Michigan Squeaks Out Split

Saturday, March 1, 2003
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan

The Wolverines got this game under way in the fashion that everyone was looking for them to start the game last night - flying up and down the ice, applying pressure to the Spartan goal from the initial face off. Even with that pressure it would be the Spartans who would once again get the first break and goal of the game. With just under eighteen minutes yet to play in the first the Wolverines were whistled for a penalty, putting the Spartans on the power play early in this contest. The Spartans wasted little time applying some pressure of their own as they quickly clanged the puck off a post in the early going of this power play. That Spartan pressure would finally pay off as they got the puck in the net with just over sixteen minutes to play, thirty- four seconds left in the power play. Once again it was traffic in front of the net and shots from the point that proved to much for the Michigan net minder. A hot shot from the point got into the bodies in front of the net and deflected past Montoya for the first goal of the game.

With the clock reaching the fifteen minute mark the Spartan net minder made an unbelievable save to keep the Wolverines off the board, but that would not last for long as Ryznar came up with Michigan's first goal of the night as the clocked moved under the fifteen minute mark. This time it would be Michigan who would get all kinds of traffic in front of the net. The initial shot would be blocked, but the rebound popped out front in amongst all the skaters and Ryznar was right there to chip it back into the net. Assists on the goal went to Richmond and Moss.

Michigan would get their first power play chance of the game with right around six minutes left to play in the period, but it would be the Spartans taking advantage on special teams. Michigan, continuing to play poorly with the puck, would turn it over right at the MSU blue line. From there the Spartan skater would break in on the Wolverine net and beat Montoya clean for the Spartans second goal of the period, short- handed.

The first period would come to an end with Michigan State leading by a score of two to one. The Spartans also held the edge in shots on goal with an eleven to nine count.

Michigan would come out in the second period with the speed cranked up yet another notch and that speed would lead to their second goal of the game. Tambellini, Shouneyia, and Ortmeyer would come flying into the Spartan zone. Tambellini would get down behind the Spartan net. From there he passed out to Shouneyia who made a nice little touch pass over to Ortmeyer who buried the puck to tie the game with just twenty-three seconds ticked of the clock in the second period. Shouneyia and Tambellini both picked up assists on the goal.

About two and a half minutes later Michigan would take the lead for the first time in this game, once again getting things started from behind the net. This time it would be Shouneyia behind the net setting up the play. Sending a little floater of a pass from behind the net to the high slot Shouneyia set up Roemensky with a perfect look at the net. Wasting no time Roemensky blasted the puck past the Spartan net minder for the Wolverine lead. Shouneyia picked up the lone assist on the goal.

It looked like the Wolverines were going to add to the Spartans troubles when the Spartans were sent to the sin bin with just over twelve minutes to play in the period. However, once again it would be the Wolverine power play that would lead to a Spartan goal. Michigan had the puck deep in their own zone when a Spartan player hooked the Wolverine puck handler to the ice leading to an out cry from the Michigan faithful for a second Spartan penalty. Rather than getting a penalty the Spartan who took the Michigan player to the ice found himself all alone with the puck and a perfect shot at the Michigan goal. He took that shot and the game was all tied up a three goals each. Michigan State had their second short-handed goal of the game.

With about seven and a half minutes to play in the period the Spartans would once again be whistled for a penalty putting Michigan on the power play. This time the Wolverines managed to complete the power play without giving up a short-handed goal, but they also didn't score a goal of their own. With just under three minutes to play the Spartans once again went to the sin bin and Michigan was once again on the power play. This time the Wolverines would waste little time, needing just twenty-five seconds of the power play to score their fourth goal of the game. The goal was started by Tambellini who took a huge shot from out at the point. The shot was either blocked or deflected down in close to the net, but it ended up right on Shouneyias stick and he chipped it into the goal for Michigans fourth. Both Nystrom and Tambellini got an assist on the goal.

The second period would come to an end with Michigan leading by a score of four to three. The Wolverines had also taken over the lead in shots on goal having twenty-four to the Spartans eighteen through two periods.

There was a scrum at the twenty minute mark of the second period leading to several players starting the third period in the penalty box. The end result was that Michigan lost one extra player, giving Michigan State a power play to start the third period and a golden opportunity to get the game back to even. The Michigan penalty kill, being well rested after the break, shut the Spartan power play down and the Wolverines got back to full strength with their lead still intact.

With just under sixteen minutes to play in the final period Michigan would score their fifth goal of the game. Once again generating a lot of traffic down low around the Spartan net and using some hard work by several Wolverines Michigan was in position to chip another rebound into the net give themselves a two goal cushion. The goal went to Kaleniecki, while Ebbett and Burnes both picked up assists.

Just over a minute later another little scuffle would break out and once again Michigan found itself on the penalty kill. Unlike the penalty kill that opened the third period, this one wasn't as good and the Spartans got back to within one by scoring their second power play goal of the game. With plenty of power play time left and just under fourteen minutes showing on the clock, the Spartans just kind of jabbed at the puck down low in the Michigan zone. The puck just sort of floated up over Montoyas shoulder, barely making it under the cross bar. The Spartans were back within one with plenty of time on the clock.

The battle would continue up and down the ice until there were less than two minutes left to play in the game. With 1:29 to go in the game and a face off coming deep in the Michigan zone the Spartans took a time out to discuss strategy. As the Spartans returned to the ice their net minder stayed on the bench giving the Spartans the extra attacker. Michigan would survive that and with 51.2 seconds left the Spartan goalie had to return to the game as a face off was coming near their blue line. The Wolverines kept the puck in the Spartan zone for the next twenty seconds or so, forcing the Spartan goalie to stay in the game. The Spartan goalie was once again able to exit the game and give the Spartans an extra attacker with 29.3 seconds left to play and for the remainder of the game they would keep that extra attacker on the ice. The extra attacker would not be enough and the game came to an end with Michigan holding on for the five to four win. Michigan ended the game with a thirty-three to twenty-four advantage in shots on goal.

Michigan played a much better game tonight than they did last night, at least from an intensity point of view. They still had problems, especially on special teams, giving up two short-handed goals and two power play goals. If not for those special teams break downs, something the Wolverines have otherwise been quite good at this year, the Wolverines really dominated the play in this game using both their skill and their speed. This gives the Wolverines something to build on as they once again head out on the road to finish the CCHA regular season at Ohio State. With last nights loss Ferris seems to be untouchable in first place, meaning this trip to Ohio is for second place in the CCHA. If you can't be in first, you want to be in second so you can get a quarter final bye in the CCHA tournament. It won't be easy down in Columbus, but once again the Wolverines take to the road needing to win two.