months this team played like a team with eight or nine freshmen in the line up. The mistakes that they had worked out of their game during their stretch run were suddenly back. While they recovered from most of them, there were just to many of them, with the two most glaring errors leading to those two Minnesota goals.

However, when you consider what this team has done and how they had to do it you can't help but consider this year to be very successful. They won the CCHA regular season and tournament titles. They won the West Regional by beating two of the best teams in the country, making their second straight Frozen Four appearance (the only team from last year able to say that). On top of that they lose just four players to graduation and if the one or two players who might decide to leave early stay at Michigan this team will be a force in next years campaign. Congratulations to the Wolverines for a great year and here's to next year which should see the Wolverines once again in the hunt for that elusive tenth Championship.