Wolverines Take Bite Out Of Bulldogs

Friday, January 26, 2007
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

The Wolverines got out to a fast, dominating start tonight, then coasted to a nine to four victory over the visiting Bulldogs from Ferris State. Michigan scored early and often in the opening period, while carrying the play. They were a bit less focused in the final two periods, but the Bulldogs would never get closer than three goals as Michigan cruised to the victory.

Michigan got off to a fast start scoring there first goal of the game with eighteen and half minutes left to play in the opening period. Some quick, short passes, through traffic in close to the net led to a quick blast by Turnbull who put it in the top corner of the net for the score. Miller and Naurato each picked up an assist on the goal.

A little over a minute later, with just over seventeen minutes left on the clock, Michigan would strike for their second goal of the game when Rohlfs scooped up a rebound and finished the play. Things got started with a soft shot by Hunwick that was blocked, but the rebound was left on the ice. Rohlfs scooped up the rebound, spun around the net, and banked the puck into the goal off a Ferris defenders skate. Assists went to Hunwick and Johnson.

With just under ten minutes to play the Bulldogs were whistled for a penalty. With just six seconds left in that penalty the Bulldogs were whistled for a second penalty to extend the Wolverine power play. With about seven and half minutes to play Michigan would score their first power play goal of the game when Porter beat the net minder for the score. Michigan had the puck out in front of the net, passing it from left to right across the slot. A quick pass down low and back to the left found Porter all alone on the door step and he wasted no time burying the puck. Cogliano and Kolarik each picked up assists on the goal.

With about three and half minutes left in the opening period the Bulldogs were once again sent to the sin bin and once again the Wolverines would make them pay while on the power play. The power play was down to its last thirty-eight seconds when the Wolverines broke through center ice and gained the Bulldog zone, taking the puck deep toward the corner. A quick pass back out to the point to found Johnson all would up and ready to go. He unleashed a rocket of a shot that found the back of the net for the second straight power play goal of the period. Porter and Hensick each picked up assists on the goal.

The first period would come to an end with Michigan leading by a score of four to nothing. Michigan also held a fifteen to eight advantage in shots on goal.

Ferris hit the ice flying in the second period after having been basically dominated in the first twenty minutes of play. It would in fact be the Bulldogs who would strike first in this period to cut Michigans lead to three. With about fifteen and half minutes to play the Bulldogs got in close with the puck, getting of a point blank shot. This shot was blocked, but the rebound ended up on the ice right in front of the net. Sauer couldn't recover quickly enough and he didn't get much help from his defense as Ferris was able to chip it in for the score.

With twelve and half minutes to play Michigan would once again move the lead to four goals when Porter led the charge on a pretty goal. Porter broke into the Bulldog zone, skating down the left side of the slot. As he closed on the goal he saw an opening, allowing him to slide the puck to the right and back to Hensick who was skating in down the slots right side. As soon as the puck hit Hensicks stick he fired off a shot that buried the puck before the Bulldog net minder could react to score the goal. Porter and Summers each picked up assists on the goal.

With just under ten minutes to play the Wolverines were whistled for a penalty, putting Ferris on the power play. With just under nine minutes to play the Bulldogs were whistled for a penalty to leave each team with four men for about one minute. With eight and half minutes left to play Porter would once again lead the charge into the Bulldog zone, this time finishing things himself. Receiving a pass at center ice, Porter once again broke into the Bulldog zone, flashing for the goal. This time instead of passing the puck he finished off the play by closing on the goal and blasting the puck top shelf to score the goal. Hensick and Hunwick each picked up assists on the goal.

With the clock just under six minutes the Wolverines were whistled for a penalty to put Ferris back on the power play. There would be a goal scored, but it wouldn't be the Bulldogs doing the scoring. With the clock just under five minutes the Wolverines would strike for their first short handed goal of the game. Michigan forced a turn over at center ice, once again giving them an odd man rush into the Bulldog zone. Cogliano carried the puck down the left side, dropping a pass back and to the right as he closed on the net. Johnson scooped up the pass, cut across in front of the net, deking the net minder, finally tucking the puck into the net by directing the puck around the sprawling Bulldog goalie. Cogliano was credited with the lone assist on the short handed marker.

With two and half minutes to play the Bulldogs once again had the puck in close and got off a shot that was blocked. Again the puck ended up on the ice down in front of the net and before a Wolverine could get to it the Bulldogs were able to chip the puck past Sauer for the score.

The second period would end with the Wolverines holding a seven to two lead. The Bulldogs out shot the Wolverines twenty-four to six in the second period to end forty minutes of play with a thirty-two to twenty-one advantage in shots on goal.

With just under seventeen minutes to play in the final period both teams lost a man to the sin bin, leaving the teams skating four on four. With sixteen minutes exactly left on the clock the Bulldogs would cut into the Michigan lead when they were able to get another puck behind Sauer. It started with a somewhat soft shot from the point that was blocked, but the rebound wasn't covered and ended up bouncing around in front of the net. The puck appeared to be redirected into the Michigan net off a Michigan defender. Whether it was the Michigan defender or an opportunistic Bulldog the end result was the same; a goal for the Bulldogs.

With just under fourteen minutes to play Michigan was whistled for yet another penalty giving the Bulldogs another power play chance. A minute into the power play, with the clock just under thirteen minutes, the Bulldogs used some nice tic-tac-toe passing to open up the back door of the Michigan net. The final pass put the puck on the stick of a Bulldog who had an unobstructed view of the net and he tapped it home for the goal.

With about eight and half minutes to play Michigan was whistled for another penalty to give the Bulldogs a late power play. With just eight seconds left in the power play the Bulldogs turned the puck over near their own blue line. Michigan scooped up the puck and skated right down the slot, closed on the goal, getting off a one timer that beat the net minder for the Wolverines second short handed goal of the game. Fardig and Mitera each picked up assists on the goal.

With just under five minutes to play both teams sent a player to the sin bin, leaving the teams skating four on four. With four and half minutes to play, 1:39 left in the shared penalty, the Bulldogs were whistled for a penalty to put Michigan on the power play. With about three and half minutes to play, twenty-seven seconds left in the shared penalty, Michigan would strike for goal number nine. This time it was Michigan using sharp, crisp passes to move the puck quickly around the Ferris zone. About four passes in Porter found Hensick to the left of the goal all alone and T.J. made it look easy, tapping the puck into a wide open net for the score.

The game would come to an end with Michigan winning by a score of nine to four. Michigan out shot the Bulldogs nine to eight in the period, but it was the Bulldogs who ended the game with a forty to thirty advantage in shots on goal.

While the Bulldogs really seemed to carry much of the play in the final two periods, especially the second period, it was Michigan who was scoring the goals. The second period was the perfect example. The Bulldogs put twenty-four shots on goal, while Michigan only put up six, but it was Michigan scoring on three of those six shots, while the Bulldogs could manage to get just two of their twenty-four shots past Sauer for scores. This is where the train has derailed for Michigan this year. Tomorrow night they have to play the same team that they just soundly defeated. Not only that they beat them while not playing their best hockey (at least for the greater part of the final two periods). Tomorrow night would be the perfect place for Michigan to take Ferris to lightly, expecting the Bulldogs to just roll over and cede the victory to Michigan. Usually when that happens, its Michigan who ends up on the losing end of things. Hopefully tomorrow the Captains are doing their job and making sure that the entire team understands that Ferris is going to come fast and hard from the opening whistle to do what they can to make up for tonights defeat. Michigan has to match, if not beat that intensity, especially early in the game if they don't want to see crucial win slip away.