Michigan
26-9-3
Bowling Green
8-25-3
Michigan Sweeps Falcons, Earns Spot in CCHA Super 6
3/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Yost Ice Arena)
Event: CCHA Tournament First Round
Score: #7 Michigan 4, Bowling Green 3
Records: U-M (26-9-3), BGSU (8-25-3)
Attendance: 6,811
Next U-M Event: Friday, March 21 -- Semifinals at CCHA Tournament (Detroit, Mich.)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 7 University of Michigan ice hockey team completed its two-game playoff sweep of Bowling Green on Saturday (March 15) with a 4-3 victory to earn a spot in the CCHA Super 6. U-M took a 3-1 lead after the first period and scored an empty-net goal late in the third period but had to stay sharp until the end as the Falcons scored two times in the final 1:09 of the game.
Sophomore forward Milan Gajic (Burnaby, B.C.) picked up a goal and an assist, while sophomore defenseman Brandon Rogers (Rochester, N.H.) added two assists to lead the Wolverines on the scoresheet. Freshman goalie Al Montoya (Glenview, Ill.) made 28 saves in the Michigan net.
The Wolverines took a very early penalty just 32 seconds into the game when senior forward Jed Ortmeyer (Omaha, Neb.) ran over goalie Tyler Masters behind the net on a dump-in. Michigan's defense pressed Bowling Green hard and did not allow a single shot on goal throughout the two minutes.
One minute later U-M earned a power play at 3:25. The Wolverines precisely passed the puck throughout the Falcons' zone until Ortmeyer converted on a perfectly executed one-timer from the left faceoff dot. Senior forward John Shouneyia (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) skated with the puck from the left side of the ice toward freshman forward Jeff Tambellini (Port Moody, B.C.) at the point. After Tambellini faked a pass, two BGSU defenders followed him, allowing Shouneyia to skate down through the slot and feed a wide-open Ortmeyer for the slap shot.
Minutes later, Michigan had a chance to push its lead to two on a two-on-one but freshman forward Brandon Kaleniecki's (Livonia, Mich.) shot sailed high over the crossbar. Instead, it was BGSU that notched the next score and tied the game at 7:08 on a marker by Brett Pilkington. After initially fanning on a shot near the lower left circle, Pilkington recovered and sent a blind backhanded shot past a surprised Montoya.
Michigan had another two-on-one just afterward but Masters stacked the pads and snared Ortmeyer's wrist shot with his trapper. The Wolverines looked to regain the lead as a penalty at 8:15 gave them their second chance on the man advantage, however, U-M could not capitalize.
With 4:51 remaining, U-M picked up its third power play of the period and promptly converted on it at 16:45 to retake the lead, 2-1. Gajic earned the goal while he was camped out at the left edge of the crease. Freshman forward Andrew Ebbett's (Vernon, B.C.) pass from behind the right of the goal was slightly deflected but still found its way to Gajic's stick for the tally.
Sophomore forward David Moss (Dearborn, Mich.) wrapped up the first-period scoring at the 18:57 mark. Following a turnover in the BGSU zone, Gajic gained control of the puck in the left corner. Alertly, he dropped a pass to Moss a few feet behind him. Moss then drove to the net, deked the goalie and three defenders and proceeded to the far post, where he fired the shot into the open net. The Wolverines outshot the Falcons 16-6 in the first 20 minutes of play.
Michigan began the second period with a power play as a result of a scrum at the end of the first stanza. U-M struggled to produce any earnest scoring chances as the score remained 3-1. The rest of the first half of the frame was fairly even as Michigan and Bowling Green went back and forth attempting rushes.
The Falcons got their second power play of the night midway through the period at 9:33. The Wolverines successfully killed the penalty and nearly scored shorthanded, but sophomore forward Dwight Helminen's (Brighton, Mich.) shot on a breakaway was denied by Masters' left pad. BGSU and U-M then traded power play opportunities beginning at 12:30, though neither team could put the puck into the net and the period ended without a change in score, 3-1.
Montoya made a tough save just 90 seconds into the third period when Tyler Knight received a pass alone in front of the Michigan goal. Montoya bit on Knight's fake but was still able to prevent a score with his outstretched legs.
Michigan dodged another Bowling Green chance inside of 14 minutes to play when a rebound bounced over the stick of a Falcons forward just outside of the crease with Montoya down. BGSU received two minutes of power-play time at 6:47 but could not sneak the puck past the Michigan defense.
From the midway point of the period on, Michigan clamped down defensively and Montoya made a few key plays by poking the puck out of harm's way and denying BGSU shots. Helminen scored an empty-net goal with 1:20 left in the game to make the score 4-1, but the Falcons quickly answered 11 seconds later to make it 4-2. With its goalie pulled, the Falcons scored yet again with 12 seconds remaining. Montoya made a glove save on a desperation shot with five seconds left to secure the 4-3 Michigan victory.
Michigan moves onto the CCHA Super Six at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich. The Wolverines receive a bye into the semifinals and will play either Ohio State, Michigan State or Northern Michigan on Saturday (March 22) at 7:30 p.m.
Contact: Paul Thomas (734) 763-4423
