Michigan
22-8-1, 17-5-1
Bowling Green
9-15-8, 7-12-5
Kaleniecki, Hensick Help Michigan Whip Bowling Green
2/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Despite a combined 94 penalty minutes called in the game, the third-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team earned a 7-3 victory over Bowling Green Friday (Feb. 20) at Yost Ice Arena. Leading the offensive flurry for the Wolverines (22-8-1, 17-5-1 CCHA) were sophomore Brandon Kaleniecki (Livonia, Mich.) and freshman T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.), who each totaled four points in the win.
| | Kaleniecki's second marker gave U-M a four-goal edge early in the third period. |
Michigan jumped out to the early 1-0 lead following a BGSU penalty at 5:43, as sophomore Jeff Tambellini (Port Moody, B.C.) netted his first goal in 17 games at 6:53. Tambellini fired a quick wrister from a near impossible angle just inside the right faceoff circle, which caught junior goalie Jordan Sigalet by surprise as the puck entered the net between the crossbar and his glove hand.
The Wolverines capitalized on their second power play in as many tries as Hensick notched his 11th goal of the season for a 2-0 U-M advantage at 9:18 of the first frame. After corralling a pass from Kaleniecki in the neutral zone, Hensick used a quick deke to move Sigalet before putting the puck under the goalie's blocker from just inside the right circle. Sigalet made the initial save, but the puck continued through and trickled across the goal line for the two-goal U-M advantage.
Bowling Green wasted little time in the second stanza as the Falcons got on the board at 18:36 with a goal off the stick of defenseman Jon Sitko. With U-M facing a delayed penalty and the puck in its own zone, Sitko collected a pass from Brett Pilkington 10 feet inside the blue line and fired a shot on the Michigan goal. The shot appeared to have fooled Montoya as the puck beat the sophomore keeper to his glove side, cutting Michigan's lead to 2-1.
The Wolverines reclaimed their two-goal lead, as Kaleniecki and Hensick reversed roles on a two-on-one that ended with Kaleniecki's 15th goal of the season. Hensick started things off when he poked the puck free at the Michigan blue line and carried it through the BGSU zone along the right side with Kaleniecki to his left. Hensick waited until the last minute and slotted a pass across to Kalenicki just inches in front of the goal mouth for the 3-1 lead at 9:19 of the second period.
Just 1:12 later freshman David Rohlfs (Northville, Mich.) took advantage of a loose puck in front of the Falcon net as he banged home a lefthanded shot from eight feet in front of Sigalet. Junior Eric Werner (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) and freshman Jason Dest (Fraser, Mich.) collected assists on the scoring play after keeping the puck inside the BGSU zone.
The Wolverines made it three unaswered goals to go up 5-1 at 15:18 when junior Dwight Helminen (Brighton, Mich.) sent a wrister to the back of the net for his 11th goal of the season. Helminen carried the puck across the blue line and used a Falcon defender as a screen before he let fly a quick release that nicked the crossbar before it came to rest in Bowling Green's net for the four-goal lead.
Brian Escobedo pulled Bowling Green within three when he sent the puck into an open right side of the net at 3:15 to bring the score to 5-2. Assisting on Escobedo's goal was sophomore Mike Falk.
Kaleniecki notched his second goal of the evening as he beat Sigalet on a clean breakaway one minute into the third period. Hensick collected his third assist of the game, winning the faceoff to junior Milan Gajic (Burnaby, B.C.), who tipped the puck ahead to Kaleniecki. Kaleniecki then raced down the ice, deked at the hash marks and sent a shot past Sigalet for U-M's sixth goal of game and a 6-2 U-M lead.
For a second time in the game, Escobedo cut the score to three just 35 seconds later as he scored from the top of the left faceoff circle. The goal was not immediatley awarded though as the crease was filled with Falcons and Wolverines. Montoya had his glove buried under one of his teammates and was not able to make a clean save on the shot. Following the goal Montoya was called for a 10-minute misconduct and was sent to the penalty box.
With Montoya on in the box, Noah Ruden (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) entered the game and held the Bowling Green offense at bay, making 10 saves in the final 18:25 minutes of action, a number of which came as Bowling Green had an extra-man advantage.
Gajic finally ended the scoring when he banged home a shot at 6:52 following a pair of saves on linemates Hensick and Kaleniecki. The goal was Gajic's 11th of season.
Michigan and Bowling Green complete their two-game weekend affair tomorrow night (Saturday, Feb. 21) at Yost Ice Arena. Following the 7:35 p.m. contest, Michigan will honor its three-member senior class in an on-ice ceremony.
Contact: Andrew Ladd (734) 763-4423
