Badgers Whip Wolverines

Friday, November 28, 2003
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

The Wolverines played one period of hockey, while the Badgers played three, leading them to a three to one victory over Michigan in the opening night of the College Hockey Showcase. This was the Badgers first win over the Wolverines in the Showcase since 1993.

The Wolverines carried the play for the first period, but were unable to find the back of the net. Both teams traded penalties during the period and it looked like the first period would end in a zero to zero tie, but that all changed with just over two minutes left to play. Michigan was looking to clear the puck from their zone, but it took a strange hop, deflected off a defenders skate, and right onto the stick of a waiting Badger who was positioned just to the right of the Michigan goal. Taking full advantage of the gift the Wisconsin player put the puck away to give his team the first goal of the game.

While the Wolverines would spend the final two minutes of the game on the power play, they were unable to convert. The first period came to an end with Wisconsin leading by a score of one to nothing. The Wolverines held a decided edge in shots on goal with a twelve to five count.

The second was like the first in that both teams traded penalties throughout. However, in this period the Badgers really carried the play and as time ran out the Wolverines had to be thinking they were lucky to have not given up another score. Just as it looked like the period would end without a score Wisconsin made a mistake, turning the puck over at their own blue line. Ryznar was in the right place at the right time, picked up the puck, drove to the net, made a nice move, and buried the puck to tie the game. The goal was scored as unassisted.

In the big picture things were evened out as Wisconsin hadn't done much to earn their goal in the first period, while Michigan hadn't done much to earn their goal in the second. However, through two periods of play the score was all tied at one goal each. After being soundly out shot in the second period the Wolverines clung to a slim edge in shots on goal with a twenty to nineteen count.

Michigan collected the only two penalties in the third period and it would be the second one that would finally prove their undoing. Nystrom was sent to the box for boarding with about nine and half minutes left to play. It appeared that Michigan would kill off the penalty, but with just fifteen seconds left in the power play Wisconsin got the break they were looking for and scored the game winner. During much of this power play Michigan had been disrupting the Badgers rhythm quite effectively. This time, however, they were unable to clear the zone. No matter what they did, they just couldn't seem to find the crease to get the puck out of their own zone. With the puck in tight to the goal and Montoya pulled to his left, the puck bounced back over to the right to a waiting Badger leaving him with an easy shot at a wide open goal. With 7:39 left to play the Badgers had taken a two to one lead.

Michigan would battle through the remaining minutes of the period, but they really never got a good look at the goal from that point forward. Montoya was pulled with about one minute left to play to give Michigan the extra attacker. With just over twenty seconds left to play the puck was trickling down the ice toward the Michigan goal, but it was going to miss. In a play that was indicative of the entire game a Wisconsin player flew down the ice, went right past a Michigan defender who wasn't driving hard for the puck, and redirected the puck into the empty net for their third goal of the game.

The game would come to an end with Wisconsin getting the win by a score of three to one. The Badgers out shot the Wolverines in the third to end the game with a twenty-six to twenty-four advantage in shots on goal.

This was a very disappointing game for the Wolverines as they have now lost two games in a row. After losing their last game to Ohio State in very similar fashion, getting outplayed at every turn, they had two weeks to prepare for and get ready to play this game. Even with the extra time they played a flat, uninspired game of hockey to drop their second straight game, with a resurgent Minnesota on tap for tomorrow night. This team needs to decide whether they are going to play night in and night out and contend for the championship (both CCHA and National) or if they are simply going to go through the motions. They can finish a strong first half of play, but they have to start tomorrow night against Minnesota and carry it through their final two weekends of play. If they don't get things straightened out quickly they could easily end the first half of play at .500 and in serious doubt of making any post season play beyond the CCHA tournament.