White Double Up The Blue

Saturday, September 30, 2006
Yost Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

This years version of the Michigan hockey team took to the ice for their annual intra-team scrimmage, the Blue-White game this past Saturday night. While it took a while for the scoring to start by the end of the night the White had blown the Blue off the ice by a score of six to three.

It had been an up and down affair, with all the players just kind of getting their skating legs under them, until Jack Johnson made his one and only trip to the penalty box with just over four minutes left in the first period. The White team couldn't really muster any kind of real pressure while on the power play, but the Blue team found an opening that would put them on the board first. After working the puck down into the White zone the puck was passed off to Rohlfs who was positioned at the top and slightly to the outside of the left face off circle. From there he unleashed a rocket of a shot that beat Sauer for the short handed goal and the Blue team was on the board. Assists went to Michael Berglands-Cappo and Porter.

With just twenty-three seconds left in the opening period it was the White teams turn to head to the penalty box, their first of the night. The Blue team had the puck in the White zone, but White got control of the puck and broke out of their zone with time running down in the first period. Summers fed the puck up to Kolarik who streaked down the left side boards, closing on the Blue net. At the last second he pushed a little pass to his right to a trailing Cogliano who buried the puck for a White team short handed goal as the buzzer sounded. Kolarik and Chris Summers each picked up an assist.

The first period would come to and end with the score all tied at one goal apiece, courtesy of two short-handed goals. The Blue team out shot the White by a slight thirteen to ten margin.

Once again the period started off slowly with neither team able to score another goal until there were just over eight minutes left in the second period, but once the puck started going in a number of goals were scored.

Things got started when the White team was whistled for a penalty with the clock just under the ten minute mark. With forty-four seconds left in that penalty and around eight and half minutes left to play the Blue team was whistled for a penalty. White eventually ended up on the power play and would score with just ten seconds left in their power play with the clock just under the seven minute mark. White was passing the puck quite well for the first time that night, working it around the Blue zone. Finally they got the puck to Steve Kampfer who was just inside the blue line, straight out from the goal. From there he unleashed a blast that was past Mayhew before he knew it and the White team had broken the tie. Cogliano and Hunwick each picked up an assist on the goal.

With just over three minutes to play the Blue team had the puck in the White zone and weren't making much progress toward scoring. Suddenly three quick tic-tac-toe passes led to an easy score from a wide open back door. The first pass came from out high to the right face off circle, then a quick pass over to the left circle, followed by a quicker pass back to the left, down low, where it was easy for Miller to slip the puck behind Mayhew for the score. Turnbull and Bailey each picked up an assist on the goal.

With the clock just under the two minute mark the White would once again take the lead when Hunwick took a slap shot from between the circles. It looked like he was just looking to push the puck down deep on net, to see what could happen, but his stick broke on the shot, sending the puck in at a strange speed. Mayhew misjudged the puck and it slid past him for the score. Anthony Ciraulo and Naurato each picked up an assist on the goal.

The second period would come to an end with the White team leading by a score of three to two. Once again the Blue team out shot the White team, this time seventeen to fifteen for a two period advantage of thirty shots to twenty-five.

The third period was a fifteen minute running clock and just twenty-five seconds into the final period of play the Blue team would score their third and final goal of the night. Hensick had the puck slightly behind and left of the goal when he slid a pass out front of the goal, through the crease to the right side, where Porter quickly flipped it behind Sauer for the score. Hensick got the lone assist on the goal.

With just over thirteen minutes to play Kolarik would make the final pass from the low right circle to a waiting Cogliano who had a look at a wide open back door play and he didn't miss the shot. Both Kolarik and Brian Lebler picked up assists on the goal.

With just over ten minutes to play the Blue team was sent to the penalty box. White would apply some pressure that would finally find an opening as they worked the puck steadily closer to the goal. Finally Kolarik saw his opening and fired the puck past Mayhew for the power play goal with about eight and half minutes left to play. Hunwick and Cogliano each picked up an assist.

Two minutes later, with about six and half minutes left to play, Ciraulo would make a nice pass to Naurato who was streaking down the center of the ice. He flew into the Blue zone, closed on the net, deked Mayhew, and slid the puck behind him for the final score of the game. Ciraulo picked up the lone assist on the goal.

The game would come to an end with the White team beating the Blue team by a score of six to three. The Blue team out shot the White team by a thirty-nine to thirty-two count.

The Wolverines have their first full week of practice followed by two exhibition games next Friday and Sunday. Note the second exhibition game, against the US-NDTP team will be on Sunday because of the late starting football game against visiting Michigan State.