Friday, January 30, 2009
Joyce Center, South Bend, Indiana

All we heard about going into this game was the Irish. They were number one in the country. They hadn't lost a game in their last twenty. Michigan was good, but probably not good enough. Well tonight the Wolverines played one of their best games of the season, using a stout defense and an opportunistic offense to come away from South Bend with a two to one victory in one of the countries premier match ups of the weekend.

With just three minutes left to play in the opening period the Wolverines would strike for the games first goal when Turnbull got past the Irish defense and buried the puck. Turnbull got the puck just outside the Irish blue line, carrying it into the Irish zone and heading for the goal. He walked right in on the goal, lifting a backhander past the Notre Dame goalie at the last second to score the goal. Wohlberg got the lone assist on the goal.

The first period came to an end with the Wolverines holding that slim, but important one to nothing lead. The Irish out shot the Wolverines sixteen to twelve in the period.

Just forty seconds into the second period Michigan would score what proved to be the game winning goal when Miller wristed a shot past the Irish net minder for a two goal Michigan lead. Things started with a face off to the right of the Irish goal. The players taking the face off hit each others sticks, leaving the puck laying on the ice pretty much where it had been dropped. Finally Miller was able to get his stick on the puck, getting off the wrist shot that sent the puck between the goalie and the post for the score. The goal was scored as unassisted.

With the clock just under the ten minute mark the Irish would cut the lead to one and make things interesting when they were able to get a puck past Hogan. Michigan had gotten a little sloppy with the puck in their own zone, failing to clear it when they had several chances to do so, eventually turning it over the Irish while still in the zone. Notre Dame worked it in close to the goal, did a little give and go passing, until the net opened up, leading to a fairly easy score past an out of position Hogan.

The second period would come to an end with the Wolverines leading by a score of two to one. Michigan out shot the Irish twelve to eight in the period to end forty minutes of play with both teams tallying twenty-four shots on goal.

Both teams had some scoring chances in the final period of play, but neither team was able to take advantage, leaving the score two to one in favor of the Wolverines when the final horn sounded. Michigan out shot the Irish eight to five in the final period to end the game with a thirty-two to twenty-nine advantage in shots on goal.

In theory this should have been the hard game to win this weekend as Michigan was on the road, playing a team that had tons of confidence. In the end it was a tightly contested game that could have gone either way, but Michigan was able to pull out the road win. Now all they have to do is come back stronger tomorrow night and get the sweep as the Irish come to Yost Arena for the final game of this home and home weekend series. The Irish are still comfortably in first place, even with the loss, and Michigan still desperately needs the win. It should be another barn burner tomorrow night at Yost.