Michigan
10-5-1, 6-3-1CCHA
Nebraska-Omaha
9-7-0, 5-6-0CCHA
Seniors Help Michigan Take Down Mavericks, Halt Skid
12/9/2005 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team downed the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks 4-2 in a physical game Friday night (Dec. 9) at Yost Ice Arena. Seniors Andrew Ebbett (Vernon, B.C.) and Brandon Kaleniecki (Livonia, Mich.) each netted a goal and added two assists to help the Wolverines snap a four-game losing streak. Freshman Travis Turnbull (Chesterfield, Mo.) earned the game-winning marker at 6:05 of the second period, and goaltender Billy Sauer (Walworth, N.Y.) made 27 saves for his seventh career victory.
Michigan earned the first power play of the contest just 1:26 in. T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.) nearly netted the first marker of the game on a pass from the high slot to the low slot on the rush, but Mavericks' goaltender Jerad Kaufmann flashed the pad on Hensick's low shot.
Just following a Mavericks power play, Sauer put on a show of his own, making three saves in a flurry in front of the Michigan net. That joy was short-lived, however, as Mavericks forward Adam Bartholomay poked the fourth attempt through the five hole at 6:27 to move the score to 1-0.
U-M earned the next power-play opportunity and gained a 5-on-3 advantage at 10:13. Turnbull had Michigan's best chance on the two-man advantage as he received a pass down low near the left post but slid the shot wide. Kaleniecki then banged a shot just wide off a goal-mouth pass. Just following the end of the two-man advantage at 11:48, Mark Mitera (Livonia, Mich.) sent a pass to the point to Ebbett, who then sent a soft shot toward the net that Kaleniecki tipped past Kaufmann to even the score at 1-1.
Michigan took its first lead of the game at 17:31 on Jason Dest's (Fraser, Mich.) shorthanded marker. Kaleniecki banked the puck off the glass out of the defensive zone, and Ebbett raced to the loose puck. Ebbett dropped pass to the trailing Dest, who fired one high to the glove side from the slot past Kaufmann to put Michigan up 2-1.
Nebraska-Omaha created two good scoring chances in the final minutes. Sauer came up big on the first chance, stoning Brandon Scero on an up-ice rush. Mavericks forward Bryan Marshall then rang one off the crossbar with 30 seconds remaining, and the Wolverines went into the first intermission up 2-1.
The pace slowed considerably to start the second period with the first scoring chance coming six minutes in to give Michigan a 3-1 advantage. Tim Miller (Davisburg, Mich.) carried the puck down the left circle and released a pass to Andrew Cogliano (Woodbridge, Ontario) behind the goal just before getting hit. Cogliano threw a blind pass under two UNO defenders to the slot to Turnbull, who fired it into the open left side of the net at 6:05 to give the Wolverines a 3-1 lead.
Michigan carried play following the goal, with the best opportunity coming on a shot by Kaleniecki that sailed just high of the post from the top of the left circle. The two teams exchanged chances on the rush minutes later. Cogliano raced to an open puck on a partial break but elected to drop a pass to Miller. The puck hit the skate of the defender and sent Nebraska-Omaha on an odd-man rush the other way. Sauer saved the day with a left-pad save to hold the two-goal lead.
The remainder of the period featured no power plays as the two teams held one another in check. Nebraska-Omaha created the best scoring chance with just under two minutes left, but Sauer stoned a chance in close. The Wolverines found themselves with a 3-1 lead heading into the final period.
Nebraska-Omaha cut the lead to 3-2 at 3:02 of the third period. Following a tip wide by Mick Lawrence, Bill Bargon gathered the puck behind the net and fed it to Scero, who slid the puck to the point to Rob Chappell. Chappell flipped an innocent shot toward the net that deflected off a Michigan defender and glanced off Sauer's shoulder into the net.
The Mavericks earned the first power play in two periods at 4:39. The Mavericks fired a few shots wide as the Wolverines kept the power play in check with their fifth penalty kill of the game to savor the lead.
Michigan's first scoring chance came when Turnbull found himself alone in the slot, but his shot rang off the iron and over the net. Nebraska-Omaha came right back, generating several good chances in close, but Sauer stood tall to preserve the one-goal lead.
Ebbett nearly doubled Michigan's lead on a 2-on-1 break opposite Jason Bailey (Nepean, Ontario). Bailey raced down the left side of the ice and feathered a pass to Ebbett alone above the crease, but Kaufmann stretched out and stoned the shot.
Nebraska-Omaha appeared to tie the game on a goal-mouth scramble, but Sauer held his ground and smothered the puck to stop play before the puck crossed the line. With less than a minute to play, Mavericks' forward Bill Thomas skated between two Michigan defenders and one-handed a puck that Sauer kicked away.
Michigan iced the 4-2 win on an Ebbett empty-netter with 26 seconds to play at 19:34. Kaleneicki fought for possession at center ice and tipped the puck to Ebbett, who fired the shot from the center ice faceoff dot into the gaping net.
The Wolverines finish off the first half of their 2005-06 season tomorrow night (Saturday, Dec. 10) when Nebraska-Omaha again visits Yost Ice Arena for a 7:35 p.m. faceoff.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
