Wolverines Tie Bulldogs

Friday, February 24, 2006
FSU Ice Arena, Big Rapids, Michigan

Michigan had chances to win this game, twice holding one goal leads, each time surrendering the lead, eventually leading to a tie game in their final regular season road game. Costly penalties and missed shots at open nets in the final period, an ongoing problem with this team, thwarted any chance the Wolverines had of pulling out a win in the closing minutes of the game. Michigan will get one final chance to gain a win and take sole possession of third place in the CCHA tomorrow night when they host the Bulldogs at Yost Arena.

It looked like the first period would end in a scoreless tie, but with under four minutes to play both teams found their scoring touch. Ferris started things off when two Michigan players collided at their blue line, knocking each other to the ice. That left a Ferris player all alone and he skated into the Michigan zone, closed on the goal, and punched the puck past Sauer for the score.

With just over two minutes to play the Bulldogs were whistled for their first penalty of the game giving Michigan a power play chance. While the Michigan power play hasn't been much of a threat over the last couple of months, tonight they found the touch, scoring a power play goal to tie the game. Michigan was working the puck up high in the Ferris zone when Kolarik sent a pass past the goal to Kaleniecki who was sitting just to the right of the goal. As the puck reached him Kaleniecki redirected it into the Bulldog goal for the score. Kolarik picked up the lone assist.

With just seconds left in the period a face off was taken in the Ferris zone. The puck got left on the ice, but the Bulldogs broke out of the zone thinking that one of their players had it. Kaleniecki was right there, scooped up the puck, and buried it in the net to give Michigan the lead. The lone assist was given to Ebbett.

The first period came to an end with Michigan leading by a two to one score. The Bulldogs ended the period with a thirteen to twelve advantage in shots on goal.

With the clock just under the thirteen minute mark Hunwick was sent off to the sin bin for a penalty putting the Bulldogs on the power play. Wasting little time the Bulldogs move right into the Michigan zone, work down low, getting close to the goal, finishing things off with a goal just twenty seconds into the power play to tie the game.

The game would stay tied until there were just three and half minutes and the Bulldogs were on the power play. The puck would get behind the Ferris net, bouncing off the end boards and coming back out in front of the goal. The Ferris goalie lost track of the puck and Turnbull was right there to slide the puck into the net for a short handed goal, once again giving the Wolverines the lead. The goal was scored as unassisted.

With just over two minutes to play in the period the Bulldogs would once again tie the game, this time off a strange bounce in front of the Wolverine net. The puck was passing in front of the Wolverine goal when it hit a players leg, violently redirecting. Before Sauer could react to the change of direction the puck was in the net and the game was tied.

The second period would come to an end with the score all tied up at three goals each. The Bulldogs out shot the Wolverines twelve to ten in the period to end forty minutes of play with a twenty-five to twenty-two advantage in shots on goal.

Both teams would have great scoring chances in the third period, but neither team would be able to find a way to get the puck into the goal. Regulation time would come to an end with the game still tied at three goals each. The Bulldogs out shot the Wolverines fourteen to twelve in the third period to end regulation time with a thirty-nine to thirty-two advantage in shots on goal.

Much like the third period each team would see at least one scoring chance in the overtime period. Again neither team would find a way to score and the game comes to an end with the score still tied at three goals each. Michigan would get the only two shots on goal, but the Bulldogs end the game with a thirty-nine to thirty-four advantage in shots on goal.

The Wolverines pick up one point with the tie and lock up a first round bye in the CCHA tournament. The Seniors will end their career never having won a game at Ferris. The only thing left to figure out now is whether the Wolverines will be a three seed or a four seed in the CCHA tournament. Nebraska can still move past Michigan, but the Wolverines can finish in third place if they can find a way to win their final regular season game against these same Bulldogs tomorrow night at Yost Arena.