Saturday, October 18, 2008
Berry Events Center, Marquette, Michigan

While it took a while to get points on the board, the Wolverines controlled the first two periods of this game before things got a little wild in the third, with both teams scoring multiple goals in the final twenty minutes of play. Even though things got a little crazy the Wolverines hung onto their lead and won the game by a score of five to three.

Both teams had scoring chances, including three power play opportunities and one penalty shot for the Wolverines in the opening period. Through all the action neither team was able to score leaving the game tied at zero after the first period of play. The Wolverines held an eleven to five advantage in shots on goal after twenty minutes.

With just over eighteen minutes to play the Wolverines finally found the back of the net for their first goal of the night and weekend. The Wolverines had the puck in close, when they chipped it up and over the goal tender. It appeared to roll over the goal tenders shoulder, dropping down into the net for the score. Rust got credit for the score while Hagelin and Palushaj each picked up assists on the goal.

Forty-three seconds later, roughly two and half minutes into the period, the Wolverines would score their second goal of the game. Michigan was aggressively cycling the puck down in the corner, when Fardig slipped out of the cycle, making his way out front of the net. As he got into position a quick pass to Fardig and a quick shot saw the puck in the net. Fardig gets the goal with Wohlberg and Lebler getting the assists.

With just over three minutes to play in the period the Wildcats cut into the Wolverine lead scoring yet another controversial goal in this weekend series. The Wildcats had skated behind the Michigan goal, coming out from behind and trying to score on a wrap around shot. It appeared that Hogan blocked and frozen the puck, as the Michigan players seemed to stop play assuming that the whistle would be blown. Even though it appeared there should have been a whistle, there was no whistle and the Wildcats were able to poke the puck out from under Hogan and into the net.

The second period came to an end with the Wolverines winning by a score of two to one. The Wildcats out shot the Wolverines twelve to six in the period leaving both teams with seventeen shots on goal through forty minutes of play.

Things remained score less in the final period until the clock got to the nine and half minute mark and then the flood gates opened. Michigan had the puck in the Wildcat zone, down low around the Wildcat net. The puck rolled through the crease, with the Wildcat goalie losing track of the puck, but Rust got to the puck banging it home for the score to put Michigan back up by two. Hagelin and Palushaj each picked up assists on the goal.

Right from the following face off the Wolverines drove hard into the Wildcat zone, moving the puck around the zone. The Wolverines got a shot off that was blocked, however, the goalie ended up down on the ice and the puck was loose on the ice. Palushaj got to the puck before anyone else and just lifted it into the net for the score. Once again it was Hagelin and Rust with the assists on the goal.

With about four and a half minutes to play, with the Wolverines sitting on a seemingly comfortable three point lead, the Wildcats got things going, scoring a the first of two goals that would knock the lead down to one goal. The Wildcats got off a shot that Hogan appeared to have stopped, but the puck was able to slip between his arm and body, going over the goal line for the score.

With just over three minutes to play the Wildcats would score their second goal of the period, cutting Michigan's lead from three goals to one and taking all the momentum late in the game. On this play the Wildcats got off a slap shot from the left circle that Hogan once again seemed to stop, but the puck just squeezed through his pads, barely making it over the goal line for the score.

The Wildcats got their goalie pulled with a little over a minute to play, turning up the heat on the Michigan goal. With just thirty-five seconds left top play Northern got off a shot that hit a post, bouncing away from the net to Michigan. Michigan moved the puck out of their zone, getting it to Caporusso who took off down the ice toward the empty net at the other end. Caporusso guided the puck into the empty net for a score to once again give Michigan a two goal lead with just under thirty seconds to play. Palushaj had the lone assist on this final goal of the game.

The game would come to an end with the Wolverines winning by a score of five to three. Michigan out shot the Wildcats ten to nine in the period to end the game with a twenty-seven to twenty-six advantage in shots on goal.

Still far to many penalties in this game for both teams with Michigan ending another game without a power play goal on five tries, leaving them converting on just one of thirty-one chances through four games. Many of these penalties seem to be very borderline and while the goal of the two referee system is admirable, so far i'm not overly impressed. All it seems to be doing is chopping up the game, turning them into special team contests.

For tonights game the Wolverines certainly generated much more offense, at least while skating five on five. Hogan had two solid periods of play, but the two goals scored by Northern in the third period were pretty soft. If you were grading the play of the goalies this weekend I would have to say that even though Michigan lost the game Sauer had the stronger weekend giving him perhaps a slight edge in the battle to find a regular starting goalie.

This weeks schedule is a strange one, with the Wolverines hosting Niagara on Thursday, the traveling to Boston to take on a fairly hot Boston University team on Saturday. Michigan last saw Niagara last year in the NCAA regional where the Wolverines easily dispatched the Purple Eagles. Michigan also faced the Terriers last year, hosting them for a pair of games at Yost, both of which were won by the Wolverines. You can bet both teams will be looking to turn the tables on Michigan in these two games. Michigan of course look to bolster their non-conference credentials with a pair of wins.