Wolverines Suffer Humiliating Loss

Saturday, February 25, 2006
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

The Michigan Wolverines started their final regular season home game playing solid hockey, something they managed to do for forty minutes on the way to building a three to nothing lead. Unfortunately they threw away forty minutes of work in the final twenty minutes, giving up three goals to Ferris, allowing them to take the game to overtime. It look the Bulldogs less than one minute of that overtime period to score the game winning goal. Not only did the loss leave the Wolverines with a 0-2-2 record over their last four games, but the Seniors were left with a bitter taste in their mouths as they saw their final game disintegrate around them as they gave all they had to try and stop the fall.

Neither team saw much of a scoring chance in the opening period, leaving the score tied at zero after twenty minutes of play. Each team was credited with six shots on goal for the period.

Ferris started the second period with a five on three power play, as both Johnson and Hunwick were sent to the penalty box inside the final minute of the opening period. Michigan was able to survive the two man deficit without giving up a goal.

With about thirteen and half minutes to play the Wolverines used some great passing to create a scoring chance that they took full advantage of. Rohlfs carried the puck behind the Bulldog net, quickly passed it out front to Miller, who just as quickly passed it over to Turnbull who punched it home for the score. Turnbull with the goal, with Miller and Rohlfs each picking up an assist.

With just over three minutes to play both teams saw a player head to the penalty box, opening up the ice and giving Michigan some room to work. Michigan had gotten the puck into the Ferris zone, skating in hard and crashing toward the net. As Ebbett got to the goal he dropped a pass back to Kaleniecki, who quickly passed it back to Ebbett who was now behind the goal. Ebbett quickly passed the puck out front to Johnson who flipped it over the goal tenders shoulder for the score. Ebbett and Kaleniecki each received an assist on the goal.

With just twenty-eight seconds left in the period Michigan would score their third and final goal, again using a series of quick passes to create the scoring chance. Once again the play started behind the Bulldog net. Hensick received the puck and chipped a little pass out front to Cogliano. Cogliano wasted no time burying the puck in the net for the score to spot Michigan to a three goal lead. Hensick and Porter each picked up an assist on the goal.

The second period would end with Michigan leading by a score of three to nothing. The Bulldogs outshot the Wolverines ten to eight in the period to hold a sixteen to fourteen advantage in shots on goal after forty minutes of play.

With the clock just under seventeen minutes of the final period the Wolverines started their march to defeat when they turned the puck over right in front of their own goal. The Bulldogs quickly gained control of the puck and had it through the five hole before Sauer knew what was happening.

With just over thirteen minutes to play the Bulldogs got control of the puck off a face off in the Michigan zone, got it out above the face off circles, and fired it right down the slot where the puck once again went five hole for the score. The Wolverines lead was down to one.

With the clock moving under the five minute mark the Bulldogs carried the puck through center ice and into the Wolverine zone. They crossed the blue line and fired a blast right down the slot that beat Sauer, once again through the five hole to tie the game.

While both teams tried to come up with a game winner in regulation, neither team was able to score and at the end of three periods the score was all tied at three goals each. The Bulldogs out shot the Wolverines thirteen to four in the final period to end regulation time with a twenty-nine to eighteen advantage in shots on goal.

With just over four minutes to play in overtime the Bulldogs picked up a turn over at center ice, and broke into the Michigan zone with an odd man rush. A couple of quick passes, working the puck into the Wolverine zone, and the Bulldogs fired a shot low that beat Sauer for the game winner.

Michigans complete melt down led to their final loss of the regular season, once again on home ice, on Senior night, to drive the final nail in a very disappointing season. The Seniors were probably the ones who lost the most on a night where they should have been able to enjoy, they had to deal with a heart breaking loss. There has been much said and many questions asked about this team. How would they finish the regular season? How would they fare in both the conference and national tournaments? After witnessing the last couple of weeks and especially their final regular season home game one can only conclude that this Wolverine team will be watching hockey from their living rooms sooner, rather than later. There doesn't seem any way that this team can put together a run in the CCHA, let alone in a national tournament. They are far to inconsistent, make far to many costly mistakes, and have stretches where they seem to be on the ice in body, but not in mind. This has already been a difficult year and the post season doesn't look to get any better.