Wolverines Outlast Wildcats

Friday, February 7, 2003
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Even though the Wolverines came out flying it was the Wildcats flying even faster as the skaters from Northern had a five to nothing shot advantage after just three minutes of play. However, even with that statistical advantage it would be the Wolverines drawing first blood in this contest.

Shouneyia would win a face off for Michigan that was in the Northern zone, to the goalies right. Winning the draw cleanly Shouneyia got the puck back to Nystrom who zipped it over the goalies glove shoulder, into the corner of the net for the first goal of the game, just over three minutes into the period. With their second shot of the night the Wolverines were on the board. Shouneyia received the lone assist on the goal.

Not satisfied with the goal Nystrom would get in a little shoving match that would see him to the sin bin. With 16:44 to play in the period Nystrom got the games first goal and the games first penalty, all in one play. That would start a parade of players from both teams heading to the penalty box for the remainder of the period. Neither team was able to score with the man advantage and the period came to an end with Michigan leading by a score of one to nothing. The Wildcats held the slight edge in shots on goal with an eleven to nine count.

The second period would see Northern getting whistled for a penalty just short of three minutes into the second period. They would kill this penalty off, but with just over fourteen minutes to play they would be whistled for a second. With 1:03 still left in this second penalty the Wildcats would collect their third penalty of the period, giving Michigan a two man advantage for just over one minute. Even with two extra men and the three straight minutes of power lay time, Michigan was unable to score a goal, in fact during all that time I don't believe they collected a single shot on goal. They circled the zone searching for that one perfect shot, but forgot the simple rule that if you never shoot, you cannot score.

With just under seven minutes to play Northern would once again be a man short and once again they would successfully kill off the penalty. With just under three minutes to play Michigan would head to the sin bin, but like Northern they would kill off the penalty. The second period came to an end with Michigan clinging to their one to nothing lead. Northern still held the edge in shots on goal with an eighteen to seventeen count.

The physical, defensive battle would continue as the third period got under way and with just over fifteen minutes to play in regulation time Michigan would find the net for the second time in the contest. For this goal Helminen came up with the puck right in front of the Northern net and was able to slip it between the goalies legs and into the net for the goal. This was all started by a short flurry of activity by Michigan in the Wildcat zone that saw Wolverines buzzing all around the Northern net. Finally, Nystrom would get off a shot that went high, but bounced off the glass out in front of the net. This is where Helminen picked up the puck and slid it home. Both Nystrom and Richmond, who made a great play to keep the puck in the zone, leading to this score, received assists on the goal.

With 12:38 to play in the period Michigan would be whistled for a penalty, a penalty they would kill off without giving up a goal. As time began to wind down in the period the Wolverines started to get just a bit sloppy with the puck and with just over eight minutes left to play, that sloppiness would lead to a Northern rush and the Wildcats only score of the game. Just like that they were within one goal and had new life.

With just over three minutes to play each team lost a man to the sin bin and they skated four on four. With just over two minutes to play (:59 seconds in the penalties) Helminen would get control of the puck in neutral ice. Carrying the puck down the boards on the press box side of the arena, he would suddenly cut left, going through the mid slot, almost to the face off circle to the Northern goalies right. As he cleared the slot and approached the face off circle Helminen took a shot back across his body and put the puck in the top corner of the net over the goalies glove hand. With barely two minutes to play Michigan was back in front by two goals. Burnes and Roemensky received assists on the goal and Northern took a time out.

As the penalties ran out there was about 1:20 left to play in the period and while the puck headed for the Michigan zone, the Northern goalie headed to the bench. Ryznar would end up getting one shot from the Northern blue line that went wide. The Northern goalie ended up having to come back in, but with just thirty-two seconds left in the game he was once again headed to the bench. Ortmeyer would get the last look at the Northern net as he almost banked one in from inside his own zone. Just trying to clear the puck, Ortmeyer just flipped the puck into the wall where it ricocheted off the glass and started to slowly make its way toward the Northern goal. It was going to go just wide of the goal, but in a valiant effort Tambellini went streaking down the ice in an attempt to reach the puck and direct it into the net. Tambellini was just a half step to late as the puck went just wide right and Michigan was being called for icing. That would pretty much be the last hurrah for either team as the game came to an end with Michigan winning by a score of three to one. The Wolverines finally overcame the Wildcats in shots on goal, but just barely, as they end the game with a twenty-two to twenty-one advantage in this category.

Very physical game tonight as both teams threw out the finesse and hauled out a good helping of good old fashioned fore checking, back checking, and just plain checking all over the ice. Both teams battled all night long and it looked for the longest time that the one goal, scored so early in the game, would be the only one we would see. However, Dwight Helminen put on a one man show in the third period, scoring two goals in the third to preserve the Michigan win. Tomorrow night promises to be more of the same as Michigan looks for a very important sweep and Northern continues to fight for home ice in the playoffs.