Thursday, October 22, 2009
Yost Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

In a game where the Wolverines were not at their best, the visiting Eagles from Niagara gave Michigan everything they could handle, keeping it tense before finally going down to defeat by a three to two score. Michigan jumped out to an early lead, however, the Eagles just kept chipping away, knocking in goals late in both the first and second periods. Michigan was able to hold the line in the third to come away with the win.

Just forty-two seconds into the first period the Eagles were whistled for a penalty to give Michigan an early power play opportunity. It took Michigan just over a minute of that power play to score the games first goal. Michigan pushed the puck up the ice, coming down the boards to the right of the Niagara goal. As they attained the Niagara zone Michigan started pushing the puck toward the goal, getting in close. As the Wolverines closed on the goal Langlais dropped a pass back into the slot between the circles giving Treais an easy shot for the score. Czarnik and Langlais each picked up assists on the power play goal.

With just under seventeen minutes to play the Eagles picked up their second penalty of the game, putting Michigan back on the power play. Just thirty seconds into the power play with 16:32 left on the clock, the Wolverines would score power play number two. The Wolverines were working the puck across the zone just inside the Niagara blue line. Pateryn got off a big shot from there, driving the puck right down the slot. The shot was blocked, but the rebound was not covered. Rust got control in the low slot, made a quick pass down to the right of the goal where Hagelin chipped it in for the goal. Rust and Pateryn each picked up assists on power play goal number two.

With just over eight minutes to play the Wolverines broke out of the Niagara zone with the puck moving through center ice in a group. As they hit the Niagara blue line they spread out, taking the puck wide to the left. As they continued into the zone the two wings started to pinch in toward the goal. As they hit the circles a quick pass from left to right put the puck on Czarnik's stick and he buried the puck for the score. Kampfer and Lebler each picked up assists on the goal.

With just under five minutes to play in the period the Eagles would cut the Wolverine lead back to two goals. The Eagles got off a shot from inside the zone that Hogan stopped, but the rebound popped up into the air and Hogan was unable to catch it on the way down. The puck ended up on the ice just to the left of the crease where an Eagle player punched it in for the score.

The first period would end with the Wolverines holding a three to one lead. Both teams ended the period with ten shots.

The Eagles started the second period with forty seconds of power play time, but they were unable to find the back of the net. Michigan had a number of scoring chances in this period, including four power play opportunities, yet they failed to score a goal. The only score in this period came with just 46.5 seconds left on the clock when the Eagles got the puck past Hogan to cut the lead to one goal. Hogan had lost his stick and the Eagles were getting a lot of pressure. Michigan was unable to get control of the puck to clear it and eventually the puck was in the net.

The second period came to an end with the Wolverines clinging to a three to two lead. Michigan out shot the Eagles nine to eight to hold a slim nineteen to eighteen advantage in shots on goal through forty minutes of play.

Niether team was able to find the back of the net in the third period. Niagara pulled their goalie with just over one minute to play with a face off in the Michigan end. Michigan held them off eventually breaking out of the zone, heading for the empty net. Michigan held the puck to long allowing a Niagara player to catch up and make a desperation dive to break up the chance at an empty net goal.

The game came to an end with the Wolverines hanging on to win by a three to two score. The Eagles out shot the Wolverines sixteen to fourteen in the final period to end the game with a thirty-four to thirty-three advantage in shots on goal.

On the positive side Michigan got the win. On the not so positive side they didn't skate all that well for large portions of this game. Their passing was off, their puck clearing was bad, the power play, while starting strong, finished poorly. It obviously wasn't all bad, it can't be when you get a win, but they have to play a more focused and intense game Saturday if they hope to come away with a win at Boston University.