Wolverines Survive US NTDP

Sunday, October 8, 2006
Yost Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

The last couple of years the youngsters from across town have pushed the Wolverines to the limit, requiring Michigan to come up with third period heroics to pull out victories. This year, not only did it take a power play goal in the final minute of regulation time for Michigan to force an overtime period, but the US national team came within four tenths of a second from forcing the Wolverines to accept a tie in that overtime period. It was T.J. Hensick who came up with a last, desperate charge up the ice, scoring the game winner just before the final buzzer sounded.

Through the first twenty minutes of play neither team was able to get the puck past either goal tender leaving the score knotted at zero at the end of the first period. The US national team had an eleven to seven advantage in shots on goal.

The first score of the game came with the clock under the ten minute mark of the second period and it was the US national team who found a way to beat Sauer and take the lead. The US team had the puck down low off to Sauers right, when they got off a shot from that low angle that got behind Sauer for the score.

With just over four minutes to play in the period one player from each team was sent to the penalty box. With exactly one additional minute ticked off the clock the US national team was whistled for another penalty putting the Wolverines on the power play. With the clock showing 1:22 to play in the second period and just nineteen seconds left in the power play, Michigan got off a laser of a shot that beat the US net minder to tie the game. Hensick had the puck low, to the right of the US net minder, making a quick pass across the ice to the left circle where Cogliano fired off a shot that ended up in the back of the net and the game was tied at one goal apiece. Both Hensick and Johnson picked up assists on the goal.

The second period would come to an end with the score all tied at one. The Wolverines out shot the US team thirteen to ten in the second period, leaving the US team with a twenty-one to twenty advantage in shots on goal.

With just over ten minutes to play in the final period the US team retook the lead when they got off a number of in close shots, finally getting one past Sauer for the score. Sauer was able to stop a couple of shots, but he couldn't cover the rebounds and the US players were able to keep the puck alive, preventing Michigan from clearing the puck. Finally the US team got off a shot that Sauer couldn't get to and they were once again in the lead.

It looked like the US team was going to skate away with their first ever win against the college guys from across town, but just over one minute on the clock the US team was whistled for a penalty putting Michigan on the power play. While the power play wasn't all that impressive Johnson finally saw an opening from inside the blue line and fired off a rocket that squirted between the pads of the US net minder to tie the game with just thirty-five seconds left to play. Hensick and Kolarik each picked up an assist on the power play goal.

Regulation time would come to and with the score all tied at two. Michigan out shot the US team fourteen to nine in the third period to end regulation play with a thirty-four to thirty advantage in shots on goal.

Both teams moved the puck up and down the ice in the overtime period and it looked like Michigan had scored the game winner with about two and a half minutes to play, but the goal was waved off.

Time was rapidly running out in the overtime when the Wolverines intercepted a pass in their own end. A quick pass up the ice was redirected to Hensick who flew into the US zone with a US player hot on his trail. Hensick closed on the goal, finally flipped a backhand shot at the goal that went over the US net minders stick and into the goal to give the Wolverines the win with four tenths of a second left.

The final score was three to two in favor of the Wolverines, with Michigan out shooting the US team five to four in the overtime period to end the game with a thirty-nine to thirty-four advantage in shots on goal.

The US team is a group of fast, skilled players who gave everything they had and came up short in this game only because of the individual effort of Hensick. The Wolverines seemed uninterested and unmotivated for most of the game and probably should have lost this contest because of their lack of effort. This has been the case for the last several years, with the US team getting closer and closer to getting their first ever win over the cross town Wolverines. While they got their hearts broken again this year something tells me they will eventually get that win if Michigan continues to schedule them and continues to go through the motions when they play the younger guys from across town.

Michigan begins the regular season schedule next week when they host Alabama-Huntsville and Connecticut in back to back games next weekend.