Wolverines Hold Off Eagles

Friday, October 14, 2005
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Yost Arena was the site of one of the most exciting, wide open games of hockey seen in recent memory, as the Wolverines hosted the Eagles from Boston College. This early season contest between two of the countries top teams was everything it was supposed to be and more. The crowd was in mid-season form as they witnessed two teams, that play the same basic style of hockey, go at it for sixty minutes. Both teams show cased their speed, their skill, and their defensive ability. The game was exciting from beginning to end, but the last minute was frenzied. There was an empty net for Boston College, a goal waved off that would have tied the game, but when the final buzzer sounded the Wolverines had hung for a three to two victory.

The Eagles, playing in their first regular season game, were a bit off stride to begin the game and quickly found themselves in the penalty box with just under a minute ticked off the clock. With just twenty-five seconds gone in their initial penalty they were whistled for a second giving Michigan a two man advantage for 1:35. Twenty seconds later with just over eighteen minutes left on the clock the Wolverines Johnson unloaded a rocket of a shot from the point to score Michigans first goal of the game. Michigan got control of the puck off the face off, getting it out to the left point. It was quickly passed along the blue line to the right point where Johnson wound up and fired the puck, scoring on the power play. Both Hunwick and Porter received assists on the goal.

With about fourteen and a half minutes left in the opening period the Eagles were once again sent to the sin bin and once again it would prove costly as the Michigan power play was at its best so far this season. The penalty was down to the final seven seconds before Michigan would find the back of the net, but find it they did. In their final push of the power play Michigan got the puck down low and fired it at the net. The initial shot attempt was blocked, but the puck was not covered, leaving it bouncing around in front of the net. With several players trying to get to it, Michigan's Hensick got his stick on the puck and chipped it in for the Wolverines second power play goal of the period. Turnbull and Hunwick each picked up assists on the goal.

With just over ten minutes to play Ebbett would be whistled for a checking from behind penalty which resulting in an automatic five minute major penalty and a game misconduct, sending the Captain to the locker room with over fifty minutes of hockey yet to be played. Just over a minute and a half into the five minute power play the Eagles cut into the Wolverine lead when they scored a power play goal of their own. The Eagles controlled the puck off a face off to Sauers right. They had the puck low, right on the goal line. They quickly flipped the puck toward the net and it looked like Sauer had it covered, but somehow the puck slipped under his pads and across the goal line for the score.

Michigan was able to kill off the remainder of the major penalty, while Boston College killed off another Michigan two man advantage late in the period to end the first twenty minutes of play with Michigan leading by a score of two to one. The Wolverines ended the first period with a thirteen to twelve advantage in shots on goal.

Both teams were moving the puck up and down the ice in the opening minutes of the second period, each team getting off a couple of shots, but neither team able to score. That would all change with just over thirteen minutes left in the period when Michigan would score their third goal of the game. Michigan was working the puck around the Eagle zone when they got down in front of the net where it was bouncing around on the ice. Once again a scramble for the puck followed, with Michigan once again getting enough stick on it to put it in the net. This time it was Turnbull who punched it home with Hensick picking up the lone assist.

With just over eight minutes left on the clock Michigan would turn the puck over at the Boston College blue line, leading to a break away. The initial Eagle skater closed on the Michigan net and got off a shot that was mostly blocked, but was still sliding on the ice. Before any Wolverine player could react a trailing Boston College player tapped the puck home to once again cut Michigan's lead to one.

The Eagles would be whistled for a checking from behind penalty of their own, resulting in the same five minute major and game misconduct, putting Michigan on the extended power play with just twenty-seven seconds left in the second period. The second period would come to an end with Michigan leading by a three to two score. The Wolverines out shot the Eagles eleven to seven in the second for a two period total of twenty-four shots on goal to Boston Colleges nineteen.

Michigan started the third period with 4:34 of power play time, but they were unable to come up with another score. Michigan would kill off a penalty of their own and Boston College would kill off a couple more minor penalties through the middle of the period, but the score remained three to two.

Things got real interesting with 1:09 to play. Cogliano was blazing down the middle of the ice, with the puck on his stick, headed right for the Eagle goal. An Eagle defender got close enough to harass him and instead of scoring a goal he was whistled for charging, putting Boston College on the power play late in the game.

The face off came outside the Boston College zone and the Eagles called time out. When they returned to the ice their goalie was on the bench leaving the net empty, but giving the Eagles a two man advantage on the power play. The play was wild as Boston College looked for a tying goal, while Michigan was laying it all on the line to clear the puck. With just thirty seconds left it looked like Boston College had tied the game. An Eagle skater got around the defense, closed with the Michigan goal, getting off a shot. The shot was blocked, but the rebound was not covered. Another Eagle player got their first and chipped the puck in for Boston Colleges apparent third goal. However, the first player kept right on skating and took Sauer out of the net so instead of tying the game the Eagles were called for charging and the goal was waved off.

The Eagle net remained empty and the action remained frenzied, but the final second ticked off the clock, the final buzzer sounded, and the Wolverines had an exciting three to two victory over the Eagles. Michigan out shot Boston College fourteen to five in the third period, ending the game with a thirty-eight to twenty-four advantage in shots on goal.

While neither of these teams is playing a the level they will likely be playing at when March rolls around, this was still one of the most exciting games played at Yost in recent memory. Both of these teams are very similar; they are both fast and they are both skilled offensively and defensively. Add to that the fact that both coaches like to play the same wide open style of hockey and you have the perfect mix for a great early season match up between two of the nations top teams and conferences.

Michigan has Saturday off, with their next game coming on Sunday against Merrimack. If the team were a bit more experienced you might like to roll right into Saturday and play that next game, but with this young team the extra day off the settle down after this huge emotional win is probably a good thing for Michigan. Merrimack is a team that Michigan should beat and it would sour the weekend just a little bit if they came out flat and didn't get it done. Hopefully with the day off in between they can regroup, settle down, and come ready to take care of business on Sunday afternoon.