Michigan
3-1-0, 1-1-0CCHA
Miami (Ohio)
4-2-0, 1-1-0CCHA
Michigan Drops Series Finale to RedHawks
10/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 5-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team fell to No. 9 Miami, 4-1, on Friday night (Oct. 20). The loss ended U-M's 20-game home winning streak against the RedHawks. Miami's last win at Yost Ice Arena was on Nov. 18, 1994 (4-3). Sophomore defenseman Jack Johnson's (Ann Arbor, Mich.) tally at 18:25 of the third period avoided the shutout.
Michigan and Miami traded man-advantages in the opening minutes of the game, but neither team was able to capitalize. With U-M on the power play, Billy Sauer (Walworth, N.Y.) made a key save to keep the RedHawks off the scoreboard. A turnover deep in the home end found the stick of Justin Mercier, who roped a shot toward the crease. Sauer tracked the puck the whole way, deflecting it away harmlessly with a kick save midway through the first frame.
Jeff Zatkoff made a highlight-reel save of his own with less than a minute to go in the period. With a 5-on-3 advantage, Michigan cycled the puck around the zone before Andrew Cogliano (Woodbridge, Ontario) wristed a shot in the slot that hit Zatkoff's crest and bounced behind the MU netminder. Johnson was there to stuff the puck home, but Zatkoff quickly recovered and reached behind him to stop the play.
After 20 minutes of play, the game remained scoreless, with Miami outshooting U-M 9-6.
The RedHawks broke the deadlock 38 seconds into the second stanza on a shorthanded tally. Kevin Roeder picked up a loose puck in his own end, relaying a quick pass ahead to Ryan Jones. Jones split the defense, gained the zone, and then blasted a shot on Sauer. The goalie stopped the initial attempt, but the big rebound was scooped up by Nathan Davis, who roofed the puck over a sprawling Sauer for the 1-0 lead.
Miami pulled ahead 2-0 with an Alec Martinez goal at 16:16. Jones dug the puck out of a tie-up behind the goal line, and trickled a pass through to Joe Cooper outside the crease. Cooper tried a shot on goal, but it was blocked by a U-M defenseman back onto the RedHawk's stick. Cooper slid the puck to the point, where Martinez rifled it on net. Sauer, screened by a pair of MU players, did not see the puck until it was nestled in the back of the net.
Chris Summers (Milan, Mich.) was whistled for slashing at 17:46, giving Miami a power-play chance. With the man-advantage, Martinez slapped a shot from just inside the blue line that was knocked aside by Sauer. The U-M goalie then denied Jones' backhand try, but the puck dribbled across the front of the crease. Davis, stationed on the right-side post, stuffed the puck past Sauer for the power-play marker at 18:25. The goal was Davis' second of the contest.
Davis completed his hat trick at 17:33, putting Miami ahead, 4-0. Skating three-on-four, Mitch Ganzak chipped the puck away from a Michigan player into open ice; Davis nabbed it and coasted end-to-end. The alternate captain brought the disk across, in front of Sauer, shooting a slow roller that found its way through the goaltender's five-hole for his second shorthanded marker of the game.
Michigan successfully avoided the shutout when they capitalized on the power play, making the score 4-1. T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.) corralled a Mark Mitera (Livonia, Mich.) feed in the left face-off circle, sliding the puck cross-ice to Johnson, whose one-timer lit the lamp for the Maize and Blue at 18:25.
Michigan will face non-conference opponent Northeastern on Friday and Saturday (Oct. 27-28). Both games are scheduled to begin at 7:35 pm. Saturday's game will be televised by Comcast Local.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
