Michigan
31-5-4
Miami (Ohio)
32-7-1
CCHA Champs! Michigan Holds Off Miami to Win Title
3/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Site: Detroit, Mich. (Joe Louis Arena)
Score: #1 Michigan 2, #3 Miami 1
Records: U-M (31-5-4, 20-4-4 CCHA), MU (32-7-1, 21-6-1 CCHA)
Attendance: 17,213
Next U-M Event: NCAA Tournament, Date, Time and Opponent to be determined
Boxscore | Notes & Quotes | Photo Gallery | Video Report
DETROIT, Mich. -- The No. 1-ranked University of Michigan hockey team earned a hard-fought 2-1 win against the third-ranked Miami RedHawks in the CCHA Tournament championship game on Saturday (March 22) at Joe Louis Arena. Backstopped by Billy Sauer's (Walworth, N.Y.) 27 saves on the night, the Wolverines never trailed in the contest, and claimed the Mason Cup. U-M's goal scorers were Aaron Palushaj(Northville, Mich.) and Brandon Naurato(Livonia, Mich.), who notched the championship-winning tally.
Michigan captured the eighth CCHA title in program history with the victory and its first Mason Cup since 2005. The Wolverines garnered both the regular-season and postseason championships for the sixth time as well.
As a result of winning the CCHA Tournament, Michigan receives an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. The tournament selection show will take place Sunday March 23 at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN2.
Ben Winnett(New Westminster, B.C.) garnered the game's first quality scoring chance when he snagged a long pass and skated in alone on Jeff Zatkoff. Winnett deked twice, but his wrister was blockered aside by the MU netminder.
Miami was given back-to-back power-play opportunities but could not muster a single shot on goal in the four-minute span.
With time winding down in the opening period, Miami had two chances to put the puck in the net, but Sauer stymied both attempts to keep the game scoreless. With Sauer on the opposite side of the net, Ryan Jones wrapped the puck around the back, but the U-M netminder dived across the goal mouth to deny the shot. The rebound trickled out of the crease, where it was flicked back toward Sauer by Pat Cannone. Sauer sprawled out to make the save, keeping the disc under his pads and out the net.
Palushaj's ninth goal of the 2007-08 campaign allowed Michigan to pull out to a 1-0 lead. Mark Mitera(Livonia, Mich.) chipped the puck up to Palushaj, who relayed it on to Matt Rust(Bloomfield Hills, Mich.). The center gained the zone and waited for Palushaj to catch up to the play, then slid a perfect pass across the front of the net that Palushaj deposited behind Zatkoff at 7:38.
With the man advantage, Miami poured on the shots, registering four in the two minutes. Cannone grabbed a loose puck and fired a shot on Sauer at point-blank range, but the Wolverine goalie shut the door on the attempt. Brian Kaufman scooped up the rebound, but his chance ricocheted off the post.
Kevin Porter (Northville, Mich.) came within inches of pushing the Maize and Blue's lead to a pair of goals. Porter stole the puck off a Miami player's stick and, shorthanded, raced in alone on Zatkoff. The captain snapped a shot, but the chance was negated by a quick flick of the MU goalie's wrist.
Despite being out-shot by a 21-12 margin after two periods of play, Michigan carried the 1-0 lead into the locker room.
A no-look pass from Max Pacioretty(New Canaan, Conn.) gave Porter a chance once more to put his team up by two goals. Pacioretty snagged a pass in front of the crease, then fed the puck through his legs to Porter, but the senior's shot was gobbled up by Zatkoff to deny the opportunity.
Off the faceoff, Naurato gave the Wolverines the 2-0 lead at 10:00 of the final period. Tim Miller(Davisburg, Mich.) won the draw cleanly forward in the Miami zone, pushing the puck through Nathan Davis' legs. Miller then slipped a pass to Naurato, who stuffed the puck home for his seventh tally of the season.
Miami ended Sauer's shutout bid at 19:21 with an extra-attacker, power-play goal by Alec Martinez. Mitch Ganzak dished to Martinez, who rifled a shot that found the back of the net to cut Michigan's lead to 2-1.
The Wolverines did not allow another Miami shot in the final 39 seconds to sew up the CCHA playoff title.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
