Wolverines Repeat Win Second Straight CCHA Tournament

Saturday, March 22, 2003
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan

Both teams hit the ice flying in this CCHA championship game, but all either team was doing was hauling the puck up and down the ice as the first four minutes of the game saw no shots on goal.

With about fifteen and half minutes to play in the period that would all change as the Wolverines broke into the Bulldog zone with a two on one odd man rush. Shouneyia pulled the goalie toward him and then he sent a pass over to Tambellini who let lose a rocket of a shot. While the puck was flying it was also wide of the goal and Shouneyia wheeled behind the net and picked up the puck, passing it back out to Tambellini. Getting another chance with the puck Tambellini didn't miss banging a little dart of a shot past the Ferris net minder for the first goal of the game. This goal may well have deflected off a Ferris defenseman, but whether it did or didn't the goal counted and the assists went to Shouneyia and Rogers.

Six minutes later, with about nine and half minutes to play Michigan would be whistled for a penalty putting the Bulldogs on the power play. In the initial seconds the Wolverines had the puck tied up against the boards, but they let the conference scoring leader, Kunitz, slip off by himself. As soon as he was open the Bulldogs shot a pass out front to the waiting Kunitz who blasted a laster of a shot past Montoya to tie the game.

Both Ferris and Michigan would be whistled for and kill off penalties in the final minutes of the period, but the first period would come to an end with the score all tied at one goal each. The Wolverines would end the first period with a thirteen to six advantage in shots on goal.

Like the first period the second started with both teams carrying the puck up and down the ice in workman like fashion, but neither team really mounting much of a scoring threat. With just over fifteen minutes to play in the period the Wolverines were on the positive end of a two on one break. Shouneyia carried the puck into the Bulldog zone and as the defense started to close on him he slid a pass over to Ortmeyer who banged the puck through the five hole for Michigans second of the game. Both Shouneyia and Rogers picked up assists on the score.

Through most of the rest of this period the workman like play continued as both teams pushed the puck up and down the ice. Both teams would get some power play time and each would get some good looks at the net while on the power play. However, there would be no further scoring until the clock moved under the two minute mark.

Just after killing off a Ferris power play the Wolverines found themselves on the power play with about one and half minutes to play in the period. Controlling the puck from the face off Michigan worked the puck around the Bulldog zone, passing the puck around the edges looking for an opening. Rogers would take a big shot from the right point that would be blocked and bounce back to him. Rogers then passed the puck to Tambellini who blasted a shot from the left point. While his shot was blocked Ortmeyer was right there to jam the rebound home and give Michigan a two goal lead late in the second period. Assists on the power play goal went to Tambellini and Rogers.

With just thirty-one seconds left to play in the period the Bulldogs were whistled for a penalty that would include some after the whistle activity by both teams. The end result was that Ferris drew the extra minor penalty, putting the Wolverines on the power play. The Bulldogs would hold Michigan at bay and the second period would come to an end with Michigan leading by a score of three to one. Michigan continued to hold the edge in shots on goal, holding a nineteen to eleven advantage in the category.

Michigan would start the third period with 1:28 of power play time, but they would be unable to take advantage of the extra man. With just under seventeen minutes to play Michigan was whistled for a penalty to put Ferris on the power play. Once again the Bulldog power play unit would get one past Montoya to cut into Michigans lead. Skating the puck right down the middle of the ice it looked like Michigan had disrupted the rush, but somehow a Bulldog came out with the puck and he put it in the top corner of the net for the score. Suddenly the Michigan lead was cut to one.

About two minutes later, with about fourteen and half minutes to play, a face off was taken to the left of the Bulldog goal. Michigan won the face off clean, dropping the puck back to Woodford. Woodford one timed the puck, slamming it past the Bulldog net minder, through a screen of players to once again extend Michigans lead to two. The lone assist would go to Ebbett.

With just five minutes left to play the Wolverines would be whistled for a penalty to put the Bulldogs on the power play late in this contest. While Michigan was able to kill off the penalty, the Bulldogs got the score just as the power play expired. Once again the Wolverine lead was one and time was getting short for the Bulldogs.

The teams battled up and down the ice and with 1:06 left in regulation Ferris pulled their goalie to get an extra attacker. With 1:01 left Michigan would ice the puck, leading to a face off in the Michigan zone. Michigan would get almost fifteen more seconds off the clock before they would ice it again, allowing them to change players, but leaving the face off in the Michigan zone. With 29.2 seconds left, the face off came outside the zone into neutral ice. With twenty-one seconds left another neutral ice face off would finally lead to that much desired empty net goal to seal the win. Battling in neutral ice for the puck, Helminen would finally gain control and with just 4.7 seconds left he sent it into the empty net for Michigans fifth and final goal of the game.

The game would come to an end with Michigan winning by a score of five to three. Michigan ended the game with a thirty to twenty-two advantage in shots on goal.

A great up and down college hockey game ends with the Wolverines repeating as CCHA tournament champions for the second time in the history of the championship. While the Wolverines were almost surely a lock for the NCAA tournament, this win locks the Wolverines in as they receive the CCHA conferences, automatic bid. The Wolverines seem to be peaking at just the right time, as they so often seem to do. They played a solid weekend of playoff hockey to propel them into the NCAA tournament. The tournament field will be set tomorrow evening at 6 PM on ESPN.

Michigan put a number of players on the CCHA all tournament team. Those players were Jed Ortmeyer, Dwight Helminen, Brandon Rogers, and Al Montoya. Jed Ortmeyer won the MVP award and of course the Mason Cup returns to Yost arena for another year.