Falcons Battle Wolverines to Tie

Saturday, November 9, 2002
BGSU Ice Arena, Bowling Green, Ohio

Once again Michigan started the game by putting a lot of pressure on the Bowling Green goal, but with a new net minder the Falcons survived rush after rush, keeping the Wolverines off the board. Bowling Green saw a couple of chances, but through the first six minutes of play most of the game had been played in the Bowling Green end.

Play had been a bit chippy right from the start of this game and with 11:37 to play in the first Bowling Green would get whistled for the first penalty of the game. Barely a minute later a player from each side would head to the sin bin and the Michigan power play would continue. However, in the end Michigan would be unable to take advantage of the extra man getting no goals from the power play.

Bowling Green would get their first power play chance of the night with 7:32 to play in the period when Michigan was sent to the penalty box. Michigan would kill this penalty off, but Bowling Green got some good looks at the Michigan goal. Michigan would once again get whistled for a penalty with just over four minutes to play to give the Falcons another shot at the power play. However, the Wolverine penalty kill was once again up to the task, killing off the penalty without giving up a goal.

It looked like the period would come to an end with neither team able to score, but the Falcons had other ideas. With one and half minutes left to play Bowling Green let a slap shot fly from just inside the Michigan blue line that beat Montoya clean and gave the Falcons the first goal of the game. This was a blistering shot that was in the net before Montoya even knew it had passed him by.

With 1:19 left in the period the Falcons would be whistled for a penalty giving Michigan a late power play chance. This wouldn't last very long as Michigan was whistled for a penalty of their own with just forty-one seconds left to play, ending the power play and setting the Falcons up for a short power play of their own at the start of the second period. With twelve seconds left in the period one player from each team was sent to the sin bin as the game was dangerously close to spinning out of the referees control. As time ran out in the period Michigan would be hit with another penalty that would give Bowling Green a big advantage in power play time to start the second period. The first period came to an end with Bowling Green leading by a score of one to nothing. The shots on goal were even with each team tallying eleven.

To start the second period Bowling Green had forty-one seconds of penalty time, while Michigan had two penalties on the board, one with 1:19 remaining, and one with a full two minutes to go. Bowling Green started with a four on three advantage, would get a thirty-eight second two man advantage and then move back to a one man advantage to start this period off. While the Wolverines were unable to come up with another of those short-handed goals they did kill off the Bowling Green power play.

The chippy play would continue as the teams traded penalties back and forth over the next seven or eight minutes. Michigan would finally find pay dirt with just under seven minutes to play when Mink would find the twine with a great individual effort. Circling around behind the net, from right to left, Mink popped out in front to the goalies right and sent the puck top shelf over his left shoulder to tie the game. The goal was unassisted.

With just under five minutes to play Bowling Green would be whistled for a penalty to give Michigan a power play chance, but they were unable to score. Bowling Green would once again put Michigan on the power play with just over a minute left to play. With forty-six seconds left to play both teams would lose a player to coincidental penalties, while the Michigan power play continued. Right at the close of the period Michigan saw two golden opportunities to score the go ahead goal pass them by as they missed or didn't take shots at a wide open net. The second period would come to an end with the score all tied at one goal each. Michigan did gain a fairly significant edge in shots on goal as they ended the period with a thirty to twenty advantage in this category.

The third period was as different from the first two as night is different from day. Both teams must have mutually decided that it was a lot more fun just playing hockey, than it was pounding each other as the third period some great up and down hockey. Each team would see chances and each goalie would turn those chances away. The third period would come to an end with the score still tied at one goal each. Michigan took a couple more shots on goal and ended regulation time with a forty-seven to twenty-nine edge in shots.

Neither team would find a way past the goal tenders in the five minute overtime period and the game would end with the score all tied up at one goal each. The final tally for shots on goal was Michigan forty-nine, Bowling Green thirty.

While they didn't get a win, Michigan played a more complete game tonight than they did last night. Both teams got a little hot headed, especially late in the first and through the second period, but the Wolverines kept the pressure up all the way through the game. The defense was also solid for the entire game. Getting Burnes back into the line up really seemed to settle the defense down and a couple of the other players did a much better job playing defensive hockey, rather than looking for the offensive break. Bowling Green has to be very happy with the outcome of this game as their goal tender stands on his head and holds Michigan's scorers to just one goal. The Falcons pick up a point in the CCHA, but perhaps more important for them they skate Michigan to a tie. On the other hand this has to be a mixed bag for Michigan. They played a more complete game of hockey tonight, but simply couldn't get the puck past the Falcon goalie more than the one time.

For Michigan they pick up a point to take three out of four on the weekend and they also get some great goal tending from Montoya. On the other hand they didn't win; they didn't lose, but they didn't win. They give up a point in the CCHA, but that's not the end of the world as they still have lots of CCHA play to go, including games against the current conference leaders. Generally speaking if you can get three or four points playing on the road in the CCHA you've had a good weekend and i'm sure Michigan feels they had a successful weekend. There is still a lot of hockey to play in this season and it may be a good thing that Michigan has these games against Bowling Green behind them as the Falcons seem to be on the verge of getting their game together.