Wolverines Drop Third Straight

Friday, December 2, 2005
Goggin Ice Arena, Oxford, Ohio

The Michigan Wolverines lost their third game in a row and lost ground to CCHA leading Miami as they drop a four to two decision at Miami. Once again it was a complete break down in special teams that led to the loss.

The Wolverines put themselves behind the eight ball right away in this game as Mitera was called for a checking from behind penalty just 1:20 into the game, giving the Redhawks five minutes of power play time. With Mitera gone for the game before he could even work up a sweat the rest of the Michigan penalty killers had to step it up and they did. Miami did take a penalty about one and half minutes into the major penalty to leave both teams skating four on four. When all was said and done, Michigan had killed off the major penalty.

With the clock moving under the twelve minute mark Miami was whistled for a penalty of their own that put the Wolverines on the power play. Michigan didn't waste a lot of time taking just twenty-three seconds of the power play to score the games first goal. Ebbett had the puck on the left wing and got pass over to the right where Johnson fired a shot. The shot came through in front of the net where Porter was unmolested by the Redhawk defense. As the puck passed him Porter deflected it over the goalies shoulder for the score. Johnson and Ebbett each picked up an assist on the goal.

With less than three minutes to play Michigan was once again on the penalty kill, their fourth penalty kill of the first period when the Redhawks were able to get a softie past Sauer. Playing with the puck up high they passed it down low where a player was winding up to blast a shot. Sauer was in position for the stop, but the Miami player basically fanned on the shot, floating the puck toward the net taking Sauer by surprise and barely getting the puck over the goal line.

The first period would come to an end with the game tied at one goal each. The Redhawks had a fifteen to twelve advantage in shots on goal.

Michigan regained the lead early in the second period when Hensick garnered a goal just fifty-seconds into the period. Michigan got a pass up the ice to Hensick skating along the boards. As he crossed into the Miami zone he cut to center ice, continued to close on the net, finally firing a shot up over the Miami goal tenders shoulder for the score. Johnson got the lone assist on the goal.

Just over eight minutes into the period the Redhawks retied the game just as Michigan completed a penalty kill. As Johnson came out of the box the Wolverines got the puck up the ice to him and he broke into the Miami zone with two additional Michigan skaters. Michigan couldn't take advantage of the three on one break as their shot missed. Miami quickly scooped up the rebound and got it out of the zone giving them numbers moving into the Wolverine zone. Unlike Michigan, however, the Redhawks tallied a score when the stuffed the puck through the five hole for their second goal of the game.

With just over ten minutes to play Miami was sent to the penalty box and Michigan was looking to regain the lead. Unfortunately it was this stretch of time that the Michigan special teams cracked. All the Wolverines, with the exception of one had cleared their zone expecting to go on the attack. The lone defenseman turned the puck over right in front of the Michigan goal and before Sauer or anyone else knew what was happening the puck was in the net and the Redhawks had taken the lead with a short handed goal.

Less than a minute later, on the same shift the Redhawks once again gained control of the puck in the Michigan zone. The same two players who had scored the go ahead goal got the puck past Sauer for the Redhawks second short handed goal in a row, their third unanswered goal of the period.

The second period would end with the Redhawks leading by a score of four to two. Miami had a thirty-one to twenty-five advantage in shots on goal after forty minutes of play.

Both teams had scoring chances in the third period, both on the power play and at even strength, but no further goals were scored. The game would come to an end with Miami winning four to two. The Redhawks ended the game with a forty-six to thirty-four advantage in shots on goal.

The Redhawks won this game in a two and half minute span of play in the second period when the scored three unanswered goals, two of them short handed to hand the Wolverines their third straight loss and really take a strangle hold on the CCHA race. If the Wolverines can't force a split tomorrow night they will have a very deep hole to climb out of they have any hopes of winning the CCHA regular season title.