Irish Finish Wolverine Sweep

Sunday, December 10, 2006
Joyce Center, South Bend, Indiana

Michigan led this game for almost fifty minutes only to lose the lead and the game in a short thirty second span, giving up their third power play goal of the game and giving up a goal on a defensive break down to see the Irish walk away with a game that Michigan looked to be in position to win. The first half is now over and the Wolverines get nineteen days to get players healthy and to try and fix their problems so they can attempt some sort of run in the second half. It won't be easy given how far behind the conference leaders they have now fallen so they will have to start the second half hot and stay hot through the end of the season, whenever that might be.

Michigan got off to a hot start in this game as they scored the games first goal just forty-two seconds into the game to take the early lead. Kolarik got the puck to the Irish goal where it laid on the ice between the goalies legs, with the goalie not knowing where it was. Turnbull was able to get to the puck before anyone else and he poked it home for the score. Kolarik got the lone assist on the opening goal.

Michigan was whistled for a penalty with just over seven minutes left to play in the period giving the Irish their second power play of the period. The Irish were working the puck around and got off a hard shot that was blocked, but the rebound went way out to the top of the circle. From there the Irish got off another blast that made it behind the goalie before he could recover for the power play goal that tied the game.

With the clock showing just under four minutes to play the Wolverines picked up their second goal of the period to retake the lead. Michigan got a hard pass out of the zone off the high glass that Porter was able to chase down at the top of the circle. Porter continued to the net and slid a back hand shot between the goalies legs as he passed in front to notch the score. The goal was scored as unassisted.

The first period came to an end with the Wolverines holding a two to one lead. The Wolverines also held a slim seven to six edge in shots on goal.

Michigan started the second period with 1:32 of power play time, but they were unable to take advantage of the extra man.

Just over five minutes into the second period a series of penalties would lead to the second game tying goal by the Irish. First both teams lost a man to coincidental minor penalties. Less than a minute later the Wolverines lost a second man to put the Irish on the power play. A minute after that they lost another to give the Irish an extended power play, with penalties stacked. Just shy of the eight minute mark the Irish got a stick on the puck and flipped it into the Michigan goal out of a cluster of players in front of the Michigan goal.

With just twenty-two seconds left in the second period Mitera would get off a shot from the point that would beat the goal tender through the five hole for his first career goal and putting Michigan once again in the lead. Turnbull got things going by sending the puck behind the net to Lebler who skated it out to the lower circle. From there he sent a pass out to Mitera at the point who got off the shot for the score. Lebler and Turnbull each received an assist on the goal.

The second period came to an end with the Wolverines hanging on to a three to two lead. Notre Dame out shot the Wolverines fourteen to twelve in the period, giving them a twenty to nineteen advantage in shots on goal through forty minutes of play.

With just over thirteen minutes to play the Wolverines once again found themselves in the penalty box, giving the Irish another power play opportunity. Using some quick tic-tac-toe passing the Irish moved the puck crisply and quickly around the zone in front of the net leading to an easy open net goal for their third power play goal of the game and third tie of the game.

That tie didn't last long as the Irish scored the go ahead and game winning goal just thirty seconds later on a defensive break down by the Wolverines. An Irish skater was left completely alone in the Michigan zone and a teammate was able to get him the puck. With the puck and not a Wolverine in site he walked in on the goal, putting a shot up over Sauers shoulder for the score.

The game would come to an end with Notre Dame winning by a four to three score. The shots in the final period were even at nine for each team, leaving the Irish with a twenty-nine to twenty-eight advantage in shots on goal for the game.

This loss finished off the first half of the season and finished off a stretch of five games of which the Wolverines lost four. The Wolverines have fallen to third place in the CCHA, a full five points behind Miami and three points ahead of Notre Dame. They now have nineteen days in which to refocus and figure out how to get back to winning games. They have dug themselves into a hole that will be very difficult to dig out of and nearly impossible if they can't fix the defensive problems that have plagued them for much of the last three weeks.