Michigan
24-7-3, 21-3-2CCHA
Notre Dame
5-23-6, 3-18-5CCHA
Tambellini Helps U-M Complete Weekend Sweep of Irish
2/19/2005 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 6-3 tonight (Saturday, Feb. 19) in front of 6,938 fans at Yost Ice Arena. Michigan finished off the sweep with the help of Jeff Tambellini's (Port Moody, B.C) career-high four points (2-2-4) to extend its season-best unbeaten streak to seven games (5-0-2).
The Maize and Blue opened the scoring at 4:55 of the first period. Tambellini slid the puck behind the net, where T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.) quickly backhanded it out front to Kevin Porter (Northville, Mich.) from the left corner. Porter jammed it top-shelf from point-blank range, giving Michigan the early lead.
The Wolverines capitalized again at 12:24 on their first power play of the night. Eric Werner (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) took the first shot, a rocket that Notre Dame goaltender deflected to his right. Tambellini found the rebound and fired it back on goal, beating David Brown five-hole.
Notre Dame retired to the locker room at the close of the first frame down two goals and having been outshot 12-4.
The Fighting Irish wasted little time in the second period, notching their first goal at 0:33. T.J. Jindra controlled the puck into Wolverine territory, weaving past the Michigan defender. Jindra deked Al Montoya (Glenview, Ill.) on the glove side, then pulled the puck back, crossed the crease and backhanded it into the net, bringing Notre Dame within one goal.
A hard-grinding shift paid off for the Wolverines near the 15minute-mark of the second period. David Rohlfs (Northville, Mich.) battled behind the net, and Michael Woodford Jr. (Westford, Mass.) got the puck in front. David Moss (Livonia, Mich.) manuevered around an ND defenseman and flipped the puck above Brown's glove at 14:37, regaining the two-goal lead for Michigan.
ND struck first in the second period and would also strike last, getting on the board again at 19:41. Victor Oreskovich took advantage of U-M's sloppy play in the neutral zone. He wound up and ripped a shot high blocker-side, reducing the deficit to a single goal.
Heading into the second intermission, Michigan held a 21-8 shooting advantage.
Just over a minute into the third period, Porter took a five-minute major for checking from behind. After U-M burned 3:05 of Porter's major, it was assessed another penalty, giving ND a 1:55 two-man advantage. At 15:07, Montoya denied Corey McLean twice while under pressure down low. Montoya completed a final glove save in waning seconds of the two-man advantage, defending Michigan's teetering one-goal lead.
U-M gave itself some breathing room at 12:59, as the power-play unit struck, edging Michigan's lead to 4-2. Werner moved the puck laterally to Tambellini, who took his shot at Brown. The loose puck bounced to Andrew Ebbett (Vernon, B.C.), and he knocked it over the goal line.
With less than two minutes to go in the contest, Tambellini used finesse from a tough angle to find space high stick side on Brown while streaking down the right wing. Nineteen seconds later, Matt Amado flew over the blue line into Wolverine territory and beat Montoya at 18:29. Moss closed the door at 19:44 with an empty-netter, handing the Irish a 6-3 final score.
U-M will meet the U.S. National Team Development Program's Under-18 Team next Friday (Feb. 26) in an exhibition game. The puck is set to drop at 7:35 p.m. at Yost Ice Arena.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 764-4423
