Buckeyes Whip Wolverines

Saturday, March 20, 2004
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan

Following a pattern that has become all to familiar of late, the Wolverines snoozed through two periods of play, rallied late in the game, but this time they fell short and could not catch the Buckeyes, losing the CCHA Tournament championship game by a score of four to two.

The Buckeyes were whistled for the games lone penalty in this period, but Michigan could mount no pressure while on the power play. For the period as a whole the Buckeyes kept the Wolverines constantly scrambling to keep up. The only thing between the Buckeyes and the Michigan goal was goalie Al Montoya and without some of his saves the Buckeyes might have wracked up three or four goals in this period alone. Instead the first period came to an end with the score all tied at zero. The Buckeyes had a dominating lead in shots on goal ending the first period of play with a seventeen to five advantage.

In the second period Montoya joined the rest of his team mates on the bench as the Buckeyes rattled off three goals to all but seal the win. The scoring spree would get started early in the second with both teams skating with four men each. Ohio State had the puck deep in the Michigan zone, skating behind the Michigan net from right to left. As the Buckeye player came out from behind the net he chucked the puck at the goal. It appeared Montoya had the puck covered, but he didn't get his pads closed quite far enough and with a second jab at the puck, it trickled across the goal line for first of three Buckeye scores.

Just over a minute later, still skating four on four, the Buckeyes would strike for their second goal of the period. Right from the face off following their first goal the Buckeyes charged back into the Michigan zone keeping the pressure turned up as they peppered the Michigan goal with shots. Finally, after the Wolverines were thwarted at every turn in their attempts to clear the puck, all that pressure paid off as Ohio State got their second goal of the game, using a slap shot from the blue line that sailed over a prone Montoya.

Michigan spent much of the rest of this period chasing the Buckeyes, but they managed to hold them off the board until some late period penalties would lead to the Buckeyes third goal of the period. The Buckeyes were sent to the penalty box with just under four minutes to play giving Michigan an opening. However, the Wolverines were unable to take advantage of the extra man, leaving the Buckeyes with a two goal lead. Then with just over one minute to play in the period Michigan was sent to the sin bin, leading to an Ohio State power play goal less than one minute later, just thirty-two seconds from the end of the period. To add insult to injury this shot was made by banking it off Montoyas back side as the Buckeye skater went behind the goal.

The second period would come to an end with the Buckeyes leading by a score of three to nothing. They continued to hold their advantage in shots on goal, finishing two periods of play with twenty-six to fourteen advantage in the category.

It would take over half the period, but Michigan would finally get on the board. Michigan did hit the ice in the third period with a sense of urgency, finally realizing that the game was practically out of reach. Moving the puck with authority around the Buckeye zone Martens would blast a slap shot from the near the blue line. The puck was redirected a couple of times on its way to the net, with the final redirect putting the puck in the net with just over nine minutes to play. Gajic was given credit for the goal, with both Martens and Ebbett receiving assists.

A minute later, with just over eight minutes to play, both teams sent a man to the penalty box, once again skating four four. Just as the clock moved under the seven minute mark Michigan got their second goal of the game, skating four on four. Tambellini broke out of the Buckeye zone, carrying the puck through center ice and into the Buckeye zone. Holding the puck until the last second Tambellini made a nice cross ice pass to Rogers, who flipped the puck up and over the prone Buckeye net minder for the score. Tambellini and Hensick each received an assist on the score.

As time ran down the Wolverines continued to look for the goal that would send the game into overtime, but time ran out. Montoya was pulled with just over one minute to play. With about thirty seconds left Ohio State would clear the puck out of their zone from down near the goal line. They lifted the puck up and over everyone, but when it came back down to the ice it was sliding straight down the center of the ice and ended up in the goal.

The empty net goal was the final goal scored in the game, with regulation time ending the Buckeyes had won by a score of four to two. The Buckeyes ended the game with a thirty-two to twenty-eight advantage in shots on goal.

Unbelievably the Wolverines played an uninspired game of hockey as they went down to conference foe Ohio State. With the CCHA tournament title on the line you would have expected Michigan to play with a sense of urgency, not the sense of ho-hum they seemed to skate with. Ohio State skated circles around the Wolverines for two periods, with Michigan showing some life in the third period, but it was far to little, far to late.

It's hard to tell where the selection committee will place them, but it seems likely at this time that they will be sent to one of the Eastern regionals. No matter where they play given their recent play, both at the end of the regular season, and now in this tournament, it seems unlikely that Michigan will make that fourth straight trip to the Frozen Four.