Wolverines Blow Another One

Friday, November 3, 2006
Munn Ice Arena, East Lansing, Michigan

There wasn't any worry about a tie in this game as the Wolverines showed up to play their usual twenty minutes of hockey, while the Spartans played the full sixty on their way to a convincing seven to four win over the visiting Wolverines.

Michigan jumped out early scoring the games first goal just as the clock moved under the sixteen minute mark. Taking the puck away from the Spartan in their own zone, the Wolverines made a nice little outlet pass to get the puck through center ice and into the Spartan zone. The Spartan defender tripped a little bit leaving Porter all alone to drive into the Spartan zone. He closed with the net, moved through right to left through the slot, and lifted a little backhand back to the goaltenders right to score the games first goal. Hensick and Rohlfs each picked up an assist on the goal.

About two minutes later, with thirteen and half minutes to play, Michigan got loose on a two on one break with Ward leading the charge. Again the Michigan players closed on the goal when Ward sent a nice pass from the goal tenders left to his right, where Naurato was waiting. With the goalie far to his left the net was wide open and Naurato slid the puck home for an easy goal to the Wolverines a two goal lead. Both Ward and Summers picked up assists on the goal.

With about six and a half minutes to play Michigan was whistled for their first penalty of the game putting the Spartans on the power play. The Spartans quickly got the puck deep in the Michigan zone, moving it around the Michigan goal from out front, to behind, finally getting off a shot from a flat angle to the the right of the goal. The puck went to the wide side, hit the post, and deflected into the goal behind Sauer for the power play goal.

With the clock roughly twenty seconds under the four minute mark the Spartans were whistled for a penalty putting Michigan on the power play. The Wolverines had accomplished pretty much nothing on their first power play, but this one would be different. With the clock just under the three minute mark Kolarik drove deep into the Spartan zone on the goalies right side. He made a quick pass out into the slot where another Michigan player got off a shot that was blocked. The rebound was not covered and Naurato was right there to punch the shot back toward the goal and into the net for the score to once again give Michigan a two goal lead. Lebler and Kolarik picked up assists on the goal.

The first period would come to an end with Michigan leading by a score of three to one. The Spartans ended the first period of play with a thirteen to eight advantage in shots on goal.

The Spartans would start the second period with thirty seconds of power play time. The Spartans wouldn't be able to do anything with the remainder of this man advantage, but they surely did enough damage in this period to win the game.

With roughly fifteen and half minutes to play Michigan was whistled for yet another penalty to put the Spartans back on the power play. The Spartans kept the pressure on and with just over fourteen minutes to play they got off a soft shot from the blue line that was redirected down in front, ending up behind Sauer to cut the Michigan lead to one.

With roughly eight and half minutes to play and the Spartans continuing to put pressure on the Michigan goal, they got off a shot from between the circles that found Sauer stuck to the ice, making the goal look easy to tie the game.

With just over five minutes to play the Spartans broke into the Michigan zone with a two on one break. Moving the puck down the left side the Spartan player held the puck until the last minute, then slid a nice little pass over to the right for an easy goal beating Sauer clean.

With just over three minutes to play the Wolverines gave up pretty much a mirror image of the Spartans third goal of the period. The Spartans moved the puck up the left side, holding the puck until the last minute, when they slid the pass through the crease where another Spartan was unmolested by the Michigan defense. Once again the goal was easy and the Spartans had a two goal lead.

The second period would come to an end with the Spartans leading by a score of five to three. The Spartans out shot the Wolverines thirteen to four in the second period to end forty minutes of play with a twenty-six to twelve advantage in shots on goal.

With the clock showing just over fourteen minutes to play the Spartans once again had the puck in the Michigan zone where they got off a shot from the left dot that flew between Sauer and the post for the Spartans sixth goal of the game.

With the clock just under the six minute mark Michigan would get within two, but it was far to little, far to late. Michigan got off a couple of shots in close, with the rebounds not covered. Rohlfs was finally able to get his stick on the puck punching it past Lerg for the score. Porter and Cook each received assists on the goal.

With 1:20 left in the game the Wolverines pulled Sauer to get the extra attacker, but it was the Spartans who seemed to have the extra attacker. With just 51.9 seconds left in the game the Spartans put the puck into the empty net for the seventh and final goal of the game.

The game would come to an end with the Spartans winning by a score of seven to four. The Wolverines out shot the Spartans nine to seven in the final period, but the Spartans finished the game with a commanding thirty-three to twenty-one advantage in shots on goal.

The Wolverines continue to play parts of games as they continue to stumble and bumble their way through this season. After this debacle, on their first road trip of the season, it truly looks like the Wolverines are on their way to a truly awful year in hockey as they are quickly playing their way out of any kind of CCHA and NCAA contention.