Saturday, February 28, 2009
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

It was Senior night at Yost Arena and Billy Sauer got the start in goal. Just like three weeks ago when he started a game against Nebraska it took the offense a while to get rolling, but a three goal outburst in the second period, along with a single goal late in the final period sent Sauer out with a four to nothing shut out in his final regular season game as a Wolverine.

The first period would see the Wolverines miss on several scoring chances, leaving the score knotted at zero after twenty minutes of play. The Wolverines did hold an eight to four advantage in shots on goal.

Michigan got things going in the second period, scoring their first goal with the clock just under the eighteen minute mark. The Wolverines got the puck to Mitera down low, to the left of the goal. Mitera skated a few feet above the goal line and looked to be lining up a shot causing the defense and goalie to shift to him. At the last minute rather than shoot he sent a pass to the right side where Czarnik had been left all alone. Czarnik made the easy tap in goal while Mitera and Turnbull each picked up assists.

The score would stay one to nothing for most of the rest of the period until the Wolverines would score goal number two with just over four minutes to play in the period. Michigan got control of a loose puck near the top of the rights circle, quickly sending a harmless looking shot to the net. The puck hit the goalies glove, but had enough momentum to bounce off and over the glove, dropping to the ice across the goal line for the score. Rust got credit for the goal while Summers and Palushaj each picked up assists.

With exactly three minutes to play in the period Michigan would score their third goal of the period. Michigan won a face off in the Ferris zone to the right of the goalie, dropping the puck back to Mitera who was just inside the Ferris blue line. Mitera rifled a shot to the net as soon as the puck hit his stick. Somehow the puck made its way through all the players between him and the net, including the goalie, squeezing just inside the wide side post for the score. Caporusso picked up the lone assist on the goal.

The second period would come to an end with the Wolverines leading by a score of three to nothing. The Wolverines out shot the Bulldogs eighteen to nine in the period to hold a twenty-six to thirteen advantage in shots on goal through forty minutes of play.

The play had gotten increasingly chippy through the second period and things finally boiled over at the end of the second period. A couple of players from each team started to fight each other and before long the players leaving the bench were in each others faces. It took several minutes, intervention by the coaches, and some help from Mitera to separate the Wolverines from the Bulldogs and get the teams off the ice. After things were all sorted out two players from each team were given game misconducts resulting in their being ejected from the game. Those same players were also given game disqualifications meaning they will have to miss their teams next game (the first playoff game for each team). At this time I'm not certain if any of the players will miss that game. While they announced the additional penalties as game disqualifications the box score lists them as game misconducts. If they were really disqualifications they will have to miss the next game. If they were really misconducts and it was just announced wrong then they will play in the next game. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this eventually goes. Michigan was also given an additional bench minor that would lead to a short Ferris power play (the Bulldogs still had 1:12 of a penalty to server called late in the second period).

There were a number of penalties called in the third period as the officials were now calling penalties if players even looked at each other wrong. The final penalty handed out was to the Bulldogs with just over one minute left on the clock. Michigan had the puck in the Ferris zone, eventually passing it to Naurato who was at the bottom of the left circle. Naurato hesitated just a second, then fired a shot past the goalie for the score. While Naurato got credit for the power play goal, Burlon and Fardig each picked up assists.

The game would come to an end with the Wolverines winning by a score of four to nothing. Michigan out shot the Bulldogs ten to one in the final period to finish the game with a thirty-six to fourteen advantage in shots on goal.

A great way for the Seniors to end their final regular season at Yost and it was the Seniors who led the way. Four of the Seniors had at least one point on the night, while Sauer notched a shut out. Only one Senior failed to score a point in the game. While Michigan has had a first round bye in the CCHA playoffs locked up for a couple of weeks now their weekend sweep got them into second place, rather than third (Miami dropped a game to Ohio State Friday night to open the door for Michigan). Michigan won't know who they host in their quarter-final series until after next weekends games. The quarter-final series is a best two out of three format and will be played at Yost starting on March thirteenth.