Michigan
11-2-1
Minnesota
7-4-4
Michigan Sweeps Showcase with Victory at Minnesota
12/1/2002 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The eighth-ranked University of Michigan hockey team completed its fourth-ever sweep of the College Hockey Showcase Sunday afternoon (Dec. 1), downing the No. 9 Minnesota Golden Gophers by a 3-1 margin in front of a sold-out crowd of over 10,000 at Minnesota's Mariucci Arena. For the second straight game, special teams were a factor, as U-M scored on the power play and shorthanded, while freshman goaltender Al Montoya (Glenview, Ill.) made a career-high 38 saves to backstop the Wolverines to their 11th win of the year in 14 tries. The game ended on a strange note, as Minnesota scored in its own net to seal the win for Michigan.
| | Helminen netted his third shorthanded goal of the year. |
In a game that can only be described as a track meet, with both teams showing their skill and speed racing up and down the ice, the Gophers outshot the Wolverines 39-31 and applied constant pressure throughout the game on Michigan, which has been outshot or tied in the last four games. Michigan, however, came up with the victory, snapping a two-game losing streak to the Gophers which included a 3-2 setback in the semifinals of last year's NCAA Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn.
The Wolverines took a 1-0 lead 6:33 into the game on their first power play when freshman defenseman Danny Richmond (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) beat Minnesota netminder Travis Weber from the bottom of the left faceoff circle. Richmond received a pass from freshman forward Andrew Ebbett (Vernon, B.C.), who was camped out behind the net, for the shot that sailed past Weber's stick side.
The Gophers tied the game 3:39 into the second period when Keith Ballard received the puck in the slot for a wide-open shot that beat Montoya, who was down on the ice to stop a wrap-around attempt by Minnesota's Thomas Vanek. Vanek's attempt caromed off Montoya's stick and right to Ballard for the uncontested shot.
Minnesota continued to pressure the Wolverines, but Michigan held its own and responded less than three minutes later when sophomore forward Dwight Helminen (Brighton, Mich.) beat Weber on his glove side during a Minnesota power play. Helminen was set up by senior defenseman Mike Roemensky (White Lake, Mich.), who found Helminen from behind the Michigan net, creating an odd-man rush up the ice for his third shorthanded goal of the year. Minnesota outshot the Wolverines 16-7 in the stanza, with Montoya making 15 saves, most from the slot area, to tie his season high for a period.
The Wolverines took the play to Minnesota in the first half of the third period, applying pressure in the Minnesota zone before the Gophers began a late-period rush and peppered Montoya with shots. The Wolverines ended the period outshooting the Gophers 14-11, with Montoya stopping all 11 shots he faced in the frame to remain unbeaten on the road (3-0-1) for the season.
The Wolverines sealed the game when Minnesota forward Dan Welch sent a pass out to the slot, which was missed by its intended receiver and sailed down the ice into an empty net. Sophomore defenseman Brandon Rogers (Rochester, N.H.) was credited with the goal, as he was the last Wolverine to touch the puck.
The Wolverines finished the game 1-for-2 on the power play and killed all four of Minnesota's chances, marking the seventh straight game the penalty-killing unit has been perfect.
Michigan will conclude the first half of the 2002-03 campaign next weekend, traveling to Marquette, Mich., for a two-game CCHA series with the Northern Michigan Wildcats on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 6-7. Opening faceoff is slated for 7:05 p.m. on both nights at the Berry Events Center on the NMU campus. Following the series, the Wolverines will take a 20-day break before resuming action on Dec. 28-29 at the 38th annual Great Lakes Invitational at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
Q U O T E S
Head Coach Red Berenson
On the game ... "This was probably the best team we've played so far and probably the most hostile environment we've played in. I think it's the biggest accomplishment, in terms of a win, that we've had this year. All aspects of the game were a challenge for us. Stopping their power play was huge and trying to contain their offensive defensemen and trying to contain their No. 1 line, so that was a great accomplishment. This is a good experience for our team, particularly our younger players and our young goalie, to be able to play in environments like this and feel good about it."
On Michigan goaltender Al Montoya ... "He was definitely a factor in the game. This team can score goals and he had to make some big saves against some skilled players, and he showed that he can do that."
On the Mariucci/Renfrew Coaches' Trophy returning to Ann Arbor ... "It's good. I told Don Lucia (Minnesota's head coach) that we're not going to give it up easily, but it's a nice acknowledgement of the two programs and the history of the rivalry and the coaches that have been involved in that over the years, and we feel it's good. It's like the Little Brown Jug, it's ours for a year and hopefully we'll keep it longer."
On sweeping the games in the College Hockey Showcase ... "It feels great. This was a big challenge for our team. We hadn't really played as good a team on the road as we did these two teams and this was a huge challenge for our team. To win the game (at Wisconsin) on Friday was obviously important, but to be able to win this game today against this team was special. This was a good confidence-builder for our team."
Contact: Paul Thomas (734) 763-4423
