Spartans Slip Past Wolverines

Thursday, December 30, 2004
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan

It was a classic game between the Wolverines and Spartans, low scoring, missed chances, and finally a mistake that led to victory. Battling through almost ten minutes of overtime the Wolverines had a mental lapse that left their net wide open for the Spartans to tap the puck into and win the game and the GLI championship. Once again Michigan had a chance to win this tournament, something that has eluded them now for at least seven years.

The teams had pushed the puck up and down the ice for almost ten minutes before Michigan was whistled for the first penalty of the game; a penalty that would prove very costly. It took the Spartans roughly forty-five seconds of the resulting power play to notch the games first goal, although it was a lucky goal. The Spartans had moved the puck well to start the power play when Slater circled behind the net, getting off a shot as he came back out front. The shot was blocked, but a Michigan defenseman knocked the puck into the net as he attempted to clear it away. With a lot of help from the boys in maize and blue the Spartans were on the board with a one to nothing lead.

Both teams would kill penalties through the final ten minutes of play, but neither team would score another goal in the period. The first period of play would come to an end with Michigan State leading by a score of one to nothing. The Spartans also held a slight edge in shots on goal with a ten to nine count.

The Spartans started the second period with 1:19 of power play time, but were unable to take advantage of the extra man. Just after the Spartan power play ended the Wolverines found themselves on the power play as a Spartan player went to the sin bin. Like the Spartans, Michigan was unable to take advantage of the extra man. The Wolverines would kill off three more penalties in the second period, but neither team would score.

The second period came to and end with the score still Michigan State one, Michigan zero. Both teams ended two periods of play with eighteen shots on goal.

Michigan State would once again start a period on the power play, this time having just fourteen seconds of remaining power play time. They would once again be unable to take advantage of the extra man.

Michigan would finally tie the game just over one minute into the third period when Kaleniecki simply would not be denied. The puck was behind the Spartan net on the stick of a Spartan player. Kaleniecki went after the puck, crashing into the Spartan and gaining control of the puck. Kaleniecki tried a wrap around shot as he was falling to the ice. The shot was blocked, but as he lay on the ice Kaleniecki got his stick on the puck and nudged it past the Spartan net minder for the score. The goal was scored as unassisted.

Each team would see power plays come and go through the final nineteen minutes of play, but neither team would be able to get the winning goal. Regulation play came to an end with the score all tied at one goal each. The Spartans ended regulation time with a thirty-three to twenty-eight advantage in shots on goal.

The overtime period was a fast paced affair with both teams getting and missing on some great scoring chances as the minutes ticked by. With the clock just shy of the ten minute mark some miscommunication between the Michigan goalie and a defenseman saw both the goalie and the defenseman tangled up behind the net. The puck squirted out front of the net and a Spartan player was right there to gently tap it into the wide open goal. After seventy minutes of play the first truly bad mistake by the Wolverines cost them the game and championship.

The game ended with the Spartans winning by a score of two to one. The Spartans ended the game with a thirty-seven to thirty-two advantage in shots on goal.

It was a difficult loss to take, given the manner in which it transpired. Michigan had a great chance to win their first GLI in years and an inexplicable mental lapse in overtime cost them the game. Other than that it was a pretty decent tournament for Michigan. They showed their depth by absorbing the loss of five players to the World Junior championships. They played some solid hockey at both ends of the ice and almost came away with their first GLI championship. It should give them a good left as they prepare for the second half of the season. The Wolverines open up second half play with a home and home series against Western Michigan.