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Wolverines Overcome Huskies
Friday, December 30, 2005
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan
While the Wolverines had more jump in their legs than they appeared to have last
night they started todays game playing fairly sloppy, committing a number of
ill advised penalties. This lack of discipline helped the Huskies attain a three
to one lead before the Wolverines would com back to tie and win the game in the
third period.
Just over two minutes into the game Michigan was whistled for their first penalty
of the game. Almost two minutes later, with the clock just under the sixteen
minute mark, the Huskies scored their first goal of the night while on the power
play. A shot from the point was wide of the goal, but a Huskie player was right at
the goal line without a Wolverine to be found. He had time to stop the puck with his
hand, drop it to the ice, and take a shot that beat Sauer before a Michigan player
even knew what happened.
The Huskies would hang onto that one goal lead until there were just over eight
minutes left in the opening period when Michigan would score a power play goal of
their own. Hensick got control of the puck down low in the Husky zone. He skated
back out, looped around a circle, and finally fired a wrist shot that beat the
Husky goal tender to tie the game. Hunwick and Kolarik each picked up an assist on
the score.
The first period would come to an end with the score all tied at one goal each.
Michigan ended the period with a fourteen to thirteen advantage in shots on goal.
With just over thirteen minutes left in the second period the Wolverines were
on the power play with the Tigers in the penalty box. With just under twelve minutes
left in the period, just twelve seconds in the Michigan power play, the Huskies
scored a short handed goal to retake the lead.
Less than half a minute later the Wolverines sent two players to the penalty box
for two separate penalties. The Huskies applied great pressure on the Michigan
goal, with the Wolverines holding the Huskies at bay for over three quarters of the
power play. With the clock showing less than ten minutes to play the Huskies
scored a power play goal to take a two goal lead.
Two and a half minutes later it was the Huskies who were whistled for a penalty,
putting Michigan on the power play. The Wolverines couldn't get any kind of flow
going on this power play and almost gave up another short handed goal before finally
holding the puck in the Husky zone, working the puck around the Husky zone. Off a
pass Hunwick fired a shot from the top of the circle that beat the Huskie goalie,
cutting the lead to one. Hunwick got the goal and Naurato got the lone assist.
The second period would come to an end with Michigan Tech holding a three to
two lead. The Huskies out shot Michigan eighteen to seven in the second period
to hold a thirty-one to twenty-one advantage in shots on goal after forty minutes
of play.
With just under fifteen minutes to play in the final period Michigan would tie
the game off a play that certainly looked harmless when it started. Michigan was
just moving the puck around the Husky zone, not getting much of a look at the net
when Bailey suddenly popped out in front of the goal without any opposing players
in his vicinity. Hensick got a quick pass out of the corner out front to Bailey.
Bailey wasted no time in directing the puck into the net. Bailey got the goal and
Hensick got the lone assist.
The game would stay tied until there were just over three minutes left to play
in the game when Michigan would break the game open with only the second even
strength goal of the game. The puck was rolling along the end boards with several
players all scrambling for control. Suddenly Kolarik jumped out in front of the
goal, Miller chipped the puck out to him, and Kolarik managed to get it into the
net for the score and the Wolverines first lead of the game. Miller got the lone
assist on the Kolarik goal.
With just forty-five seconds left in the game the Huskies pulled their goalie
out to get an extra attacker. It would take just thirteen seconds for the Wolverines
to get the puck into the empty net to seal the victory. With several players scrambling
for the puck in the Husky zone, Miller eventually got control and guided the puck
into the net. It was scored as an unassisted goal.
The game came to an end with Michigan winning by a score of five to three. The
Wolverines out shot the Huskies sixteen to seven in the third, but the Huskies ended
the game with a thirty-eight to thirty-seven edge in shots on goal for the game.
Michigan played a better game tonight, especially in the third period when they
started to play a more disciplined game. This kept them out of the penalty box and
allowed them to slowing grind the Huskies down, finally finishing off with the win.
The Wolverines return to CCHA play next weekend when the host Alaska-Fairbanks
for a pair of games.
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