Michigan
18-13-5,13-10-5CCHA
Ferris State
15-13-8,10-11-7CCHA
Wolverines See Lead Evaporate, Fall to Bulldogs in OT
2/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 12-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team had its Senior Night spoiled by allowing a three-goal lead in the third period to slip away and eventually losing 4-3 in overtime to Ferris State on Saturday (Feb. 25). U-M received goals from three freshmen -- Travis Turnbull (Chesterfield, Mo.), Jack Johnson (Ann Arbor, Mich.) and Andrew Cogliano (Woodbridge, Ontario) -- but it was not enough.
Although U-M lost its regular-season finale, it still held on to earn third place in the final CCHA regular-season standings. Nebraska-Omaha, which trailed Michigan by one point heading into the evening, lost at Northern Michigan.
The game started slowly for Michigan, with its first shot of the game coming at 4:51 in the opening period. Cogliano picked up the puck and flew past a Ferris State defender. He streaked in on Mitch O'Keefe, taking a quick wrister, but the FSU goaltender was able to hang onto the puck.
U-M got its first power-play opportunity of the night when Matt Verdone was whistled for obstruction-hooking at 15:07. The Wolverines were unable to capitalize on the man advantage, registering a pair of shots during the two minutes.
Ferris State was given its own chance on the power play when Johnson was called for contact to the head elbowing at 19:15. Matt Hunwick (Sterling Heights, Mich.) was called for his own penalty just 35 seconds later, giving the Bulldogs the 5-on-3 advantage through the second period.
The initial frame ended with shots on goal even at six apiece and neither team able to generate a quality scoring chance.
Down two skaters to start the second period, Michigan held Ferris State to only one shot on goal during the entire span of its power play.
The Maize and Blue registered its first shot five minutes into the middle frame on a three-on-two breakaway. T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.) skated in with Kevin Porter (Northville, Mich.) on his left and Cogliano trailing to his right. Hensick fed it to Porter, who slapped the puck into O'Keefe's chest.
Michigan broke onto the scoreboard with a goal by Turnbull at 6:35. David Rohlfs (Northville, Mich.) took the puck behind the goal line and quickly routed it to Tim Miller (Davisburg, Mich.) on the opposite side of the net. Miller flicked it to Turnbull stationed alone in front on the crease, and Turnbull banged it home for his eighth goal of the season to give U-M a 1-0 lead.
The Wolverines added to their lead at 17:24. Andrew Ebbett (Vernon, B.C.) gained the zone and dropped a pass back to Brandon Kaleniecki (Livonia, Mich.) in the left faceoff circle. Kaleniecki relayed it back to Ebbett deep in the FSU zone. Ebbett flipped the puck in front of the net to Johnson, who shot it over O'Keefe's shoulder to extend the lead to 2-0.
After both teams were assessed offsetting minors late in the second, Michigan was able to widen its lead to 3-0. Hensick received a pass from Porter behind the net and chipped it out into the slot. There waiting was Cogliano, just outside the goal crease, and he shot the puck over the FSU goalie's glove at 19:32 to end his nine-game goal drought.
Although Michigan outscored Ferris State 3-0, it was outshot in the second period by a 10-8 margin.
Ferris State was finally able to break onto the scoreboard at 3:04 of the final period. Zac Pearson took the puck above the faceoff circle and directed the puck up-ice to Mark Bomersback. The shot caught Billy Sauer (Walworth, N.Y.) off-guard and Bomersback was able to slip the puck through Sauer's five-hole to make the score 3-1.
The Bulldogs kept their momentum alive when Corey Couturier scored immediately after a faceoff in the U-M zone. Dan Riedel won the faceoff and sent the puck back to Couturier in the slot, where he was able to put the puck through Sauer's legs to close the gap to 3-2 at 6:38.
FSU evened the game at 15:21 when Sauer was again beaten five-hole by a hard slap shot by Matt Frank. Joe Van Culin fed the puck to Frank before Frank let his shot fly from the top of the slot.
Both teams tried to win the game in the waning minutes, but regulation ended with the score deadlocked at 3-3.
In the overtime stanza, Ferris State put the game away at 48 seconds on its fourth unanswered goal of the night. Greg Rallo passed the puck to Bomersback, who redirected it to Pearson. Pearson took a hard shot from the right faceoff circle and beat Sauer low for the 4-3 overtime victory.
Michigan has earned a bye into the quarterfinal round of the CCHA Tournament and will be off the weekend of March 3-5. As the No. 3 seed, U-M will host the reseeded No. 6 team in a best-of-three series March 10-12 at Yost Ice Arena.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
