Eagles Soar Past Wolverines

Saturday, December 27, 2003
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan

The Wolverines hung tough with the Eagles for about 52 or 53 minutes of this game and then the wheels came off as Boston College scored three goals in the final three and a half minutes of the game to win going away.

The first period was one in which both teams struggled to find a groove as both teams were obviously rusty from being off for two or three weeks. There were a number of penalties called against both teams and both teams had some scoring opportunities, but neither team was able to get that all important score.

That all changed in the final two minutes of the period. First, both teams sent a man to the penalty box with matching slashing penalties with just under two minutes to play in the period. With both teams skating with four men Michigan would be whistled for a second penalty with just over one minute left to play. Now on the power play with lots of open ice to work with the Eagles wasted little time in making Michigan pay for this series of errors. Roughly thirty seconds after starting the power play, using that open ice and some crisp passing, Boston College beat Ruden, top shelf, for the first goal of the game.

The first period would come to an end with Boston College leading Michigan by a score of one to nothing. The Eagles also out shot the Wolverines in the period, ending the first twenty minutes of play with a twelve to seven advantage in shots on goal.

The second period started with both teams still skating four on four for twenty-two seconds, but no further damage was done by either team. Through the course of the period both teams traded penalties, but neither team would find a way to score in this period.

The second period would come to an end with Boston College still clinging to that one to nothing lead. The Eagles continued to lead in shots on goal finishing two periods of play with a twenty-four to nineteen advantage in shots on goal.

The intensity level seemed to pick up in the third period, with both teams battling up and down the ice. Michigan got the first break of the period when Boston College was whistled for a penalty with just over twelve minutes to play, putting Michigan on the power play looking for that all important game tying goal. Unfortunately this power play turned sour for the Wolverines as they gave up a short handed goal about one minute into the power play. Using some great passing the Eagles were able to rush into the Michigan zone and bury the puck in the net extending their lead to two goals.

The Wolverines continued to battle through the final half of the period, but they simply couldn't get anything past the Eagle net minder. In the final minutes of the game the Wolverines seemed to wear down, providing openings for the Eagles to get a couple more insurance goals in the late going.

With about four and a half minutes left to play the Eagles once again used some very crisp passing to get into the Michigan zone. They finished up the scoring rush with a great cross ice pass that left them with an unobstructed view of a wide open net. Not a team to waste the chance the Eagles buried the puck for goal number three.

Boston College would get their fourth and final goal of the game just as the clock moved under the two minute mark. This time it was a simple redirect in front of the net through a crowd of players that got the puck past the Michigan net minder. With just under two minutes to play the Eagles were sitting on a four to nothing lead.

With just forty-three seconds left to play a face off was held to the left of the Eagle goalie. Michigan won this face off, dropping the puck back toward the blue line where Kautz would get take a quick shot that would find twine for Michigan's one and only goal of the game. While it didn't go nearly far enough to win the game it did prevent the shut out. Kautz got the goal with Henderson picking up the lone assist on the goal.

The game would come to an end with Boston College winning by a score of four to one. The Eagles ended the game with a thirty-eight to thirty-five advantage in shots on goal.

While the final score didn't look very good, the Wolverines were in this game until the midpoint of the third period when they gave up that short handed goal. It was a one goal game entering the third period and the short handed goal, scored by the Eagles, really seemed to take the air out of the Wolverine sails. However, it was the same set of issues that have plagued the Wolverines for most of this season that really cost them this game.

Michigan continues to struggle on the power play, going zero for four with the man advantage in todays game. They continued to struggle on special teams, giving up a power play goal and a short handed goal. They continued to struggle simply scoring goals. Michigan had a number of great scoring chances through out this game, but they couldn't put the puck in the net. None of these issues are new to this team as they are the same issues mentioned after pretty much every loss this season. Unfortunately for the Wolverines they have pretty much run out of time to solve these problems. They can no longer afford to split weekends of play or hope someone else beats a team in front of them. If this team wants to return to the NCAA tournament to play for a chance at making the trip to Boston in April they have to put these issues permanently behind them right now or they will be watching the frozen four from Ann Arbor rather than a players bench.