Wolverines Win Consolation

Saturday, March 18, 2006
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan

Putting the pressure on early and often the Wolverines managed to score one more goal than the Wildcats to win the CCHA consolation game, locking up a third place tournament finish, and in all likelihood locking up a berth in the upcoming NCAA tournament for the sixteenth straight year.

Northern got on the board first when they generated a three one one, odd man rush with fourteen and half minutes yet to play in the opening period. Breaking through center ice with the numbers in their favor they passed the puck up the ice, slicing through the Michigan net. As they closed with the Michigan goal they made a small move, then punched the puck past Ruden on his stick side.

With just over eleven minutes to play Michigan would find itself on the power play when Northern was whistled for a penalty. It would take a full minute, but the Wolverines would get the game to even on a much needed power play goal. Hensick was carrying the puck in the Northern zone when he fired a pass across the ice to a wide open Hunwick who had quickly pinched down into the offensive zone. He had an easy shot at a wide open net as the back door played to perfection. Hensick and Ruden each received an assist on the goal.

The first period would come to an end with the score all tied at one goal apiece. The Wolverines held a significant advantage in shots on goal finishing the first period with an eighteen to seven advantage in the category.

The score remain tied at one until the clock had moved just under the four minute mark when the Wolverines scored on an end to end rush to take the lead. Ruden had just blocked a shot and the Wolverines had scooped up the rebound, skating out of their zone, through center ice, and into the Wildcat zone. A final pass as they closed with the goal and Hensick got the puck past the Northern goalie for the go ahead score. Porter picked up the lone assist on the goal.

Exactly fifteen seconds later the Wildcats tied the game when the puck took a strange bounce right in front of the Michigan goal. The Wildcats were passing the puck across the ice in front of the goal when it hit the skate of another Northern player. The puck redirected off that skate, hitting the skate of yet another Northern player, redirecting the puck again, this time right onto the stick of an open Northern player who had an easy shot into a wide open net.

The second period would come to an end with the score all tied at two goals each. Michigan out shot the Wildcats twelve to eleven in the period, to end forty minutes of play with a thirty to eighteen advantage in shots on goal.

With the clock just under the twelve minute mark the Wolverines would score what would prove to be the game winning goal. Michigan had the puck in the Northern zone and were keeping up some solid pressure, passing the puck crisply around the Northern zone. Hunwick was presented with an opening and fired a shot through a bit of traffic that beat the Northern goalie for the score. Kaleniecki and Ebbett each picked up an assist on the goal.

Northern got an extra attacker for just over a minute to close the game when the pulled their goalie late in the game, but regulation time would come to an end with Michigan winning by a three to two score. Michigan out shot the Wildcats eleven to six in the period to end the game with a forty-one to twenty-four advantage in shots on goal.

Today the Wolverines skated with more energy and focus en-route to a hard fought win over the Wildcats. Michigan carried most of the play and the only reason that the game wasn't a true blow out was the outstanding play of the Wildcat goalie. He kept his team in the game while Michigan poured the shots on. The win was good enough to give the Wolverines a third place finish in the CCHA tournament, the same position in which they ended the regular season. There are now only two questions left to answer for this week. Do the Wolverines make it into the NCAA tournament and if so where will they play? Finally, where was this type of effort last night in the semi-final game? To answer the first question I believe this win all but locks up a spot in the NCAA tournament although where they eventually end up is anyones guess. Only the team can answer the second question.