Wolverines Lose Heart Breaker

Thursday, April 10, 2003
HSBC Arena, Buffalo, New York

The Wolverines started this Frozen Four semi-final game really buzzing the Minnesota net as they applied pressure early and often. Unfortunately they would also collect the games first penalty with just under three minutes played in the game. The Michigan penalty kill was once again performing at top efficiency as they were well on their way to killing off the penalty when Minnesota helped them by picking up a penalty of their own with just twelve seconds left in the Michigan penalty. After a short period of four on four hockey Michigan moved to the power play. Unfortunately, while they got all kinds of pressure they could not score and both teams returned to full strength with the score still tied at zero.

With roughly ten and half minutes to play in the first period Michigan would score their first goal of the game when Kaleniecki would find twine for the Wolverines. Both teams were lined up for a face off to the Minnesota goalies right when this scoring play began. Winning the face off the Wolverines got the puck over to Kaleniecki who was all alone in the slot. Wasting no time Kaleniecki fired off a shot that beat the Gopher net minder for the first goal of the game. The lone assist was given to Ebbett.

Both teams would be whistled for penalties down the stretch of this period, including one to Michigan with just over one minute to play in the period. Once again Minnesota would end their own power play when they were whistled for a penalty with just twenty-six seconds left in the period. Neither team could take advantage of the man advantage and the first period would come to an end with Michigan holding a slim one to nothing lead. The Wolverines also dominated in shots on goal finishing the first period with a fifteen to five advantage in this category.

Michigan started the second period with forty-nine seconds of power play time, but would be unable to get that second goal with the extra man. This Michigan power play was barely expired when the Wolverines were whistled for a penalty with eighteen and half minutes yet to play in the second. The Wolverines would kill this penalty off and play would continue up and down the ice.

Minnesota had and missed on several scoring chances through the next ten minutes of play until once again Michigan put the Gophers on the power play with just under eight minutes left to play in the second. Michigan would once again weather the storm as they killed off this penalty to return to even strength.

About thirty seconds after killing off that last penalty and just over five minutes left in the period Michigan would strike again to gain a two goal lead. The Wolverines were battling for the puck down in the corner when they popped it lose and got it to their Captain, Jed Ortmeyer. Ortmeyer no stranger to scoring big goals slipped the puck past the Gopher net minder to give Michigan that two to nothing lead with barely five minutes left to play in the second. The lone assist on this goal went to Tambellini.

With just over two minutes to play in the period Minnesota would get one back as Montoya just couldn't get control of the puck and the Gophers got just enough of it to put it over the goal line. Montoya had blocked a long shot from the point and had blocked a second follow up shot from closer in and appeared to have the puck covered, however, it just trickled out from under him where a waiting Gopher was able to get a stick on it and just nudge it over the line.

The second period would come to an end with Michigan leading by a score of two to one. The second period was dominated by Minnesota, much like the first was dominated by Michigan. After solidly out shooting the Wolverines in this period the shots on goal count stood at twenty-one for Michigan and twenty for Minnesota. In what can only be called a mental lapse early in the third period Michigan gave the Gophers a golden opportunity which they took full advantage of to tie the game. The puck was just sitting on the ice just inside the Michigan blue line and no Wolverine came over to clear the puck out of their zone. Finally a Gopher got control of the puck, passed it down low to a waiting teammate who one timed it through Montoyas five hole and the game was all tied at two goals each.

Minnesota would put Michigan on the power play with just under sixteen minutes to play when they tripped a charging Wolverine who was about to break cleanly into the Gopher zone. As they did all day the Gophers would once again kill off their penalty keeping Michigan from scoring on the power play.

Michigan would get a second power play chance in this period with just over twelve minutes to play as they were really putting some pressure on the Minnesota goal. Once again Minnesota killed off the penalty and the game remained tied at two goals each.

With just over ten minutes to play it looked like Michigan had scored the go ahead goal when Ryznar chipped the puck in, but the referee immediately waved the goal off. As they do with all goals in the tournament it was reviewed and in the end it was not allowed. The referee had lost sight of the puck, not all that surprising when its sliding through a goalies five hole, and blew the whistle just prior to it crossing the goal line. A review cannot over rule a blown whistle so the goal did not count.

Play would continue up and down the ice for the remainder of the period, but regulation play would come to an end with the score all tied at two goals each. Michigan held the slight edge in shots on goal after three periods of play with a thirty-one to twenty-eight count.

Both teams battled up and down the ice in the overtime period with neither team getting any real good looks at the goal until Minnesota got the shot they were looking for with just over eleven minutes left to play. With an outstanding personal effort Minnesota's Vanek got control of the puck behind the Michigan goal, made a spin move, and moved out toward the front of the net. As he came out around the Michigan net he let lose a shot that it looked like Montoya was in position to stop. However, the puck deflected off one of Montoyas pads and into the open far side of the net giving the Gophers the game winner. The game ended with Minnesota winning by a three to two score. Michigan ended the game with a thirty-three to thirty-two advantage in shots on goal.

For the third straight year and seventh time in nine years Michigan loses in their Frozen Four semi-final game. For the second straight year it was Minnesota knocking Michigan out of the tournament by the same three to two score. What makes this years loss so hard to take is that it was in overtime in a game that Michigan could have just as easily won.

Michigan ended the season with thirty wins, one of only a handful of teams able to garner that many wins on the season. Another solid season of hockey by Michigan has a bitter end, but take nothing away from this team. They had a great year of hockey and things only look brighter in the coming years as this team should get stronger over each of the next two years. The hard part for this team now will be the long months of summer when all they can do is think about how this season ended while they prepare to make another run for the Frozen Four next year.