Wolverines Take First Against Spartans

Friday, February 14, 2003
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

For the third straight game the Wolverines hit the ice with the Maize jerseys underlining the importance of tonights first game of the year against the Michigan State Spartans. Michigan wasted little time getting things going as they won the opening face off and scored the games first goal less than fifteen seconds into the contest. Shouneyia won the face off and drew the puck back to a defenseman. From there Michigan worked it into the Spartan zone and back over to Shouneyia who carried it deep into the zone. Shouneyia pushed the puck around the end boards, behind the Spartan net to Tambellini who circled around to the goalies left and just punched the puck toward the net hoping to make something happen. The puck hit either a player in front or the goalie himself, but it ended up in the Spartan net and Michigan was up one to nothing. Tambellini got the goal, unassisted.

The action would continue up and down the ice for the remainder of the period with each team being whistled for penalties (the Spartans were whistled twice, while the Wolverines were whistled once). Through the remainder of the period Montoya would also come up with some huge saves, including a point blank shot with under two minutes to play that held the lead. The first period would come to an end with Michigan clinging to a one to nothing lead. The Spartans would hold the edge in shots on goal with a twelve to nine count.

The action was fast and furious in the second period with Michigan starting the action by picking up their second penalty of the night with just over one minute played in the second stanza. With just over eighteen minutes left to play and 1:24 remaining in their power play, Michigan got caught out of defensive position and paid the price as the Spartans got a clean break on Montoya, this time beating him for the tying score.

With just under sixteen minutes to play the Wolverines would come roaring back as they broke out of their zone with a three on two break. Shouneyia was coming right down the center of the ice with the puck. He had Ortmeyer to his left and Tambellini to his right as they crossed the Spartan blue line. By keeping control of the puck one of the Spartan defensemen finally had to commit to checking Shouneyia. When they did this Shouneyia made a nice pass to a now open Tambellini who got off a quick, hard shot that went between the Spartan goalie and the post into the top corner of the net. Shouneyia received the lone assist on the goal.

With just over twelve minutes to play each team lost a player to the penalty box, leaving each team with four men on the ice. With forty-seven seconds left in these penalties the Spartans were whistled for a second penalty putting Michigan on the power play; first four on three, then five on four. While they would come close the Wolverines would not score with the man advantage and action continued.

With roughly eight minutes left to play in the period Swistak took perhaps Michigans best penalty of the night as he was forced to take a Spartan down to end a scoring threat. If ever there was a good penalty, that was it. However, with just under seven minutes to play and forty-three seconds left in their first penalty, Michigan sent their second man to the penalty box and the Spartans had a two man advantage. While the Spartans also came close several times they would also come up empty with the extra man, with no goals scored.

With 2:35 left to play in the period Roemensky would bang a pass of the boards to Ryznar who would charge into the Spartan zone with Gajic racing in to Ryznars left. With the Spartan defenseman frozen between them to keep Ryznar from passing to Gajic Ryznar carried the puck to the Spartan net and shot the puck through the five hole for Michigan's third goal of the game. Both Gajic and Roemensky earned assists on the goal.

With just under two minutes to play each team would send a player to the penalty box and with just 1.8 seconds left in the period Michigan would send a second man to the sin bin setting the Spartans up for a power play to start the third period. The second period came to an end with Michigan leading by a score of three to one. The Spartans continued to out shoot the Wolverines as they held a twenty-two to sixteen advantage in shots on goal through two periods of play.

The Spartans would start the third period on the power play skating four on three for fifteen seconds, then five on four for another 1:44. A goal by the Spartans in the opening minutes of the period could have changed the game, but the Michigan penalty kill was up to the task holding the Spartans scoreless.

With just over seventeen minutes to play Michigan got off a flurry of shots at the Spartan goal including a drive by Tambellini that hit the cross bar. Michigan would come close, but would not get that fourth goal.

With just over fourteen minutes to play each team sent a player to the penalty box leaving each team skating with four men. These penalties were killed off with neither team able to score. With about eleven and a half minutes to play Ryznar would take a senseless penalty as he tangled with a Spartan after the whistle had blown. This gave the Spartans power play another chance to get within one as the game reached the mid-point of the final period. The Spartans brought it hard, but once again the Michigan penalty kill was up to the task and held the Spartans scoreless.

In the closing minutes of the game each team would get whistled for a penalty and each team would kill that penalty off. With just forty-four seconds left to play the Spartans would take a time out, but it they were looking to pull their goalie Michigan never gave them the chance, keeping play in or near the Spartan zone. The third period would come to an end with Michigan winning by a score of three to one. The Spartans ended the game with a thirty-four to twenty-seven advantage in shots on goal.

Michigan opened their four game series against the Spartans with a win to hold home ice and to draw within two points of CCHA leading Ferris who was idle tonight. The Wolverines played another solid game of hockey, but made things tougher on themselves than they needed to by taking so many penalties. The Spartans came into the game with a conference leading power play and Michigan gave them seven power play chances, not something you want to do against the conferences best power play unit. All this penalty killing time also meant that Michigan couldn't get into any kind of real flow, especially in the second period. Even with those problems the Wolverines still came up with the goals and the win to set up another key game tomorrow night at the Spartans Munn Arena.

The Wolverines head out on the road tomorrow as they try to get a weekend sweep over the Spartans. The Wolverines need the sweep to keep pace with the conference leaders while the Spartans need the split to keep from falling to far behind the conference leaders. The Wolverines have had mixed results on the road this year, but six of Michigans last seven games are on the road. If the Wolverines want to repeat as regular season CCHA champions they will have to find a way to win on the road. That can all start tomorrow in East Lansing against their arch rival Michigan State.