Michigan
14-8-0, 9-5-0CCHA
Bowling Green
5-17-1, 3-12-0CCHA
Wolverines Come Out Flying to Shut Out Falcons
1/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 13-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team shut out the Bowling Green Falcons 5-0 on Tuesday (Jan. 9). Billy Sauer (Walworth, N.Y.) stopped all 22 shots directed his way, while both David Rohlfs (Northville, Mich.) and Chad Kolarik (Abington, Pa.) chipped in a pair of goals in the winning effort. The victory vaulted the Wolverines from sixth place into third in the CCHA standings. U-M thwarted nine Falcon power plays, including five in the third period.
Michigan kicked off the scoring early, converting its first power-play opportunity of the night. After Kai Kantola was whistled for tripping at 1:27, the Wolverines cycled the puck through the zone before it found Matt Hunwick's (Sterling Heights, Mich.) stick. Hunwick fired the puck cross-ice to T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.) waiting just above the left face off circle. Hensick lined a shot toward Jimmy Spratt, but the attempt was redirected in front of the net by Kolarik. The man-advantage tally, Kolarik's 13th goal of the season and 100th career point, put U-M up 1-0 at 2:43 of the opening stanza.
Bowling Green was given a pair of power-play chances midway through the period, but a stingy Michigan defense prevented the Falcons from registering a single shot on goal while the Maize and Blue posted four of its own.
Coming out of the penalty box, Russ Sinkewich had the best scoring chance for Bowling Green. The defenseman skated in alone on Sauer, but Hunwick wrapped up Sinkewich from behind to not allow him to get a shot on goal.
The Wolverines continued to pressure the Falcons when David Rohlfs (Northville, Mich.) nearly put the team up by a pair of goals. Tim Miller (Davisburg, Mich.) slid the puck up to Rohlfs, who ripped a shot that beat Spratt glove side. Unfortunately, the shot pinged off the crossbar at 2:04 to deny Rohlfs the tally.
Bowling Green's only shot of the period came from the neutral zone at 18:19. After 20 minutes of play, Michigan outshot BGSU by a 13-1 margin.
A failed clearing attempt allowed Michigan to push its lead to 2-0 at 1:53 of the middle session. Rohlfs grabbed the dribbling puck and threw a slap shot in the direction of the BGSU netminder that fooled Spratt for Rohlfs' 11th goal of the season.
U-M extended its lead to three goals on a bang-bang play in front of the net. Travis Turnbull (Chesterfield, Mo.) tipped the puck from along the boards to Kevin Porter (Northville, Mich.) in the slot. Porter relayed the puck to Hensick behind the goal line, and the senior center dished it back to Porter. The give-and-go play netted Porter his team-leading 15th goal of the season at 8:42.
Kolarik's second goal of the night at 2:19 of the third period put the Maize and Blue up by a 4-0 margin. Jason Dest (Fraser, Mich.) slipped the puck up ice to Andrew Cogliano (Woodbridge, Ontario) streaking through center ice. Cogliano laced a pass to Kolarik, who elected to keep the puck and rifled a shot in on Spratt. The near-side shot beat the BGSU goalie over his glove for the shorthanded marker.
The Wolverines' lead was propelled to five goals on Rohlfs' 12th goal of the season -- and second of the night -- at 8:05. Dest hit Rohlfs in stride at the blue line, and Rohlfs split the Bowling Green defense before lofting a shot that beat Spratt. Chris Summers (Milan, Mich.) also assisted on the play.
Michigan will host Northern Michigan this weekend, starting with Friday's game at 7:35 p.m. The game will be televised on Comcast Local. Saturday's game will close out U-M's lone series with the Wildcats and is scheduled to begin at 7:35 p.m.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
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