Wolverines Drub Irish

Friday, December 3, 2004
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

After last weekends disappointing showing in the College Hockey Showcase the Wolverines returned to the ice in the friendlier confines of Yost Arena and returned to their winning ways, beating visiting Notre Dame six to one. The win not only saw the return of Michigan's offense, but the power play even made an appearance. On a more serious note, the win also helped the Wolverines keep pace with current CCHA front runner Ohio State who won a close game at Alaska-Fairbanks.

With the clock just under the fifteen minute mark of the opening period Michigan struck for the first of their six goals on the night. Out of a face off to the Irish goalies left, Michigan's T.J. Hensick ended up with the puck and he circled out front and to the right of the goal. As he was cutting in front of the goal he banged a shot home nobody was going to stop to put Michigan on the board. The goal was scored as unassisted.

Michigan would strike for the second time about five minutes later, as the clock moved under the ten minute mark. This time it would be Werner coming up a huge shot that would beat the Irish net minder for the tally. Werner had gained control of the puck after a scramble along the boards. He headed back out toward the blue line. Positioned midway between the blue line and the top of the circle he wound up and fired off the shot that would put Michigan ahead by two. The lone assist went to Ebbett.

Most of the rest of the opening period saw the Wolverines on the penalty kill as they were whistled for several penalties. One of those, a tripping penalty to Gajic with just under six minutes to play would end in the lone score of the night for the Irish. With the Wolverines down a man, but aggressively killing the penalty, the Irish suddenly got an opening from between the circles. The first shot was blocked, but Notre Dame was able to put the rebound back in the net to cut the lead in half.

Michigan would be whistled for two more penalties in the last five minutes of the period, even giving the Irish a five on three advantage for over a minute. Even with the extra attacker the Irish could not get the puck past Montoya and the first period came to an end with Michigan leading by a score of two to one. The Irish held a lead in shots on goal ending the first period with a ten to six advantage in the category.

The Irish would start the period with fifteen seconds of power play time, but would not be able to come up with a score. In fact the Irish would spend the majority of the first seven or eight minutes of this period on the power play as Michigan was whistled for penalty after penalty (several of those calls being extremely questionable in this viewers mind). Through it all the Wolverines turned away all Irish shots, actually holding the Irish to less than a hand full of shots through this entire stretch of time.

Things turned the other way as the clock ticked under the twelve minute mark, with the Irish heading to the sin bin and the Wolverines moving to the power play. The Wolverines had been getting some good movement with the puck, but an errant pass saw the puck slide out of the Irish zone and the Wolverines had to regroup and regroup they did. Gajic carried the puck back into the Irish zone, driving hard down the left side, closing rapidly on the Irish goal. As the goalie turned his attention to Gajic, Gajic made a great pass back and across the slot to Kaleniecki who wasted no time putting a shot high and to the wide side to score the Wolverines first power play goal of the night. Assists went to Gajic and Ebbett.

About thirty seconds after the third Michigan goal the Irish were once again in the sin bin and the Wolverine power play was once again on the prowl. They had worked the puck around the Irish zone quite well during the power play, getting off a couple of shots that almost found the back of the net. Michigan would finally get the puck down behind the Irish goal on the stick of Kolarik. Kolarik would pop out from behind the goal on the goalies right and just kind of stuff the puck between the goalie and the pipe to score Michigans fourth goal of the game about one second after the power play expired. The assists went to Moss and Kaleniecki.

After giving up four goals the Irish replaced their goalie and were able to hold the Wolverines at bay for the remainder of the second period. At the end of two periods it was Michigan four, Notre Dame one. The Wolverines out shot the Irish ten to seven in the period, but still trailed in total shots on goal seventeen to sixteen.

The first ten minutes of the third period would be relatively uneventful as both teams worked the puck up and down the ice. That would all change just as the clock went below the eleven minute mark. Michigan would come out of the Irish zone, getting a quick pass to Ryznar in the neutral zone. Ryznar then carried the puck deep into the Irish zone down the left side. As the goalie and defense oriented to Ryznar he slipped a quick pass across the ice to Gajic who banged the puck into the net for goal number five. Both Ryznar and Moss would pick up assists on the goal.

Less than thirty seconds after giving up their fifth goal the Irish were whistled for a penalty putting Michigan on the power play. Less than a minute into the man advantage the Wolverines would come up with their sixth goal of the game, second by way of the power play. They were working the puck around the Irish zone and had just cycled it back out to the point to Rogers. Seeing an alley open for him Rogers cranked a shot from just inside the blue line that the Irish goalie over his glove for the sixth and final Michigan goal of the game. Porter picked up the lone assist on the goal.

The game came to an end with Michigan winning by a score of six to one. The Wolverines ended the game with a thirty-four to twenty-two edge in shots on goal.

Michigan got a much needed win tonight, but they did it by doing many of the little things that they simply didn't do in last weekends debacle. They played team defense, they used a solid fore check, and scoring chances came as they forced Notre Dame to make mistakes. With a home and home series against Bowling Green looming on the horizon, a series that is starting to look like it could have huge implications on the CCHA standings, Michigan will try to pick up two important CCHA points tomorrow night down in South Bend as they play their second game against the Irish this weekend.