|
Wolverines Complete Sweep of Spartans
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan
On Thursday the Wolverines won the first game of this home and home series
against their arch rival Michigan State on the Spartans home ice. That win was the
first win at Munn in almost five years for the Wolverines, the first time the Senior
class had ever won in East Lansing. While that game was relatively low scoring for
most of the game, tonights game saw a total of nine goals, all scored in the first
thirty minutes of play as the Wolverines came from behind to get their first sweep
over the Spartans in over a decade.
The Spartans served notice that they had come to play, looking for the win that
had eluded them on Thursday. Just thirty seconds into the game Michigan State had the
puck behind Montoya and had a one to nothing lead. Battling down the right hand boards
the Spartans just beat their way past the Michigan defense, one timing a shot to the
wide side for the score.
Even though they were down early the Wolverines served notice they wouldn't go
quietly as Michigan scored their first goal of the game with just over two minutes
ticked off the game clock. Michigan had gotten the puck in deep and had put several
decent shots on net, all of which had been blocked, but the rebounds were not being
covered. Finally Kaleniecki pounced on one of those rebounds and banged the puck
home to tie the game. Assists went to Ebbett and Gajic.
Barely thirty seconds later, with just over seventeen minutes left to play, the
Spartans were whistled for the first penalty of the night to put Michigan on the
power play. The Spartans killed that penalty off, but just seconds after the initial
penalty expired they were whistled for a second penalty to Michigan back on the power
play with the clock showing just over fifteen minutes to play in the period.
The Wolverines got the puck quickly into the Spartan zone where Kaleniecki got off
a great shot that was blocked, but again the rebound was not covered. Jumping on the
rebound Gajic got his stick on the puck and fired it back at and into the goal before
the Spartan goal tender could get back into position. The power play goal was credited
to Gajic while Kaleniecki and Hensick each picked up an assist. Most importantly
Michigan was in the lead for the first time in this game.
Just as the clock went under the fourteen minute mark the Spartans would win a face
off in the Michigan zone. A quick pass down low and an even quicker shot would see
the Spartans tie the game as they scored their second goal of the contest.
The next seven or eight minutes were fairly uneventful when compared to the first
six or so minutes of this game, but with just six minutes left to play Michigan would
be whistled for a penalty that would prove costly. As the clock neared the midpoint
of the power play the Spartans appeared to pass the puck toward the slot, but it looked
like it hit a Michigan defender, causing it to continue bouncing along the goal line.
Before anyone could react it had trickled over the goal line and into the net for the
Spartans third goal of the game, this one a power play goal.
The Spartan lead wouldn't last long as Michigan once again tied the game with the
clock showing just under four minutes to play. Hensick would pick up the puck behind
the Michigan goal and take off down the right hand side of the ice. Using his speed
he left everyone behind and closed on the Spartan goal. As he got close he made a little
move that put Vicari down on the ice, then put the puck in the net to the net minders
stick side. The goal was scored as unassisted.
With just over three minutes left to play a group of players, two from Michigan State,
and three from Michigan would make their way into the sin bin leaving the Spartans with
a late power play chance. About one minute later, with just over two minutes to play
the Spartans got off a wrist shot that went top shelf, beating Montoya to once again
put the Spartans in the lead.
The first period would come to an end with Michigan State leading by a score of
four to three. The Wolverines would hold a slight thirteen to twelve edge in shots
on goal.
The first half of the second period saw both teams taking and killing off penalties
as the pace of goal scoring definitely slowed down. That would all change with just over
nine minutes to play in the period when once again Hensick would get the puck in the
net to tie the contest at four. Hensick came out of the neutral zone right down the
slot, punching the puck into the net as he closed with the goal. Both Werner and
Tambellini picked up assists on the goal.
Less than two minutes later, as the clock moved under the eight minute mark,
Michigan would score their second goal of the period, fifth of the game to regain the lead.
This was all started by a Spartan player who kicked the puck out toward the blue line
while in the Michigan zone. Rather than a Spartan defender getting to the puck it was
Kolarik who got to it. He quickly got the puck up to Ryznar who carried it into the
Spartan zone. As he closed with the Spartan goal he slid the puck over to Nystrom who
put it home, top shelf, for the goal. Both Ryznar and Kolarik picked up assists on the
goal.
The second period would come to an end with Michigan holding a five to four lead.
The Wolverines extended their advantage in shots on goal ending the second period with
a twenty-four to nineteen advantage in the category.
The third period saw both teams get some chances, but neither team would be able to
get the puck past the goal tenders. The game would come to an end with Michigan still
holding that five to four lead. The Wolverines ended the game with a thirty-one to
twenty-four advantage in shots on goal.
This was a great win for Michigan as it really gets them off to a good start in what
is a stretch of difficult games to close out the first half. They not only complete
the sweep over the Spartans, but they made up some ground in the CCHA standings while
still having games in hand against several of the teams currently at the top of the
standings. Next weekend the Wolverines play in the Showcase against Minnesota and
Wisconsin, both teams ranked in the top five nationally along with Michigan. It should
be quite a weekend of hockey.
|