Wolverines Sweep Redhawks

Saturday, November 6, 2004
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

The Wolverines used the same basic formula in tonights game as they did in last nights contest, sound defense, stifling penalty kill, and opportunistic offense, to sweep the Miami Redhawks. This was the nineteenth straight victory at home over the Redhawks, who haven't won at Yost Arena since November 18 of 1994.

After last nights spate of penalties late in the contest the officials wasted little time in letting both teams know that rough play would not be tolerated in this game. Just eight seconds into the game both teams had a man in the sin bin and were skating four on four. Each team would get hit with and kill off a penalty each in the first six minutes of the period, but then both teams would settle down and play hockey.

The action continued end to end for most of the period and it looked like there would be no scoring in the first period, when Michigan suddenly struck for two quick goals to end the first period. In a series of events that was very similar to a goal in last nights game Michigan's first score would start from a tangle of bodies in the neutral zone. The Wolverines would suddenly gain control of the puck and break into the Miami zone with a two on one break. Tambellini carried the puck into the zone and quickly zipped a pass over to Moss as the defense and goal tender starting to focus on him. Moss received the pass and wasted no time banging it into the net. Tambellini got the lone assist on the goal.

Just fifty seconds later Michigan would strike for goal number two, once again getting things started from the blue line, but in a different way. The Wolverines were cycling the puck in the Miami zone when they passed it out to the point where Martens sent a blistering shot toward the net. As the puck reached the front of the goal Rohlfs got a stick on it, re-directing it into the Redhawk goal for the score. Rohlfs got the goal while Martens and Hensick each picked up an assist.

The first period of play would come to an end with Michigan leading by a score of two to nothing. The Wolverines also held an edge in shots on goal, finishing the period with an eleven to six shot advantage.

Michigan would start the second period of play with forty-nine seconds of power play time, but couldn't come up with another score. However, while they didn't score on this power play, Miami would pick up a string of penalties, one after the other, in the early going of this period that would prove to much for their penalty kill to over come.

While once again on the power play and the clock having just moved under the fourteen minute mark Michigan would get their third goal of the game. Michigan had been passing the puck around the zone and had taken several shots, but nothing had been getting in. Picking up the rebound of one of those shots, Kolarik went behind the Miami net. He quickly looped around and popped out on the other side of the net, somehow wrapping the puck around and into the net for the goal. It looked like he once again used the goal tender to get the puck home. Werner and Ryznar each picked up an assist on this power play goal.

Each team would have to deal with a couple of penalties each through the middle of the period, but it would be the Redhawks coming up with the games next score. With just under seven minutes left to play, and just as all penalties had been killed off, Miami would get off a shot from the circle that would beat Montoya up over his shoulder.

There would be no further scoring in the second period, leaving the Wolverines on top by a three to one score after forty minutes of play. The Wolverines continued to dominate in the shots category, ending two periods of play with a twenty-five to thirteen shot advantage.

Michigan really turned up the heat in the early going of the third period, but it would be Miami who would find a way to get the puck into the net. With just over fifteen minutes left to play in regulation time Miami would get in close to the Michigan net with the puck. In one of the few defensive lapses of the game there was no Michigan defender on the Redhawk player and he just chipped it past Montoya to get the Redhawks within one with plenty of time left on the clock.

Both teams would battle through the middle of the period, with Michigan clinging to its one goal lead. Finally, with just over two minutes left to play in the game, Michigan would get a little breathing room when the scored their fourth goal of the game. There was a face off to the right of the Miami goal that Michigan won. Moss won the face, getting the puck to Tambellini who circled out around the top of circle. Just as he cleared the pack of bodies, still tangled up around the face off circle he let fly a one timer that beat the Miami net minder to put Michigan back up by two. Moss got the lone assist.

With 1:19 to play and a face off in the Michigan zone the Redhawks called a time out. At the end of the time out the Redhawks returned to the ice, leaving the goal tender on the bench. Michigan held them at bay for almost a minute, but with just thirty-five seconds left to play Miami would find a way to score their third goal of the night and get back within one.

Keeping their goal tender on the bench, play resumed and just as the clocked neared the twenty second mark Michigan popped the puck out of the neutral zone and sent it skittering into the Miami zone. The race was on with both Tambellini and Ryznar racing after the puck to make sure it got into the net. Tambellini got a little burst of speed and was able to get to the puck first, scoring his second of the night into the empty net. The empty net goal was scored as an unassisted goal.

Some additional penalties were handed out in the final seconds of the game, but the score would remain Michigan five, Miami three as the Wolverines completed their sweep of the Redhawks. Michigan ended the game with a thirty-nine to fifteen advantage in shots on goal.

Michigan continues to dominate the Miami Redhawks on their home ice, however, in the long run Michigan tends to dominate almost everyone on their home ice. Michigan had some great special teams play over the weekend and their defense was also quite good, holding a fairly high powered Miami offense to twenty or fewer shots each night. This was probably the most consistent and solid full weekend of play for Michigan so far this year. If they can continue to put together back to back nights like this things should work out very well for the Wolverines. Of course just as they seemed to start hitting their stride they have an off week next week. They again take to the ice on November 18th, a rare Thursday night game against the Michigan State Spartans.