Wolverines Squeak Past Spartans

Friday, December 5, 2003
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

In what will be remembered as yet another classic battle between these two rivals the Michigan Wolverines pulled out a tough fought, hard won victory. In a game that seemed destined to go to overtime, Michigan got a goal with less than one and a half minutes left in the game and then held on for the win.

The first period was a wide open, up and down game of hockey that saw both teams get chances on the power play and both teams fail to take advantage of the man advantage. It looked like Michigan had scored a goal with less than a minute to play in this period, but it was immediately waved off with the referee signaling that the puck had been directed into the net by a high stick. The first period would come to an end with the score tied at zero. The Wolverines finished with a thirteen to seven advantage in shots on goal.

The second period was almost a mirror image of the first, with the action moving up and down the ice as both teams tried to find a way to get the puck past the opponents net minder. Michigan State had one power play during the period and Michigan started a power play with just twenty-three seconds left in the period. While they ended the period with the extra attacker, they were unable to score and the through two periods of play the score was still tied at zero. The Wolverines out shot the Spartans in the period to end two periods of play with a twenty-three to thirteen advantage in shots on goal.

Michigan started the third period with 1:37 of power play time, but never really mounted much of an attack and the power play was easily killed off by the Spartans. Both teams sent a player to the sin bin with just over fifteen minutes left to play, but even with the extra room on the ice neither team was able to score. It appeared this game was on its way to overtime as the clock moved under two minutes, but that's when score less tie was finally broken.

With about one and half minutes to play in regulation time there was a face off to the right of the Spartan goalie. Helminen was in to take the draw and got a clean win, dropping the puck back to Nystrom. Nystrom took the puck, waited just long enough for a crease to open between the players, and he fired the puck into the top far corner to break the tie and put Michigan in front with just 1:27 left to play. The lone assist went to Helminen.

The Spartans took a time out to plan their strategy and then came back out onto the ice for the ensuing face off. As soon as the Spartans were able to get control of the puck and move it into the Michigan zone the Spartan net minder headed to the bench and the Spartans brought on the extra attacker. Michigan would turn aside every Spartan attempt at tying the game. The Wolverines would seal the win with an empty net goal with just two tenths of a second left on the clock. With about ten seconds left Michigan would knock the puck into neutral ice, Kaleniecki would get to it first, and feed it across the ice to Hensick. Hensick charged up the ice and buried the puck in the empty net. Kaleniecki picked up the lone assist.

The game would come to an end with Michigan winning by a score of two to nothing. The Wolverines finished the game with a thirty-eight to twenty-three advantage in shots on goal.

Both teams entered this weekend of play with multiple game losing streaks (two for Michigan State and three for Michigan). In addition, both teams had been swept in the College Hockey Showcase last weekend for the first time in the history of that tournament. With these two games bringing both teams back into conference play, the importance of each game was magnified as both teams wanted to set a tone for the close of the first half of this season.

The game did not disappoint as both teams played an up tempo, all out brand of hockey that was both exciting and nerve racking right up to the closing seconds. Just as it looked like the game would go to overtime Michigan comes up with a goal on a text book face off play. Then they hold off a furious Spartan attack as they tried to get back to even to force that overtime period. This was just a classic game in one of the sports all time greatest rivalries and tomorrow night promises more of the same.