Michigan
15-10-3, 10-7-3CCHA
Ohio State
14-11-4, 10-9-2CCHA
Michigan Squanders Three Leads in Loss to Ohio State
2/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team skated to a 7-5 loss against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Friday (Feb. 3). Captain Andrew Ebbett (Vernon, B.C.) chipped in two goals, while Chad Kolarik (Abington, Pa.) extended his point streak to six games, tallying two assists in the losing effort. The Wolverines had leads of 2-1, 3-2 and 4-3 but could not hold on in the third period when they were outscored 4-1.
Ohio State started the scoring early, with the first goal of the night coming just 53 seconds into the first period. A Michigan turnover along the boards gave the Buckeyes the chance they needed. Tom Fritsche scooped up the puck, slid through a pair of Wolverine defenders, and flicked the puck over the shoulder of Billy Sauer (Walworth, N.Y.) for the 1-0 lead.
The Buckeyes continued to put pressure on the Maize and Blue, but the physical play of Michigan defenders stymied their attempts to add to their lead. Dan Knapp picked up the puck after a turnover in the neutral zone and broke into the Michigan zone with two teammates trailing and only Mark Mitera (Livonia, Mich.) to beat on the three-on-one. Mitera wisely laid his body and his stick on the ice to break up the scoring chance.
Later in the period, Kenny Bernard slipped past a Michigan defender and skated into the zone with only Jon Montville (Novi, Mich.) between him and the goal. Montville wrapped up Bernard, and Sauer deflected the puck harmlessly away.
Despite the physical play of the game, the first penalty of the game was not called until 13:57 when Johann Kroll was whistled for obstruction-hooking. The Maize and Blue were unable to capitalize on the man advantage, failing to register a single shot.
The Wolverines outshot Ohio State 14-10 in the opening period.
Michigan came out with the momentum in the middle frame, evening the score at a goal apiece at 4:33. Brandon Kaleniecki (Livonia, Mich.) sent a pass up the middle of the ice to a streaking Kolarik. Kolarik tossed the puck to Ebbett, who stuffed the puck over a sprawling Dave Caruso.
Ebbett gave the Wolverines the lead just 1:35 later, scoring Michigan's seventh shorthanded goal of the season. Kolarik moved the puck up ice to Ebbett, who raced in alone on Caruso. Ebbett's wrister was stopped, but Caruso lost his footing and slid into the net, puck in tow, to give Ebbett his second goal of the night and ninth of the season.
The Maize and Blue was unable to keep its lead for long. Nick Biondo received the cross-ice pass from Nate Guenin and skated in alone on Sauer. Biondo slid the puck through the five hole of the Michigan goaltender to tie the score at 7:53.
The scoring frenzy continued when T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.) took a pass from Kevin Porter (Northville, Mich.) and blew past two Ohio State defenders. He left the puck just inside the right faceoff circle, where Kaleniecki deftly scooped up the puck and put it behind Caruso in the back of the net at 10:40.
The Buckeyes capitalized down low at 11:02, scoring off a series of passes in front of the net. Andrew Schembri put the puck behind Sauer, with Sean Collins and Dan Knapp getting the assists.
Michigan regained its lead at 15:19 of the second, when Jack Johnson scored his sixth goal of the season. Andrew Cogliano (Woodbridge, Ontario) took the puck from David Rohlfs (Northville, Mich.) in the corner and fought to center ice. Cogliano was pulled off the puck, but Johnson picked it up inside the blue line and lined a hard shot over the glove of Caruso to give the Wolverines a 4-3 lead at 15:19.
Ohio State scored twice in the first 1:29 of the third period. Schembri took a pass from Matt Waddell off the side boards and streaked in alone on Sauer. Schembri beat Sauer high at 0:47 of the final frame to even the score, 4-4.
Waddell scored 42 seconds later, when his shot from the left wing fooled Sauer and beat him stick side to give Ohio State back the lead since early in the first period. After the Buckeyes took over the lead, Noah Ruden (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) replaced Sauer in the Michigan net.
Rohlfs tied the game, scoring his second marker of the season on a break down the right wing. Porter telegraphed a pass to Rohlfs, who rocketed a shot just below the crossbar and into the net at 6:11.
Ohio State scored its own shorthanded goal at 7:24 to take a 6-5 lead. U-M lost control of the puck in the OSU zone and Bernard went the other way on a two-on-two. On the left wing, he beat Ruden on the far post for the game-winning goal.
A checking-from-behind major called at 16:44 against Jack Johnson (Ann Arbor, Mich.) gave the Buckeyes a man advantage for the remainder of the game. Ruden left the net for an extra attacker with 43 seconds left in the period. Knapp blocked a U-M shot and took the puck end-to-end, scoring an empty-net goal at 19:24 to cement the victory.
The series wraps up on Saturday night with an 8 p.m. puck drop. The game will be broadcast on CSTV.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
