Michigan
18-5-1, 15-1-0CCHA
Alaska-Fairbanks
6-11-1, 5-10-1CCHA
U-M Streak Reaches a Dozen With Sweep of Nanooks
1/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team completed its weekend sweep of Alaska Fairbanks at Yost Ice Arena on Saturday (Jan. 15) with another 5-2 final. Al Montoya (Glenview, Ill.) stopped 28 of the Nanooks' 30 shots, allowing goals only when Michigan skated a man down on the penalty kill in the final minutes of the game.
| | Hensick has nine goals and seven assists during his eight-game point streak. |
Montoya opened the night looking solid as he denied a breakaway opportunity by Nanook forward Aaron Lee, who found himself heading to the U-M net all alone five minutes into the first period.
The Wolverines finally broke onto the scoreboard at 13:56 with an end-to-end play by Chad Kolarik (Abington, Pa.) and Jeff Tambellini (Port Moody, B.C.). Kolarik stormed the net with the puck and dropped it back to Tambellini, who jammed it between Wylie Rogers' pads.
As the final seconds of the period wasted off the clock, Montoya and U-M's penalty-kill defended the 1-0 lead as a penalty expired.
The rejuvenated Maize and Blue wasted little time tallying its second goal of the contest. Brandon Kaleniecki (Livonia, Mich.) flew down the ice with his sight on the UAF net. David Moss (Livonia, Mich.) and Milan Gajic (Burnaby, B.C.) joined the rush as the play crossed the blue line. Kaleniecki faked a pass then slid the puck to Moss, who quickly fed Gajic. Rogers butterflied too soon, and Gajic roofed the puck top-shelf at 4:22.
The third straight Michigan goal of the night came at 14:58. Alaska native Jason Ryznar (Anchorage, Alaska) blocked Hensick's shot from the point and got the pass out front to Rohlfs, who had nothing but empty net in front of him, as Rogers was down to the right.
Tambellini and Hensick executed a text-book give-and-go to put the game out of reach at 17:45. Hensick found a tight space above the goalie's glove and flipped the puck neatly into it to extend the Wolverines lead to 4-0.
The U-M offense continued to roll as Eric Nystrom (Syosset, N.Y.) netted goal No. 5 just moments later at 18:14. Hunwick sent the puck on net at newly inserted netminder Keith Bartusch. Nystrom recovered the puck and backhanded it past a sprawling Bartusch at 18:14.
The Nanooks slumped to the locker room after the second frame trailing the Wolverines 5-0. Montoya had recorded 19 saves through two periods.
Alaska Fairbanks ruined Montoya's shutout bid at 15:50, when Jared Sylvestre scored off a rebound on the power play. With three seconds remaining and the Nanooks skating two men up, Curtis Fraser added another power-play goal as he capitalized off the tip in front.
The Wolverines will take to the road next weekend (Jan. 21-22) to face the CCHA's second-place team in Ohio State. Faceoff is set at 7:05 p.m. for both games at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
