2003-04 IHM vs. Boston College -- Postgame Quotes
12/27/2003 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Michigan Head Coach Red Berenson
On the game ... "We knew Boston College was a great team and they played well. They played hard and were always on the offensive. I thought our team played a pretty good game for the most part. Noah Ruden gave us a chance. In a 1-0 game in the third period, it is anyone's game. Special teams was obviously a factor in the game. We gave up a four-on-three goal and a shorthanded goal. They were a good team and we couldn't quite reach the mark in the third period."
On measuring up with Boston College ... "I can't tell you were on the same level with them. I think our team is hopefully going to be a better team as the season progresses. Boston College has been a good team all year. I can't tell you we have been all year. We're probably as good as our record right now."
On missing players due to the World Junior Championships ... "I don't think there are any excuses. Both teams were off and you don't know what you are going to get back on Christmas day. Sometimes you don't jell or click as quickly. We played hard. We were in the game and had a chance to win it, but we didn't win it. Did we play well enough to win Probably not. We'll have to play better to have a chance to beat a team like that."
U-M Junior Forward Eric Nystrom
On the shorthanded goal and special teams play ... "My (power play) unit, especially, wasn't clicking today. A lot of the time we weren't even in the zone, they had us hemmed in our zone. Their backchecking got them a three-on-two, I don't know how many times we've done that in practice, and they really capitalized on a shorthanded chance. That was a big point in the game. It was our chance to tie the game up. Instead they scored the goal and took the air right out of us."
On generating quality chances ... "We had some good chances. I had a wide-open net and hit the side of the net. Brandon Kaleniecki had a great play driving to the net. They were there and they could have been timely goals, but we didn't score them. That is the point of the game, to put the puck in the net, and we didn't do that tonight."
On the play of Noah Ruden in goal ... "Ruden is in a tough spot. We were trying our best to play good defense and the goals they scored were on defensive breakdowns. He was back there making the saves he needed to make. The plays they made were from somebody missing their man or someone not picked up in the crease. Nine of 10 times they're going to score on those point-blank chances. With guys like (Al) Montoya and (Matt) Hunwick out of the game, you've got to play even better defense. The way Noah played, I don't think anyone else in net could have saved their chances either."
U-M Sophomore Goaltender Noah Ruden
On the experience of his first start in goal ... "It's always a good experience to play against top competition like Boston College and in Joe Louis. But it is always a better experience when you can win. Individually, what it was like for me wasn't as good because we couldn't pull it out. Tomorrow hopefully I'll have a better experience with a win."
On the game ... "We knew Boston College was a great team and they played well. They played hard and were always on the offensive. I thought our team played a pretty good game for the most part. Noah Ruden gave us a chance. In a 1-0 game in the third period, it is anyone's game. Special teams was obviously a factor in the game. We gave up a four-on-three goal and a shorthanded goal. They were a good team and we couldn't quite reach the mark in the third period."
On measuring up with Boston College ... "I can't tell you were on the same level with them. I think our team is hopefully going to be a better team as the season progresses. Boston College has been a good team all year. I can't tell you we have been all year. We're probably as good as our record right now."
On missing players due to the World Junior Championships ... "I don't think there are any excuses. Both teams were off and you don't know what you are going to get back on Christmas day. Sometimes you don't jell or click as quickly. We played hard. We were in the game and had a chance to win it, but we didn't win it. Did we play well enough to win Probably not. We'll have to play better to have a chance to beat a team like that."
U-M Junior Forward Eric Nystrom
On the shorthanded goal and special teams play ... "My (power play) unit, especially, wasn't clicking today. A lot of the time we weren't even in the zone, they had us hemmed in our zone. Their backchecking got them a three-on-two, I don't know how many times we've done that in practice, and they really capitalized on a shorthanded chance. That was a big point in the game. It was our chance to tie the game up. Instead they scored the goal and took the air right out of us."
On generating quality chances ... "We had some good chances. I had a wide-open net and hit the side of the net. Brandon Kaleniecki had a great play driving to the net. They were there and they could have been timely goals, but we didn't score them. That is the point of the game, to put the puck in the net, and we didn't do that tonight."
On the play of Noah Ruden in goal ... "Ruden is in a tough spot. We were trying our best to play good defense and the goals they scored were on defensive breakdowns. He was back there making the saves he needed to make. The plays they made were from somebody missing their man or someone not picked up in the crease. Nine of 10 times they're going to score on those point-blank chances. With guys like (Al) Montoya and (Matt) Hunwick out of the game, you've got to play even better defense. The way Noah played, I don't think anyone else in net could have saved their chances either."
U-M Sophomore Goaltender Noah Ruden
On the experience of his first start in goal ... "It's always a good experience to play against top competition like Boston College and in Joe Louis. But it is always a better experience when you can win. Individually, what it was like for me wasn't as good because we couldn't pull it out. Tomorrow hopefully I'll have a better experience with a win."
Players Mentioned
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