Wolverines Sweep To Perfect CCHA Home Record

Saturday, February 21, 2004
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

A close game was decided in the third period when Michigan scored three goals to pull away from the visiting Falcons late in the game for a five to three win on Senior night. This victory completed Michigan's fifth weekend sweep of the second half and completed a perfect 13-0-0 regular season home record in CCHA play (Michigan lost its only other regular season home games to Minnesota and Wisconsin in the College Hockey Showcase). This was the first team in the history of the Michigan hockey program to have a perfect home conference record (the 1997 team had one tie finishing 14-0-1).

Bowling Green came out hard in this game trying to salvage a split for the weekend, scoring the games first goal with over fifteen minutes yet to play in the opening period. With the Falcons on the power play a face off was held in the Michigan zone. The Falcons won the draw, getting the puck straight back to one of their players. From about the face off circle a shot was fired that deflected just enough in front to beat Montoya over his shoulder.

The Falcons would hold that one goal lead for about seven minutes before the Wolverines would get back to even. With just over eight minutes to play in the period Michigan got the puck to Gajic at their blue line. With a step on the closest defender Gajic cruised into the Falcon zone down the penalty box side of the ice. As he reached the face off circle he sent a rocket of a shot that beat the Falcon net minder to give Michigan their first goal of the night. Assists went to Kaleniecki and Cook.

With about two and a half minutes left to play in the period the Falcons would be sent to the penalty box, putting Michigan on the power play. Taking almost the entire two minutes the Wolverines would finally create the conditions for a great shot from the point to take the lead in the game. Getting the puck to Rogers out by the blue line, the puck was held just long enough for a screen to move in front of the goalie and then he blasted a shot over the goalies shoulder for the goal with less than a minute to play in the period. Assists went to Gajic and Hensick.

The first period would end with Michigan leading by a score of two to one. The Wolverines finished the first period of play with a fourteen to eight advantage in shots on goal.

The second period was a penalty filled affair that saw each team get a couple of scoring chances, but neither team able to find a way past the goal tenders. The second period would come to an end with the score still two to one in favor of the Wolverines. Michigan out shot Bowling Green fourteen to thirteen in the second period to finish two periods of play with a twenty-eight to twenty-one advantage in shots on goal.

With just under fourteen minutes to play in regulation time the Wolverines would be sent to the penalty box putting the Falcons on the power play. Just ten seconds into the Falcon power play Michigan would score a short handed goal to take a two goal lead. The face off was held in the Michigan zone to the right of Montoya. Helminen gathered up the puck, heading up the ice down the penalty box side of the ice. He would pull up at the face off circle, immediately take off, then quickly cut to his left, shooting back to the top right corner of the net for the goal. Hunwick received the lone assist on the goal.

That two goal lead didn't last long as the Falcons scored on this same power play to cut the lead back to one. With the clock just moving under the thirteen minute mark the Falcons were putting some great power play pressure on Michigan. They finally pulled Montoya one direction while passing the puck to a defender on the back side for the easy back door goal.

With just over eleven minutes to play each team had a player sent to the penalty box. With just forty seconds left in the matching penalties Helminen would once again go flying down the penalty box side of the ice. This time he didn't stop, but he did make a move, making it look like he might pass to a trailing Wolverine. Instead he blasted a shot that beat the Falcon net minder for Michigan's fourth goal of the game. The goal was scored as unassisted.

Still skating off the matching penalties called with just over eleven minutes to play in the final period Michigan would once again find a way to get the puck in the net, putting the Falcons down by three. Michigan had the puck in the Falcon zone, passing it around trying to create that opening in the Falcon defense. Ebbett got off a shot from the left of the Falcon net that was stopped, but the rebound was not covered. Woodford was right there to jump on the rebound and chip it into the net for his first goal of the season. The lone assist went to Ebbett.

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

Somehow it seems fitting that the Wolverines should finish off a perfect conference home record on Senior night. Only three of the original four players in this class made it to this point with fellow classmate Mike Komisarek leaving for the NHL after just two seasons with the Wolverines. While one, Captain Andy Burnes has been a regular in the Michigan line up since his freshman year, fellow seniors Joe Kautz and David Wyzgowski have played sparingly. Even with limited playing time they stuck with the team, worked as hard as anyone out there, and were ready to step into any game when called on to do so. Thanks and good luck to all three Seniors as this, their final season winds down.

The Wolverines will finish the regular season away from Yost, with next weekends series in South Bend holding the potential for Michigan to lock up first place. Michigan needs just one point next week to put first place out of reach for MSU and just three points to put first place out of reach for Miami. If Michigan can get three or four points next weekend they will lock up first place. It would also be very encouraging to see a solid road series by Michigan with tournament play just three weeks away.