Wolverines Cruise Past York

Friday, October 3, 2003
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

The Wolverines got their 2003-2004 campaign officially underway tonight with a six to two win over the York Lions in an exhibition game at Yost Ice Arena. The Canadian University team from Toronto brought an older, bigger squad into Yost to test the younger, quicker Wolverines and the Wolverines proved up to the challenge.

Scoring got underway just twenty-three seconds into the game when the Lions managed to squeeze the puck past Montoya to take an early one to nothing lead. The score was a bit soft as it was originally a pass that deflected off a Michigan player and just trickled through Monotoya's five hole. No matter how it got there the Lions had the goal and the lead.

The lead wouldn't last long as Michigan got on the board for the first time less than one minute later. Winning a face off to the left of the York net minder Michigan got the puck out in front of the goal where freshman David Rohlfs sent a little hand shot to the net that beat the goalie and drew Michigan even in the game. The lone assist when to another freshman, T.J. Hensick.

With just over two minutes gone in the contest the Wolverines picked up their first penalty of the game to give York a power play opportunity. While the Lions had the extra man it would be the Wolverines who would come through with a special teams score. While in their zone the Wolverines gained control of the puck in the slot and carried it out of their zone. Ryznar took the puck into the York zone where he passed it over to Martens who wasted no time banging the puck past the York net minder, taking full advantage of a screen in front of the net. The lone assist went to Ryznar.

With just under six minutes played Michigan would get their first power play chance of the night and they would waste little time scoring their third straight goal. Skating hard into the York zone the Wolverines would set up on the corners and started to move the puck around. Seeing an opening Martens would take a big shot from the point that looked to be going wide, but Nystrom, sitting in front of the net, re-directed the puck into the net and Michigan was up by a three to one score. Nystrom got the power play goal while Martens and Gajic picked up assists just seventeen seconds into the power play.

York would get back within one goal less than a minute later when they would break out of the Michigan zone with a two on one advantage. While the Wolverines were able to get an extra defender back it was too little to late as some great passing pulled Montoya to one side of the net, leaving his right side wide open. Another great pass and a quick shot saw the puck in the net and the score was three to two.

With just under eight minutes left to play in the opening period York would be whistled for a penalty putting Michigan back on the power play. While the Wolverines worked the puck well, they hadn't been able to find the net when York was whistled for a second penalty with twenty-five seconds left in the initial penalty. Michigan would return to the attack with a two-man advantage. The first penalty would expire with the Lions holding strong, but with just twenty-eight seconds gone in the second penalty the Wolverines would get their second power play goal of the game after digging a rebound out of a crowd and chipping it home. The goal would go to Tambellini with assists going to Kaleniecki and Rogers.

It looked like that might end the scoring activity in this first period, but the Wolverines would find one more goal before the period ended. A great pass through center ice would find Kaleniecki at the York blue line. Taking the pass and charging into the York zone he would get off a huge shot that would be blocked, but the rebound came right back to Kaleniecki who would bang it into the net. Assists on this goal went to Rohlfs and Werner.

The first period would come to an end with Michigan holding a five to two lead. The Wolverines also had a huge advantage in shots on goal, finishing the first period with a twenty-two to six advantage in this category.

The Wolverines would play most of the second period in the York zone applying all kinds of pressure, but the York net minder suddenly became an impenetrable wall and turned away every shot the Wolverines threw at him. At the end of two the score remained five to two in favor of the Wolverines, but Michigan added another thirty shots to their shots on goal total to carry a fifty-two to ten advantage into the second intermission. It should also be noted that backup net minder Noah Ruden played the entire second period for the Wolverines.

Ruden would also start in goal in the third period as Michigan looked to wrap up the win, but Mike Mayhew would come in with just over ten minutes left to play to get a little work of his own.

Play seemed a little less intense for Michigan in this period, and a bit more chippy for both teams as several penalties would be called in this period. With just over ten minutes left to play York would be sent to the sin bin to give Michigan another power play chance. The Wolverines pressed hard, moving the puck around the zone and getting off some pretty good shots. Finally, with just over one minute left in the power play Gajic would get off a shot that was blocked. In a play very much like the one that Kaleniecki scored on in the first period, a big rebound came right back to Gajic who just blasted it into the net, top shelf, to close out the scoring in the game. Assists went to Tambellini and Martens.

The game would come to an end with Michigan winning by a score of six to two. Michigan would end the game with a seventy-four to fourteen advantage in shots on goal.

The Wolverines started and ended their exhibition season with tonights impressive win, but things get real tomorrow when Michigan starts NCAA play, hosting the Mercyhurst Lakers. Mercyhurst took Michigan to the wire just three years ago in a West Regional game (the Lakers first ever NCAA tournament game), but the Wolverines finally got the win late in the third period. It should be an interesting game tomorrow night as Michigan looks to get their season off to a good start against the team picked to win the title in the Atlantic Hockey conference.

While Michigan was clearly the faster, more skilled team on the ice tonight, they have plenty of room for improvement. They missed many great scoring chances and had some defensive break downs during the game (luckily they were fast enough and skilled enough to cover up most of those errors). The Wolverines can expect a tougher test tonight from Mercyhurst who would love to come into Yost and take a win home to get their season off to a great start. Michigan starts their 82nd season of NCAA hockey tomorrow night at 7:35 pm at Yost Arena.