Bronco's Belittle Wolverines

Friday, December 1, 2006
Yost Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Once again it appears that a beat down by the Gophers has sent the Wolverine hockey team into a tail spin as they dropped a game tonight at Yost to one of the worst teams in the CCHA. They had no defense, little offense, and no goal tending as the Bronco's skated circles around Michigan all night on their way to a resounding six to three victory.

The Bronco's didn't waste any time getting things going in this game as they won a face off to the right of the Michigan goal with just over seventeen minutes still on the clock. A quick pass to the high slot and a hard one timer saw the puck sail between Sauer and the post for the games opening goal.

With the clock just under fifteen minutes the Wolverines would tie the game when Hunwick carried the puck from the Michigan zone deep into the Bronco zone, getting off a shot as he closed on the Bronco net. The shot was blocked, but the rebound came out on the opposite side and Cogliano was right there to bang it home for the score. Hunwick and Miller each picked up an assist on the goal.

The first period would come to an end with the game all tied at one goal each. The Wolverines would finish the period with a twelve to four advantage in shots on goal.

Michigan started the second period with 1:39 of power play time, but couldn't do anything with the extra attacker, failing to even get off a shot. The Wolverines were sent to the sin bin with roughly fifteen and a half minutes to play to put the Bronco's on the power play. With just over fourteen minutes to play and a delay penalty in the works against Michigan the Bronco's got two extra attackers by bringing their goal tender to the bench. With two extra attackers the Bronco's scored their second goal of the game to once again take the lead. Since the second penalty had not been called it went on the board following the goal leaving the Bronco's on the power play.

With roughly ten and half minutes to play the Bronco's were whistled for a penalty putting Michigan on the power play. With just over nine minutes to play Michigan got numbers down in front of the net, along with the puck, chipping it in to once again tie the game. Michigan scooped up the puck at the blue line, drove to the net, getting off several shots from close range before finally scoring the goal. Cogliano got credit for the goal, while Porter and Hensick each picked up an assist.

The tie didn't last long as the Bronco's score less than a minute later with just over eight minutes to play to once again take the lead. A Bronco player got control of the puck in the Michigan zone, skated around and through the Wolverines from one end of the ice to the other, ending the rush by stuffing the puck into the Michigan net for the score.

With just over one minute to play the Bronco onslaught continued as they stole the puck deep in the Michigan zone, made a couple of quick passes, getting the puck out front of the goal. Using a quick shot they blasted the puck into the net, top shelf, to take a two goal late in the period.

The second period would come to an end with the Bronco's holding that four to two lead. Michigan out shot the Bronco's fourteen to nine to finish forty minutes of play with a twenty-six to thirteen advantage in shots on goal.

With thirteen and a half minutes to play Michigan got the puck to Kolarik at the blue line and he took off into the Bronco zone. As he closed withe the Western net he slid a pass over to Cogliano who just tipped the puck to get it past the Western net minder to draw the Wolverines within one.

With the clock showing just under three minutes left to play the Bronco's once again made an end to end rush with one player weaving his way through the entire Michigan team, closing on the goal, and blasting the puck top shelf to put the Bronco's back up by two.

Michigan would pull their goal tender with about one minute left to play in a last gasp attempt to score a goal, but in the end they couldn't get it done. The Bronco's put the puck in the empty net with just ten seconds left on the clock to seal the win.

The game came to an end with Western winning by a score of six to three. The Wolverines out shot the Bronco's seven to five in the period to end the game with a thirty-three to eighteen advantage in shots on goal.

Regardless of how many shots they had (most of them were not good quality shots) the Wolverines were out played at every turn. Once again it seems that a pounding administered by Minnesota in the College Hockey Showcase as left this team with no heart, no direction, and apparently no will to win. This loss, to a team that Michigan should have skated circles around, all but negated the strong conference wins Michigan managed to string together in the Month of November. They looked more like the team we suffered through in October, rather than the team that seemed to find its legs in November. I guess we'll see over the next eight days which is the real Michigan team.