Michigan
30-7-3
Ohio State
27-10-4
Gajic Nets Pair as U-M Wins CCHA Tournament Crown
3/19/2005 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
DETROIT, Mich. -- The No. 4-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team won the CCHA Championship by a score of 4-2 over No. 10 Ohio State on Saturday (March 19) at Joe Louis Arena. The Wolverines have seven CCHA Tournament championships and three in the last four years. Michigan has won double CCHA championships in the regular season and postseason five times. Also, the victory clinches the Maize and Blue a spot in the NCAA Tournament for an NCAA-record 15th consecutive season.
Milan Gajic (Burnaby, B.C.) scored the first two goals for the Maize and Blue, both coming on the power play. Jeff Tambellini (Port Moody, B.C.) scored the game-winning goal, his team-leading fifth of the season and third in four games. Tambellini was also awarded the CCHA Tournament's Bill Beagan Trophy as the Most Valuable Player.
The game featured the CCHA's top-ranked power play from Michigan and the league's best penalty kill from Ohio State. Special teams were the key to the game as Michigan was 2-for-10 on the power play while stopping the Buckeyes on all seven of their power plays.
U-M's power play took to the ice just 2:04 into the first period when OSU received a penalty. The Buckeyes' penalty kill could not keep U-M off the scoreboard as Gajic ripped a one-timer past Dave Caruso from the left circle at 2:54. Brandon Rogers (Rochester, N.H.) and Matt Hunwick (Sterling Heights, Mich.) got the assists by making two quick passes to move the puck from the right point around the top of the zone to Gajic to give Michigan a quick 1-0 lead.
Ohio State picked up its first power play of the game shortly after, but the Michigan penalty killers successfully turned aside the Buckeye chances. Michigan had back-to-back power plays just seconds apart during the middle of the first frame but could not widen its lead despite a number of quality scoring chances.
With the Buckeyes on their second power play, Montoya made an attempt to clear the puck himself from the U-M zone. The puck was intercepted in the air by Rod Pelley, who then quickly fired a shot on net. Montoya made the initial stop and then came up big with a sprawling save to stifle Domenic Maiani on the doorstep. Off the ensuing faceoff, Montoya notched another quality stop on Dan Knapp from the left point.
After U-M failed to score on the power play late in the period, Montoya stoned Pelley again. This time, Pelley was denied when he tried to stuff a deflected pass in the slot past Montoya. After 20 minutes, the Buckeyes held a 12-11 shooting advantage. U-M was 1-for-4 on the power play and OSU was 0-for-3.
At 5:32 of the second period Ohio State evened the score at 1-1. Breaking into the U-M zone, OSU had a shot blocked just inside the blue line. The puck deflected back to Maiani, who flipped a shot at Montoya. The rebound popped out to the left circle for Tom Fritsche to backhand into the Michigan goal.
Awarded a power play 30 seconds later, Michigan took advantage of the situation on Gajic's second tally of the night. Rogers' point shot hit Brandon Kaleniecki's (Livonia, Mich.) skate near the crease and went directly to Gajic for an easy tap-in at 6:46.
Just 11 seconds later though the Buckeyes tied the game again thanks to a lucky bounce. JB Bittner threw the puck out front from the right corner and the pass banked off Eric Werner's (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) skate and into the Michigan net.
Consecutive penalties on Ohio State delivered a two-man advantage for 49 seconds for the Maize and Blue with less than eight minutes to play in the middle stanza. Michigan could not cash in on the opportunity and subsequently had its final 55 seconds of power-play time washed out by taking a hooking penalty.
Michigan finished the period 1-for-4 on the power play, 2-for-8 overall in the game, after missing out with the man advantage in the final two minutes of the second period. OSU was 0-for-3 in the frame for a 0-for-6 conversion rate for the game.
At 5:27 of the third period the Wolverines regained their lead at 3-2 on a pass by Tambellini that deflected into the OSU net off of a Buckeye defenseman. Seconds before, Tambellini mishandled the puck on a breakaway and never got off a clean shot. Fortunately, OSU chipped the puck to Tambellini into the left corner, where he took control of the puck and fired a pass intended for Kaleniecki into the crease and it ended up in the back of the goal.
OSU goalie Caruso kept the Buckeyes in the game down the stretch, but Montoya matched him save for save to secure the victory. Jason Ryznar (Anchorage, Alaska) added an empty-net tally with one second left.
The 16-team NCAA field, regional assignment and pairings will be announced Sunday (March 20) at 11 a.m. on ESPN2. March 25-26 regionals are the East in Worcester, Mass., and Midwest in Grand Rapids, Mich. March 26-27 regionals are the Northeast in Amherst, Mass., and West in Minneapolis, Minn.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
