Wolverines Advance To Frozen Four

Sunday, March 30, 2003, Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

After defeating their NCAA tournament nemesis the day before in a nail biting battle the Wolverines came into the finals of the NCAA Midwest regional the definite under dog as they prepared to play perhaps the most talented team in all of college hockey this year. Having the nations top power play and three of the nations top five goal scorers the task awaiting Michigans Wolverines was daunting to say the least. However, with the home ice crowd of Yost Ice Arena providing a boisterous boost the Wolverines would battle past yet another team to whom they were expected to lose. At the end of the day the Wolverines had earned their third straight trip to the Frozen Four, this year played in Buffalo, New York.

Unlike yesterdays contest against Maine the scoring would start early in this game as the Wolverines drew first blood just over two minutes into the contest. Working hard for the puck in the corner Michigan was able to dig it out and get it out front of the net for a good shot. That shot was blocked, but Nystrom was in the right place at the right time to chip the rebound into the goal for the first goal of the game. Assists on the goal went to Helminen and Mink.

Barely two minutes later the Tigers were whistled for a penalty putting Michigan on the power play for the first time in this game. With the energy of that first goal still with them the Wolverines were really working the puck around the Tiger zone, but they had been unable to get that second goal. Things really took a bad turn for the Tigers when they were whistled for their second penalty with forty-four seconds remaining in their first penalty. Suddenly everything was going Michigans way and it looked like Colorado might be dealt a knock out blow very early in this game. However, no matter how hard they tried the Wolverines were unable to get the puck past the Tiger net minder and with fifteen seconds left in the second Tiger penalty the Wolverines were whistled for their first penalty of the game, ending the power play and setting the Tigers up for their first power play of the game. With just under twelve minutes left to play in the period and just thirty seconds gone in the Michigan penalty the Tigers scored a power play goal to tie the game at one goal each. Using some very crisp passing the Tigers drew the entire Michigan defense to the left of Montoya, then sent a pass across the ice to a Colorado player all alone to Montoyas right. All he had to do was redirect the pass into the net and the game was tied.

With just over eleven minutes to play in the period one man from each team headed to the sin bin, leaving both teams skating with four men. With just over ten minutes, 1:07 in the original penalties, Michigan was once again whistled for a penalty putting the Tigers back on the power play, this time four on three. With just over nine minutes left to play, six seconds in the original penalties and one minute in the Michigan penalty, the Tigers scored their second straight power play goal of the period in practically the same fashion as their first one. The only difference on this goal was the angle of the pass and the angle of the redirection required. With the period just half over the Tigers had taken the lead and gained the momentum.

With just over six minutes to play the Tigers were once again whistled for a penalty to give Michigan another power play chance, but once again the Wolverines would be unable to take advantage of the extra man.

With just 2:42 left to play in the period it would be the Wolverines who would use some great passing to set up a back door score of their own. Seeing a small opening between players Moss sent a pass through the crease to Gajic who was all alone to the right of the Tiger goalie. With no one to contest him Gajic chipped the puck into the net and once again the game was tied, this time at two goals each. Assists on this goal went to Moss and Roemensky.

With just thirty-three seconds left in the period Michigan was whistled for a penalty to put Colorado on the power play for the third time in this period. While the Tigers had scored in relatively short order on their previous two power plays the Wolverines were able to hold them at bay until time ran out in the period. The first period came to an end with the game all tied at two goals each. Michigan held a slight edge in shots on goal with an eleven to eight count.

Colorado would start the second period with 1:28 of power play time, but it would be the Wolverines who would come up with the goal to take the lead. With just under nineteen minutes to play in the period and just six seconds left in the Tiger power play Michigan got the puck cleared out of their zone and deep into the Tiger zone. The Tiger goalie left his net to make a play on the puck, but there was some miscommunication between him and one of his defensemen which allowed Mink to steal the puck. While the goalie tried to recover he was just a bit to slow and Mink and chipped in a short-handed goal to once again give Michigan the lead. This goal was unassisted.

Through the next ten minutes of the period both teams would trade power plays and both teams would be unable to take advantage of the extra man. With just over eight minutes to play in the period Michigan would turn the puck over deep in their zone, right in front of Montoya. All the lone Tiger had to do was walk in and bang the puck past Montoya who just couldn't come up with the save. Once again the game was tied, this time at three goals each.

With just over seven minutes to play Michigan would get their final power play chance of this period and it would once again come up just short. The second period would come to an end with the game all tied at three goals each. Michigan continued to lead in shots on goal with a twenty-four to nineteen count.

With about sixteen and a half minutes to play in the period Michigan would be whistled for a penalty to once again put that dangerous Tiger power play on the ice. Michigan held the Tigers at bay and with 1:13 left in the Colorado power play the Tigers were whistled for a penalty, ending the power play and setting Michigan up for a short power play of their own. However, the Wolverines were in an impatient mood and didn't wait for their power play to begin before once again getting the puck behind the Tiger net minder. The puck ended up in a corner following the face off after the Tiger penalty. Ryznar moved into the corner, stole the puck, and circled behind the Colorado net from right to left. As he worked his way back out in front of the net he spun around and took a shot that beat the Colorado net minder and put Michigan back in the lead, this time for good. This goal was unassisted.

As the Michigan faithful began to watch the clock both teams would trade power plays through the middle of the period. As the intensity on the ice and in the stands grew and time began to run out the Tigers were whistled for a penalty with just over two minutes left to play in the game. Michigan was more interested in running out the clock than attacking the Tiger net and did what they could to drain away the remaining time. With just over one minute left to play and a face off coming just outside their blue line the Tigers called time out to lay plans for the final minute of regulation play. With just forty seconds left to play the Colorado goalie went off the ice to allow Colorado to get back to even strength. While they were able to get the puck into the Michigan zone, they were unable to get the puck in the Michigan net and with just eighteen seconds left in the game, six seconds in the Michigan power play, Mink would get control of the puck, skate up the ice, and fire home his second goal of the game, this one a power play goal into an empty net. Nystrom would pick up the lone assist on the goal and Michigan was on its way to the Frozen Four for the third straight year.

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

Todays game was everything that it was expected to be and more. With the nations top offensive team in the country up against a team with no single star player it seemed likely that the Wolverines would miss their third trip to the Frozen Four in as many years. However, playing with the heart and grit that they have displayed through out this season Michigan never let up and never quit, overcoming Goliath to advance to Buffalo. Michigan heads to the Frozen Four as the only team who did not start this tournament as a number one seed in their Region. However, for the first time in a number of years there is one team from each of the four major college hockey conferences. Michigan will play the second semi-final game against Minnesota, a rematch of a semi-final game in last years Frozen Four.

Michigan dominated the Midwest All Regional team with Eric Nystrom, Jed Ortmeyer, Andy Burnes, and Al Montoya all making the team. In addition, for his outstanding work in goal over the course of two games Montoya was named the regions Most Outstanding Player. The road doesn't get any easier for Michigan, but from this point forward its anyones championship to win. To Michigans advantage they have played in the HSBC Arena once already this year so they will be familiar with the surroundings. The semi-finals will be played on the tenth of April with the championship game being played on the twelfth of April.