Wolverines And Spartans Battle To Draw

Saturday, February 10, 2007
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan

The Wolverines wracked up the shots, but the Spartans wracked up the goals in the early going of this game, building a three to nothing lead that looked like it would leave the Wolverines season in a shambles. It took them the entire sixty minutes of regulation hockey, but the Wolverines were finally able to battle back to tie the game. They came close on a couple of occasions to winning the game out right, but in the end the three to three tie would stand.

Michigan was whistled for a penalty with just over ten minutes left in the opening period to put the Spartans on the power play. The Wolverines were able to kill off the power play, but just seconds after it expired the Spartans got on the board when they got off a blast from the bottom of the left circle that blew past Sauer for the score.

With just over seven minutes to play the Wolverines turned the puck over at their blue line that allowed the Spartans to get in tight on the Michigan goal. They got off a shot that was blocked, but the rebound came right out to a waiting Spartan who punched it back toward and into the net to give the Michigan State a two goal lead.

The first period came to an end with the Spartans leading by a two to nothing score. The Wolverines ended the period with an eighteen to eleven edge in shots on goal.

With just over thirteen minutes to play the Spartans were whistled for a penalty putting Michigan on the power play. However, the constant turn overs by the Wolverines would once again cost them dearly as they turned the puck over at their own blue line. This allowed a Spartan player to scoop the puck up and skate all alone into the Michigan zone, close on the goal, and bury the short handed goal to take a three goal lead.

With just over eleven minutes to play, just as the power play expired, Michigan would finally find a way to get a goal. They had won a face off and got the puck out to the point. From there a big shot was taken that was blocked, but the rebound came right out to Summers who punched the puck back into the wide open net for the score. Kampfer got the lone assist on the goal.

The second period would come to an end with the Spartans leading by a three to one score. The Wolverines out shot the Spartans sixteen to eight in the period to hold a thirty-four to nineteen advantage in shots on goal through forty minutes of play.

The Wolverines would cut the Spartan lead to one with just over eighteen minutes to play when Cogliano got a play started that would lead to Michigan's second goal. Cogliano carried the puck through center ice, split a couple of Spartan defenders, finally getting off a blast of a shot from between the circles. That shot was blocked, but the rebound came back out in front of the goal and a trailing Summers was able to once again punch the rebound back at and into the net. Cogliano and Turnbull each picked up assists on the goal.

With just under two minutes to play and the Spartans still holding their one goal lead there was a face off in the Spartan zone to the right of the goal. Michigan won the face off, with Summers getting control of the puck and going to the end boards behind the goal. From there he sent a quick pass out front to Cogliano who fired off a shot as soon as the puck hit his stick to score the goal that tied the game. Summers got the lone assist on the goal.

Regulation play would come to an end with the game all tied at three goals each. Michigan out shot the Spartans seventeen to three to hold a fifty-one to twenty-two edge in shots on goal.

Michigan would have a couple of great chances to win the game in overtime, including a shot at a wide open net, but they were unable to score the game winner. The overtime period would come to an end with the score still tied at three goals each. The Wolverines out shot the Spartans six to zero in the overtime period to end the game with a fifty-seven to twenty-two advantage in shots on goal.

Michigan certainly played a better game of hockey tonight than they did the previous night when they were busy losing to Bowling Green, but even out shooting the Spartans by better than two to one they were unable to win the game. The tie is certainly better than a loss, but their inability to win this game could come back to haunt them. There are now just four games left in the regular season and Michigan basically must win all four of them and then wait to see where they end up in the CCHA standings. It looks like it will be either second or third, but should they lose a game they could end up in fourth.