Michigan
20-4-427-5-4; CCHA
Ferris State
12-12-415-14-5; CCHA
Michigan Drops Regular-Season Finale at Ferris State in OT
3/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Site: Big Rapids, Mich. (Ewigleben Ice Arena)
Score: Ferris State 4, #1 Michigan 3 (OT)
Records: U-M (27-5-4, 20-4-4 CCHA), FSU (15-14-5, 12-12-4 CCHA)
Attendance: 2,538
Next U-M Event: Friday, March 14 -- vs. TBD (Yost Ice Arena), 7:35 p.m.
Boxscore | Notes & Quotes
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. -- The No. 1-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team finished regular-season play with a 4-3 overtime loss at Ferris State on Saturday (March 1) in Ewigleben Ice Arena. Down 2-0 five minutes into the game after giving up two power-play goals, Michigan mounted a comeback and took a 3-2 lead in the second period. FSU responded with a third-period marker and won the game on a redirection by Adam Miller at 3:22 of overtime.
The goal scorers for Michigan were Carl Hagelin(Sodertalje, Sweden), Kevin Porter(Northville, Mich.) and Max Pacioretty(New Canaan, Conn.), who gave U-M a 3-2 lead 14 minutes into the second period. Goalie Bryan Hogan(Highland, Mich.), making his first career road start and fifth start overall, made a career-high 37 saves in the loss.
Michigan's penalty killing difficulties from last night -- FSU had three power-play goals in U-M's 5-3 home victory that clinched the CCHA regular-season championship -- carried over as the Bulldogs got on the scoreboard first with a power-play goal at 3:42. Jim Jorgensen's initial shot was stopped by Hogan, but Justin Lewandowski whacked the puck into the near-open goal from the crease.
FSU went up 2-0 on another power-play marker, this time at 5:06 when Justin Menke converted on a shot from the slot on assists from Cody Chupp and Brendan Connolly.
Hagelin capitalized on a fortuitous bounce for U-M at 8:34, trimming the deficit to 2-1. Mark Mitera's (Livonia, Mich.) blue line-to-blue line pass was broken up by an FSU defender, but the puck deflected right to Hagelin, who skated in alone and beat the goalie high to the stick side.
Seconds after its first successful penalty kill of the game, Michigan knotted the game at two goals apiece on Porter's 27th goal of the season at 16:14. Chad Langlais(Spokane, Wash.) began the play by chipping the puck from behind his own net out to neutral ice to generate a two-on-one break. Aaron Palushaj(Northville, Mich.) proceeded to carry the puck into the FSU zone and fed Porter for an easy tap-in at the left edge of the crease.
Each team had its chances to take control of the game in the first 10 minutes of the second period as U-M had two power plays and FSU had one. However, it was an even-strength marker by Pacioretty at 13:58 that gave U-M its first lead of the game. Pacioretty won a race for the puck along the left wing and looked for a crossing opportunity. After FSU took away the passing lane, Pacioretty reversed his ground, curled into the left slot, and slid a hard backhand shot inside the left post to tally his fourth goal in as many games.
Ferris State evened up the game, 3-3, on Lewandowski's second goal of the game at 3:57 of the third period. Zach Redmond's shot while rushing the puck down the left side rebounded right to Lewandowski in the low slot.
Twenty seconds after going on the power play at 9:16, Michigan made an errant pass in the FSU zone, which resulted in a breakaway for Brendan Connolly. While Hogan denied the shot with his blocker, Langlais wiped out the U-M man-advantage by slashing the Bulldog attacker.
Porter had an outstanding opportunity to put U-M back on top with 7:30 to play. Pacioretty crossed the puck across the hash marks for a Porter one-timer, but the puck skipped as Porter swung and missed. The Bulldogs had a few strong rushes of their own in the closing minutes, but the shots either went wide or were denied by Hogan and regulation ended with the score tied 3-3.
Hogan's desperation left-pad save kept FSU's Casey Haines from ending the game in the first minute of extra time after a strange bounce put the puck in the low slot. At the other end, Mitch O'Keefe smothered Pacioretty's shot with his chest.
Adam Miller ended the game by tipping a pass between Hogan's legs at 3:22 of overtime. Connolly retrieved the puck near the right corner after a faceoff and whipped it toward the slot, where Miller got just enough of it to put it over the goal line.
Tonight's contest concludes regular-season play for the Wolverines. By finishing first in the conference, Michigan has earned a bye through the first round of the CCHA Tournament (March 7-9) and will face a yet-to-be-determined opponent in a three-game quarterfinal series the weekend of March 14-16 at Yost Ice Arena.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
