Wolverines Subdue Warriors

Sunday, October 16, 2005
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Friday the Wolverines played national power Boston College and held on for a one point victory. Saturday the Wolverines were idle as conflicts with a late afternoon football game, pushed their normal Saturday contest to Sunday. Sunday the Wolverines played the Merrimack Warriors, their second straight Hockey East opponent, and an opponent that the Wolverines were clearly favored to beat. In recent years these games have been nail biters, as the Wolverines seemed to lack focus when playing opponents that they should beat, especially following a big game against a national power such as Boston College. That was the most recent test for this young group of Wolverines; maintain your focus and complete the weekend with a win after that emotional win over the Eagles Friday night.

As they have in each of their games so far this season the Wolverines passed this latest test with flying colors as they dominated the visiting Warriors, coming away with a nine to two victory. Michigan show cased their speed and skill while unleashing a first period offensive barrage from which the Warriors would never recover. The Wolverines also took this opportunity to get some game time for Senior goal tender Noah Ruden who started the game and came away with his first win of the season.

Less than thirty seconds into the game the Warriors were whistled for a penalty putting the Wolverines on the power play. The Warriors didn't help their cause any when they were whistled for a five minute major with just over a minute left in their original penalty. This gave the Wolverines a two man advantage for just over a minute and an extended five minute power play. It would take all but two minutes of the five minute major, but the Wolverines would score their first goal of the game with just over fifteen minutes left on the game clock. After some early success moving the puck in the Warrior zone the Wolverines had some trouble getting anything setup. Finally, they once again gained the Warrior zone and were moving the puck around the zone with some crisp passing. As the Wolverines closed in on the Warrior net they got the puck bouncing around in front. Hensick was able to get a stick on the puck and chip it into the net for the power play goal. Assists when to MacVoy and Turnbull.

The Wolverines would score their second goal of the night with the clock showing one second less than twelve minutes to play. This goal was started when the Wolverines intercepted a clearing pass in the corner. From there it was a quick pass out to the circle to Porter. Porter then carried the puck toward the net, firing a shot that beat the Warrior goal tender for the second goal of the game. Hensick picked up the lone assist on the goal.

With just over nine minutes to play the Warriors were once again in the sin bin and the Wolverines were once again on the prowl. Michigan won the ensuing face off and got the puck out to the right point. A quick pass from there to the left point and Cogliano fired a slap shot that was behind the goal tender before he knew the puck was on the way. Seven seconds into the power play Cogliano got his first career goal. Assists went to Mitera and Ebbett.

Fifty-nine seconds later, using pure determination and hard work, Ebbett chipped in the Wolverines fourth goal of the period as he was being dragged down and sliding past the net. The puck was once again bouncing around in front of the net and Ebbett was one of the Wolverines closest to the puck. He got his first shot attempt off which was blocked, but the rebound popped right back out to him. As he went for a follow up shot he was going down to the ice and sliding past the net, however, he just stuck his stick out, swatted the puck, punching it into the net for the score. Both Kolarik and Johnson picked up assists on the goal.

Roughly forty-five seconds later Michigan would score their fifth goal of the period as they were now fully in the groove and seemingly putting the puck in the net at will. Cogliano gathered up the puck around the circles and fired a shot top shelf that beat the goal tender for his second of the game and career. The lone assist went to Hunwick. The Warriors called a time out at this point and when they returned to the ice they put a new goalie in net.

With the clock just under the six minute mark and over a minute since their last goal the Wolverines officially welcomed the Warriors new goalie with their sixth goal of the period. Michigan had the puck in the Warrior zone to the left of their goal. A quick pass behind the net to Hensick, who then quickly passed it to Porter all alone in front of the net led to the goal. As the puck hit Porters stick he banged it home for the score. Hensick and Rohlfs picked up assists on the goal.

With just under four minutes to play the Wolverines once again found themselves on the power play and once again were having some trouble getting things setup early in the man advantage. However, as time started to run down in the Merrimack penalty the Wolverines gained the Warrior zone and started moving the puck around the zone crisply. With just over two minutes left in the period, twenty-two seconds in the power play, Johnson charged the net with the puck on his stick. As the defense oriented on him he deftly dumped a quick little pass over to a trailing Porter who slammed it home for his hat trick and Michigan's seventh goal of the opening period. Both Johnson and Hensick would pick up assists on this power play goal.

The first period would come to an end with the Wolverines holding a commanding seven to nothing lead. They also held a twenty-one to eight advantage in shots on goal.

Michigan would start the second period with 1:03 of power play time, but they would not convert with the man advantage.

With the clock showing just under fourteen minutes to play the Warriors picked up their first penalty of the second period. It would take all but eight seconds of the power play before the Wolverines would once again find the back of the net. With time running down in the man advantage Cogliano had the puck to the goalies left. He looked to be winding up to take a shot, but as the defense reacted, he slid an easy pass over to Swystun who was wide open to the right of the goal. As the puck arrived Swystun just flipped it into the net for the Wolverines eighth of the game. Assists went to Cogliano and Johnson on yet another power play goal.

The Warriors would finally get a puck past Ruden with less than one minute left to play in the second period. A Michigan defender had blocked a shot, pushing the puck behind the net, but it was bouncing kind of weirdly. A Merrimack player was able to get his stick on the puck and gain enough control over the puck to slip it between the post and Rudens leg.

The second period would end with Michigan holding an eight to one lead. Michigan out shot the Warriors thirteen to twelve in the period, for a two period advantage of thirty-four to twenty in shots on goal. Merrimack would play their third goalie to start the third period.

With the clock under fifteen minutes Michigan found itself in the sin bin and the Warriors were on the power play. While Michigan successfully killed off the penalty the Warriors scored their second goal of the game just seconds after that power play expired. They had gotten off a shot right at the end of the power play that was blocked, but the rebound came out front and a bit right of the goal. They regained the puck and made a quick pass over to the left of the goal where a wide open Merrimack player made it look easy as he slid the puck into the wide open net.

About thirty seconds later the Warriors were whistled for a penalty giving the Wolverines another power play opportunity. About midway through the power play Cogliano made a great pass over to MacVoy who got off a shot. The shot was blocked and MacVoy got turned around so his back was to the goal, but the puck rebounded right back out so it was in front of MacVoy. Without hesitation and with his back to the goal MacVoy fired the puck between his legs and into the net for Michigan's ninth and final goal of the game. Assists went to Cogliano and Ebbett.

Mike Mayhew would play the final ten minutes of the game in goal and things got a little chippy in the closing minutes, but the game would come to an end with Michigan winning by a nine to two score. The Wolverines ended the game with a forty-four to thirty advantage in shots on goal.

This young Michigan team continues to impress with how they have handled each of the different tests put before them in this equally young season. Last weekend they were workman like in their sweep of Quinnipiac, a team that they were expected to beat and they did. This weekend they raised the level of their play several notches on Friday when playing Boston College, coming away with a huge early season win over a nationally recognized team. While the team and the crowd were definitely at a lower emotional level, it didn't stop this team from coming back today and handily beating another of those teams they were expected to beat.

In recent years if there has been one achilles heal for the Wolverines its been their knack for playing down to the competition, many times leading to much closer games and sometimes to losses to teams that they should have beaten (especially early in the season). This young team continues to play with a fire and determination that frankly hasn't been seen for several years at Yost. They are simply a very exciting team to watch as they gain confidence and improve right before our eyes. It doesn't get any easier from here. Michigan opens CCHA play next weekend with a single game, that against arch rival Michigan State at Yost Arena. This is the only game against the Spartans in Yost this year. This is also their final home game before hitting the road for the first time this year. With that all that in mind a win Saturday, while not absolutely essential, is certainly very desirable. We'll know in less than a week how these young Wolverines respond to this next test.