Michigan
24-9-1, 18-7-1
Michigan State
19-13-2, 15-10-1
Wolverines Nip Michigan State for Berenson's 500th Win
3/1/2003 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Site: Detroit, Mich. (Joe Louis Arena)
Score: #8 Michigan 5, Michigan State 4
Records: U-M (24-9-1, 18-7-1 CCHA), MSU (19-13-2, 15-10-1 CCHA)
Attendance: 20,058
Next U-M Event: Friday, March 7 -- at Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio), 7:05 p.m.
DETROIT, Mich. -- The No. 8 University of Michigan ice hockey team triumphed over Michigan State, 5-4, on Saturday (March 1) at Joe Louis Arena, giving head coach Red Berenson his 500th career victory as the boss of the Maize and Blue. Senior forward John Shouneyia (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) led the Wolverines with three points on one goal and two assists to tie a career high for points. Michigan gave up two shorthanded and two power-play goals to MSU, yet it still managed to outscore the Spartans 4-1 over a 25-minute stretch in the second and third periods.
Michigan State garnered the first power play of the contest at 2:17 when U-M took a charging call. MSU converted on the man advantage as a point shot by John-Michael Liles at 3:43 found its way through traffic and trickled over the goal line before freshman goalie Al Montoya (Glenview, Ill.) could pull it back with his glove. Michigan tied the game at 5:07, though, when sophomore forward Jason Ryznar (Anchorage, Alaska) hammered home a pass from freshman defender Danny Richmond (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) amidst a pack of players in the slot.
Midway through the period, MSU got a two-on-one opportunity after a bouncing puck eluded a U-M defender at the Michigan State blue line. Senior defenseman Mike Roemensky (White Lake, Mich.) forced the two Spartans wide of the goal and a late crossing pass from the left side slid untouched through the slot, ending the chance.
The Wolverines picked up their first power play with just over six minutes remaining in the period as MSU was whistled for checking from behind. It was Michigan State that scored shorthanded, however, as Lee Falardeau skated around Richmond in the right faceoff circle and sent a backhand shot through the legs of Montoya for a 2-1 lead at 15:18.
The Wolverines came right back to tie the game, 2-2, by scoring just 23 seconds into the second period. Shouneyia took control of the puck in between the lower left circle and the goal line and slid it to streaking senior forward Jed Ortmeyer (Omaha, Neb.), who found his way through two MSU players and knocked the puck through the legs of Matt Migliaccio.
The Maize and Blue found the back of net again just two and a half minutes later on a blast from the high slot by Roemensky to give Michigan its first lead of the game at 3-2. Shouneyia earned the primary assist by feeding the puck from behind the MSU goal to open ice in front where Roemensky pinched in to take the shot.
Michigan State tied the game at 3-3 on its second shorthanded goal of the game at the 9:04 mark. Following a turnover at the MSU blue line, the Spartans had a three-on-two that turned into a two-on-one. Tim Hearon slid a pass from the right circle to Troy Ferguson for a one-timer that beat Montoya between his pads. Two minutes later, MSU's Ash Goldie snuck behind the U-M defense to earn a breakaway, but the left pad of Montoya denied him. Montoya was then forced to make a glove save seconds later to end the Spartans' flurry.
Michigan had two excellent chances on a power play that began at 12:30 but was unable to regain the lead. Sophomore forward David Moss (Dearborn, Mich.) took a slap shot from the left circle that was saved by Migliaccio, and then an MSU defender who was in the crease saved freshman forward Brandon Kaleniecki's (Livonia, Mich.) rebound chance from between the circles.
The Wolverines received another chance on the power play at 17:15 and quickly cashed in on it 25 seconds later to regain a 4-3 lead. Freshman forward Jeff Tambellini (Port Moody, Mich.) sent a slapper toward the net from the blue line that was deflected by sophomore forward Eric Nystrom (Syosset, N.Y.) directly to the stick of Shouneyia, who was positioned on the lower edge of the left circle. Shouneyia then roofed the puck past the out-of-position goalie.
Michigan State began the third period with a power play as a result of a scrum at the end of the second period. The Wolverines held the Spartans to two shots during the successful penalty kill.
Kaleniecki extended the Michigan lead to 5-3 at 4:18 when he took a centering pass from freshman forward Andrew Ebbett (Vernon, B.C.), spun around and fired the puck past Migliaccio. Ebbett ripped a slap shot while skating in along the left boards and, after the initial save, he recovered the bouncing puck to the left of the net and sent it in the direction of a wide-open Kaleniecki between the hash marks.
MSU earned two minutes on the man advantage at 5:37 and turned it into a goal when a light shot by Goldie above the tops of the circles deflected off of Montoya's trapper, hit the crossbar and dropped into the net to make it a 5-4 affair at 6:22.
Over the next 10 minutes, the Wolverines and Spartans exchanged quality rushes and shots on goal, but neither team could capitalize on its scoring prospects. Michigan circled throughout the MSU zone for nearly 60 seconds inside the five-minute mark but could only test the goalie on one occasion.
Michigan State pulled its goalie with 1:29 left and a faceoff in the Michigan zone, but a hand pass forced a faceoff to move back to neutral ice. The Wolverines pressured MSU hard in the final minute and prevented any shots reaching Montoya to preserve the win.
U-M will conclude its regular season next weekend as it travels to Columbus, Ohio, to face Ohio State on Friday and Saturday (March 7-8). Friday night's 7:05 p.m. game will air on College Sports Television, and Saturday's 8:05 p.m. contest will be televised by Fox Sports Net Detroit.
Q U O T E S
U-M Head Coach Red Berenson
On his 500th career win ... "I'm still lamenting the fact that we didn't win last night, and not because of the 500 business but because these are big games and we lost a home game last night. We had to bounce back with a better game tonight and I thought we did that. If it's 500, then you guys (the media) have made a pretty big thing about it, and you know me, it's not a big thing until it's all over. We've still got some work to do to have a good season."
On achieving his 500th win against Michigan State ... "It makes it a credible win. I'm sure there are wins back there that weren't that credible. I told our players that I can't score goals and I can't stop the puck, but we can at least try and bring good players into our program and mold them into good teams and I think that's why we're standing here tonight."
N O T E S
• Head Coach Red Berenson earned his 500th career win at Michigan. Berenson is now 14th on the career wins list and trails John Kelley (Boston College, 1932-72), who is in 13th place, by just one win.
• Michigan last allowed a shorthanded goal Feb. 8, 2003, against Northern Michigan.
• Jeff Tambellini's two assists were his first in six games. In the last seven games, Tambellini has a 6-3-9 line.
• Jason Ryznar, who notched a goal, has four points (2-2-4) in his last four games, while David Moss recorded his first assist in six games.
• John Shouneyia tied a career high for points in a game with a 1-2-3 line. It is the eighth time Shouneyia has had three points in a game in his career. Shouneyia leads the Wolverines with 23 assists.
• Danny Richmond picked up his third helper in three games to continue to lead all U-M defenders in assists (17) and points (3-17-20).
• Mike Roemensky scored the second goal of his career. His first ever tally came 31 games ago against Merrimack, U-M's third game of this season.
• Brandon Kaleniecki moved back into a tie for second on the team in goals scored with 12. His one marker tonight ties him with Davis Moss.
Contact: Paul Thomas (734) 763-4423
