Wolverines Survive Warriors

Friday, October 18, 2002
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

In typical fashion the Wolverines started this game flying up and down the ice, applying pressure to the Warrior goal right from the start. Even with the initial pressure it was Merrimack who got the first break of the game when they were presented with a wide open net in the first minute of play. However, the opportunity came and went as they were unable to get control of the puck long enough to put it in the goal. Michigan dodged the bullet and resumed their attack.

With just over eighteen minutes left to play it looked like Merrimack was going on the power play as a Wolverine headed to the penalty box. However, trailing along behind the officials were guiding a Warrior into their own penalty box and the teams skated with four men each. With 17:30 left to play in the period and 1:10 on the initial set of penalties Merrimack was again whistled for a violation giving the Wolverines a four on three power play. It would take Michigan about one minute, but with 16:27 left to play Tambellini would slam the puck home to give Michigan the early lead. This goal was set up by some tremendous passing around the Warrior zone that eventually had Merrimack so turned around that when the final pass came to Tambellini he had an easy shot. Assists on the power play goal went to Rogers and Ortmeyer.

The teams would spend the next ten minutes wheeling up and down the ice when Tambellini would strike for the second time in the period. This goal was setup by some outstanding work by Helminen who seemed to be everywhere on the ice, digging the puck out and working to get it out front. Finally gaining control of the puck behind the Warrior goal Helminen fed it out front to Tambellini on the left side of the goal. Tambellini shot once and got rejected, got his rebound and shot twice, only to be turned away again, got his own rebound again and this time punched the puck into the goal for his and Michigan's second of the night. Assists went to Helminen and Nystrom.

Merrimack would get a power play of their own in the final five minutes of the period, but the Michigan penalty kill was all over the Merrimack power play unit. The Warriors were never able to mount any serious scoring threat and Michigan retained their two goal lead. The first period would come to an end with Michigan leading by a score of two to nothing. The Wolverines would end the period with a fourteen to three edge in shots on goal.

The second period would be a period marred by penalties on both sides of the puck, but the Warriors certainly took their share tallying two five minute major penalties over the course of twenty minutes. Merrimack got the penalty fest under way with the clock showing just over seventeen minutes to play when they dragged Moss down as he drove toward the Warrior goal with the puck. Michigan would be unable to score on this power play, keeping their two goal lead.

Things would take a nasty turn with just over fourteen minutes to play when a Warrior just blasted Swistak from behind right into the boards. The hit looked vicious but Swistak got up while the Warrior collected the first of his teams two five minute major penalties and a game misconduct for his actions. Even with the five minute power play Michigan was unable to score a goal as the Merrimack penalty kill worked overtime to disrupt Michigan's power play, never allowing them to get anything solid setup.

With just under eight minutes to play the Warriors again headed to the sin bin and again Michigan was unable to take advantage. With just under five minutes to play Merrimack would collect another penalty to put Michigan back on the power play, looking to find some flow while on the power play. With 4:28 left to play and 1:37 in their first penalty Merrimack would get whistled for their second five minute major and have their second player collect a game misconduct to give Michigan a five on three advantage for 1:37 and the rest of the period on the power play. This time the Wolverines would take advantage, scoring their second power play goal of the game with 3:26 left to play (34 seconds left in the first penalty and 3:58 left in the five minute major). This goal was again setup by some great passing around the Merrimack zone which again got the Warriors somewhat turned around. Finally Woodford got the puck over to Nystrom who made it look easy, burying the puck in the net for Michigan's third goal of the game. Assists on this power play goal went to Woodford and Martens.

The second period would come to an end with Michigan holding a three to nothing lead. Even though Michigan was on the power play for over half of this period the Warriors still out shot the Wolverines by a nine to six count. That left Michigan with a twenty to twelve advantage in shots on goal through two periods.

Michigan started the third period with thirty-two seconds of power play time, but they were unable to score with the man advantage. That second period seemed to tire both teams somewhat as the pace of the game seemed to be considerably slower than it had been in the first two periods. With both teams working the puck up and down the ice Michigan would put Merrimack on the power lay with just under fourteen minutes left to play in the period. While the Wolverines killed this penalty off the Warriors would finally get on the board barely thirty seconds after their power play expired. With a knot of players in front of the Michigan goal Merrimack was somehow able to slip the puck into the net for a score. This goal wasn't without some controversy as the referee awarded the goal without the goal light ever coming on. It appeared that the puck may have skipped along the goal line and never entered the net, but there was no review and the goal stood.

With just over ten minutes left to play it would once again be Michigan on the power play and it looked like they were going to score their third power play goal of the night when Werner got off a big shot, but it clanged off a post and bounced harmlessly away. That was the closest Michigan would come to scoring on this power play.

With about eight and half minutes to play Michigan would again be sent to the sin bin to give the Warriors a man advantage. About one minute later, with fifty-three seconds left in their initial penalty, Michigan would again get sent to the box when a scuffle broke out between a couple of players on the ice. In all Michigan lost two players and Merrimack lost one. One Michigan penalty was put up on the board, while the other pair of penalties were ruled coincidental. When all was said and done Merrimack was looking at a fifty-three second two man advantage with three of Michigan's defenseman in the penalty box. Michigan would weather the storm and get a fourth player back on the ice to skate just one man down. The Warrior threat would end with fifty-five seconds left in their power lay when they were whistled for a violation to even things at four men a side. Michigan would get a short power play, but would be unable to take advantage of the short power play.

With 2:32 left in the game a pair of matching penalties were called to leave each team skating with four men. Just as the teams were lining up for the face off the Warriors called a time out and headed to the bench. Coming back on the ice after the time out the Warriors had five players as they pull their goalie to get the extra attacker over the Wolverines. The action would stay in the Michigan zone and Montoya would come up with a couple of good saves to keep Merrimack from scoring. Finally, out of a group of players Roemensky would gets enough wood on the puck to send it skidding toward the Warrior goal. It would roll down the ice, weave a little bit, but finally straighten out and roll into the empty net to seal the win for the Wolverines. The goal was unassisted.

The game would come to an end with Michigan winning by a score of four to one, but it was a nail biter down the stretch as Merrimack did everything they could to get back into the game. The Wolverines were again outshot in the third period, but would end the game with a twenty-seven to twenty-three edge in shots on goal.

Michigan comes away with a win so that is good, but they certainly cannot be overly happy with the way the game went. They played a solid first period taking the attack to the Warriors and keeping them off stride on defense. However, in both the second and third periods Michigan seemed to be out of sync as they could mount no real offensive threat. While the defense, for the most part, did it's job the lack of an offense was disturbing. The Wolverines were on the power play for at least half of the second period and could barely muster a shot on goal, let alone a goal. Both teams seemed tired in the third, but again it was Merrimack generating the offense and carrying the game to the Wolverines. Tomorrow nights game between these two teams should be interesting as Michigan looks to sweep this Hockey East opponent, while Merrimack looks to get a win over a Michigan team that for two periods tonight certainly looked beatable.