Michigan
13-5-1, 7-3-1CCHA
Miami (Ohio)
13-7-1, 7-5-1CCHA
Tambellini's Overtime Tally Lifts Wolverines Past Miami
1/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
| | Tambellini's overtime goal is his second game-winner. |
MU had a chance to stretch its lead midway through the period with a two-on-one but Pat Levendusky fired high and wide of Montoya's glove from the slot. Michigan then controlled the puck for the better part of the period with an up-tempo offense that tested Burleigh on five occasions but netted no goals. Senior forward Mark Mink (Livonia, Mich.) provided the best chance as he drove past a stickless defender to the front of the net only to have his low shot turned aside. U-M outshot Miami 10-6 but trailed 1-0 after 20 minutes of play.
Michigan nearly evened the score two minutes into the second stanza when sophomore forward Jason Ryznar (Anchorage, Alaska) blasted a slap shot from the left circle then collected his own rebound and centered the puck from behind the far side of the goal. The puck bounced off an MU player and wound up reaching the goal but the net was ruled to be off before the puck entered it. Seven minutes in, senior forward J.J. Swistak (West Bloomfield, Mich.) redirected a point shot that hit the goalie and remained in the slot but a RedHawk defender tied up Swistak so the defense could clear the puck. Michigan had a few more chances before a power play was awarded to U-M at 7:36 only to be washed out by a Wolverines penalty 43 seconds later.
At 11:53, sophomore forward Milan Gajic (Burnaby, B.C.) tied the game at 1-1 as he benefited from the work of Ryznar, who fought off multiple checks as he carried the puck from the left corner to the front of the net. Gajic picked up the loose puck and slid it around the sprawling goalie from the right side of the crease.
The Maize and Blue took a 2-1 lead less than five minutes later at 15:45 with a tally from freshman forward Brandon Kaleniecki (Livonia, Mich.) that beat the goalie to his stick side. Senior defenseman Andy Burnes (Battle Creek, Mich.) threaded a pass to streaking freshman forward Andrew Ebbett (Vernon, B.C.) at the MU blue line, and he then waited for the odd-man rush in the offensive zone and finally fed Kaleniecki in the left circle when the defender and keeper committed to him. The Wolverines thoroughly dominated play in the second period as they outshot their counterparts 12-3 in the second stanza.
Michigan continued to generate scoring chances in the third period but could not finish on them as Burleigh kept Miami within one score. The RedHawks finally registered a shot a little over seven minutes in after having gone well over 10 minutes without testing Montoya. MU's Matt Medvecz knotted the game the game at two goals apiece thanks to a fortuitous bounce at 10:52. A clearing pass deflected off a U-M player and ended up on the stick of Medvecz for a breakaway at center ice. Medvecz was caught from behind and lost the puck, however, he regained it in front of the net and flipped it over a downed Montoya. Both teams had some scoring chances in the closing minutes but neither goalie was heavily tested, sending the game into overtime.
Tambellini tipped the game's result in favor of the Maize and Blue as he fired the puck under the sliding goalie 2:43 into the overtime session. Ortmeyer made the key play by keeping the puck onside at the blue line as he waited for a Michigan player to check up. He then cruised into the right side of the offensive zone before finding Tambellini uncovered in the slot for the game-winning goal.
Michigan wraps up its season series with Miami on Sunday (Jan. 5) at 5:05 p.m. at Yost Ice Arena.
Contact: Paul Thomas (734) 763-4423
