Wolverines Dispatch Spartans

Friday, March 16, 2007
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan

Continuing their physical, defensive play from last weekend, the Wolverines survived a couple of first period scares, then took over the game in the second period on their way to a five to two victory in their CCHA semi-final victory over their arch rival Michigan State.

The Wolverines killed off the games first two penalties, failed to score on two power play chances of their own, and survived not only a waved off goal that was denied after review, but a penalty shot that Sauer stopped cold to end the first period of play with the score still tied at zero. The Wolverines held a slim seven to five advantage in shots on goal.

With the clock just under the seventeen minute mark Michigan punched the puck up the ice to Summers who gathered it in at the State blue line. Summers carried the puck in, fighting through a hook and slicing across the ice from the net minders right to his left. As he passed in front of the net he lifted the puck up and over the stick of the Spartan goalie to score the games first goal. Miller and Johnson each picked up assists on the goal.

Just over a minute later the Wolverines would strike for the second time in this period to take a two goal lead. With the clock just under sixteen minutes Michigan broke out of their zone, blazing into the Spartan zone with a three on one advantage. Hensick held the puck until he could slide it over to Porter who had an easy tap shot into the open net for the Wolverines second goal. Hensick and Johnson each picked up assists on the goal, with the Spartans calling time out immediately following the score to regroup.

With just over four minutes to play it was once again Porter who made the play to give Michigan a three goal lead. Porter broke out of the Michigan zone taking the puck up the right boards. He dragged the puck through the slot, almost being ridden off, but in the end he slid a back hand shot at the net that just squeezed in between the goalie and the post for the score. Rohlfs and Hensick each got assists on the goal.

The second period came to an end with the Wolverines leading by a score of three to nothing. Michigan out shot the Spartans nine to eight in the second period to end forty minutes of play with a sixteen to thirteen advantage in shots on goal.

It looked like the game might end with Michigan winning by the three to nothing score, but a flurry of goals in the games final six minutes led to the final tally of five to two.

With just over six minutes to play the Spartans cut the Wolverine lead to two when a Spartan player made a quick feed to a team mate who ripped a shot past Sauer that was behind him before he could react.

Less than a minute later Michigan forced a turn over at the Spartan blue line. Cogliano got control of the puck, quickly passing it to Kolarik who was skating into the Spartan zone. Kolarik one timed a shot over the goal tenders glove to move the Wolverine lead back to three. Cogliano had the lone assist.

With just over four minutes to play the Spartans once again trimmed the lead to two when they got they got off a shot from between the circles that beat Sauer for the score. The puck was tied up in the right face off circle with a group of players all fighting for control. It eventually slid out into the slot where a Spartan player was able to fire off the shot that would score their second goal.

The score would remain four to two until just eight seconds remained in the game when Hensick would drive the final stake in the Spartans, scoring an empty net goal to seal the win.

The game would come to an end with the Wolverines winning by a score of five to two. The Spartans out shot the Wolverines seven to five in the final period, leaving Michigan with a twenty-one to twenty advantage in shots on goal after sixty minutes.

The win over the Spartans leaves the Wolverines just one win away from winning the CCHA tournament championship and gaining the CCHA automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. To do that they will have to beat Notre Dame, a team that swept them in early December, and a team that has been ranked the number one team in the country for a little over a month. The Irish tend to play a low scoring, defensive style of hockey and this is certainly not the same Michigan team that lost those two games back in December. Tomorrow night we'll see if Michigan is different enough to make a statement win on going into the NCAA tournament or if that defensive style of hockey will prevail yet again.