Michigan Sweeps To First Place

Saturday, February 14, 2004
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

With first place on the line the Wolverines and Redhawks faced off for the second game of this weekends two game series and it was more and less than expected. After last nights loss you had to expect Miami to come out flying and that's exactly how they started this game. They kept Michigan scrambling to keep up at every turn, but they couldn't get the puck past Montoya. However, once the scoring started the goal tenders both took the night off and the game turned into a wild ride with a total of thirteen goals scored between the two teams. In the end it would be Michigan completing the sweep with an eight to five victory, putting them in first place in the CCHA.

After losing the opening game of the weekend the Redhawks kept Michigan on their heals for the much of the first period. Montoya had to make a number of big saves as the Redhawks built up a decided advantage in shots on goal. With just over eight minutes to play in the first period and the Redhawks on the power play, Michigan was trying to clear the puck out of their zone, but they just couldn't get it outside the blue line. Eventually the sustained pressure allowed Miami to get off a couple of point blank shots, the second of which beat Montoya to give the Redhawks the one to nothing lead.

Shortly after scoring the games first goal the Redhawks were whistled for a penalty, putting the Wolverines on the power play. As the clock moved under the seven minute mark the Wolverines would tie the score with a power play goal of their own. Using some great passing around the Miami zone Michigan found Gajic all alone to the goalies right, sitting right around the bottom of the circle. As the puck hit his stick Gajic blasted a shot to the net that beat the goalie and tied the score at one goal each. Ebbett and Rogers each received an assist on the goal.

Just over a minute later, with just over five minutes left in the period, Miami would get their second goal of the night to retake the lead, when Montoya gave up perhaps his worst goal of the season. Miami had moved the puck in low, but lost control as it drifted toward the net. Montoya moved to clear it off to the side, but instead he barely touched the puck and it ended up laying on the ice just to the side of the goal. Since he was looking to clear the puck he was not up tight to the goal post and instead of clearing the puck a passing Redhawk got a stick on the puck and just tipped it into the net between Montoya's pads and the post.

Once again the Wolverines would answer the call, scoring their second goal of the game barely one minute later. Michigan jumped up and intercepted a clearing pass, keeping it in Miami's zone. With most of the Miami players headed out of their zone all it took was a quick pass to Helminen at the left circle, followed by an equally quick wrist shot by Helminen and the game was all tied at two. Werner received the lone assist on the goal.

Just twenty-eight seconds later Michigan would take the lead and never look back as they would light the lamp six more times in this contest. Winning a face off to the right of the Miami goalie the puck was dropped back to Kaleniecki who blasted a long slap shot that sailed into the net over the left shoulder of the Redhawk net minder. The lone assist went to Hensick who won the face off, getting the puck straight back to Kaleniecki.

Not twenty seconds later the Redhawks were sent to the sin bin putting the Wolverines on the power play. At this point in the game the Wolverines were attacking from every direction and to add to their difficulties the Redhawks were whistled for a second penalty with 1:25 left in their original infraction, giving Michigan a five on three advantage for an extended period of time. Using more pin point passing the Wolverines took about a minute, but they finally found Hensick open at the left face off circle. As the puck hit his stick he fired a shot that beat the Miami net minder, giving Michigan a four to two lead. Assists on this power play goal were given to Rogers and Ebbett.

The first period would come to an end with Michigan leading by a score of four to two. After being down twelve shots to one earlier in the period, the Wolverines would end the first period with a fourteen to thirteen advantage in shots on goal.

Miami would get things started in the second period when they drew to within one goal with just over two minutes played. A Redhawk fired a shot from the blue line that Montoya moved to block. However, just as it neared the Michigan net it hit a Michigan defender, deflecting at a sharp angle, beating Montoya low to his blocker side.

Just as quickly the Redhawks found themselves once again in the sin bin as they were whistled for a penalty about twenty seconds after scoring their third goal. While skating with the extra man Michigan put a great deal of pressure on the Miami goal, keeping the puck in the Redhawk zone and passing it crisply looking for an opening in the Redhawk defense. That opening would come late in the power play, getting created off a rare errant pass. As he retrieved the puck down in the corner Gajic found a wide open Rogers at the top of the right circle. As the puck got to him Rogers fired it past the Miami net minder to once again give Michigan a two goal lead. Assists went to Gajic and Kaleniecki.

With just over fourteen minutes to play, while skating four on four it appeared that Michigan had scored their sixth goal of the game, but the referee waved the goal off, leaving the score at five to three.

With just over ten minutes to play in the period, again skating four on four, Michigan would score that sixth goal to take a three goal lead. Helminen was standing out above the right face off circle when he received a pass from Burnes. From that location he fired off a shot that hit a post, then the back of the Miami net minder, and finally dropped into the goal. Assists went to Burnes and Hunwick.

With just over six minutes to play Michigan would extend their lead using a great transition pass up the ice. Hunwick got the puck up the ice to Hensick who carried it into the Miami zone. Skating down the other side was Hunwick, trailing the play after getting it started. As the Miami defense closed on him Hensick saw Hunwick, made a great pass from behind the Miami net to an open Hunwick who put a quick wrist shot into the Miami net for his first career goal. Hensick received the lone assist and Miami replaced their goal tender.

The second period would come to an end with Michigan leading by a score of seven to three. Both teams would have twenty-three shots on goal after two periods of play.

Once again the Redhawks found a way to score early in the third period, this time barely thirty seconds into the period. Carrying the puck from end to end the Redhawks just blew past the Michigan defense, quickly closing on the Michigan net, and putting the puck through the five hole for a score that was entirely to easy. While it gave the Redhawks a boost, it also woke up the Michigan defense.

With just over seventeen minutes to play Michigan would get their four goal lead back when Moss intercepted a pass just outside the Miami blue line. With no defenders in position to stop him Moss charged into the Miami zone unmolested. As he neared the net he fired a shot up over the goalies shoulder to score Michigan's eighth goal of the game - unassisted.

As the clock moved under the thirteen minute mark the Wolverines were whistled for a penalty, putting Miami on the power play. About midway through the power play they got Montoya to commit himself to stopping a low shot, then fired the puck top shelf for the easy score. Montoya had moved to one side of the goal, but a quick cross ice pass forced him to quickly move to the other side. Expecting a low shot Montoya went to the ice, stacking his pads, but the shot went high leading to the score.

The remainder of the game would be defensive in nature with the final seconds ticking off the clock and the game ending with Michigan winning by a score of eight to five. The Redhawks ended the game with a forty to thirty-one advantage in shots on goal.

While it took them a while to get going, once the Wolverines started to score they never looked back. Every time Miami would come up with a big score, Michigan would answer back, never letting the Redhawks create any kind of separation. As the frustration grew for Miami, especially late in the first period, they gave Michigan power play opportunities that the Wolverines took advantage of to build a lead that they would never relinquish. Even when Miami started each of the final two periods with early goals, Michigan always answered to maintain the lead they built in the first.

While it wasn't the prettiest game of the year, it was exactly what Michigan needed, a sweep over conference leader Miami, to take over first place in the CCHA with just three weeks left in the regular season. With Miami off next weekend and Michigan hosting Bowling Green, the Wolverines are in position to open a significant point lead over the second place Redhawks. Now all Michigan has to do is stay focused against a team that they should beat, while also preparing to finish the regular season on the road against Notre Dame and Michigan State.