November 6, 2009 - 10:55pm
LIVE BLOG: No. 4 Michigan vs. No. 1 Miami (Ohio)
By: Nick Spar
UPDATE: Miami defeats Michigan, 3-1
For those of you not at Yost Ice Arena for the Michigan hockey team's conference-opener against the first-ranked RedHawks and not at the No. 15 Michigan basketball opener, welcome!
This is a pretty big weekend for Michigan sports, with all three sports in action. Of course, let's not forget about the football game tomorrow and the second game of this series for the Wolverines and RedHawks.
Just a couple of notes before I get to tonight's starting lineup for Michigan. First, freshman Chris Brown was named CCHA Rookie of the Week for last weekend's performance against Lake Superior State in Sault Ste. Marie.
And also, for whatever reason, Carter Camper and Tommy Wingels--who are Miami's top scoring threats--are listed on the fourth line for tonight's game. I'm not sure what to make of that, but I just wanted to pass that along.
Alright, here's Michigan's starting lineup:
Forwards
12 Hagelin - 29 Caporusso - 10 Brown
25 Wohlberg - 19 Rust - 27 Czarnik
14 Lebler - 16 Winnett - 21 Treais
3 Vaughan - 23 Glendening - 11 Lynch
Defense
34 Llewellyn - 4 Summers
7 Langlais - 2 Pateryn
6 Burlon - 5 Kampfer
Goalie
35 Hogan
31 Hunwick
No real surprises. Pateryn is paired with Langlais instead of Lee Moffie, but Michigan coach Red Berenson has opted to play each in roughly in half the games so far this season.
Start of the first period
19:00 The Camper and Wingels line was on the ice to start the game, so why they were listed on the fourth line is pretty strange. Early chance for Michigan less than a minute in, and poor puck control by RedHawks goalie Cody Reichard was the main reason for the chance.
17:00 Llewellyn almost sprung Vaughan for a chance. The fourth line just had a solid shift in both ends.
We essentially have a packed house tonight. Fans are still filing in, but it's easily the largest crowd all season.
16:18 Goal for Miami. A scrum around the net led to a wide open Jarod Palmer. 1-0, RedHawks. Good pressure by Miami, bad coverage behind the net and in the slot by Michigan. In addition to the usual 'Ugly Parents' chant, and 'Ugly Students' chant began as well. That's a first for Yost Ice Arena this season.
14:00 It's been pretty even, despite the difference on the scoreboard. Kevin Lynch just had an opportunity from 30 feet and fired it just past the left post and wide. Now there's an 'Ugly Mullett' chant, another first. That chant is for Alden Hirschfeld of Miami and his mop of hair.
12:33 After a stoppage in play and a commercial break, Carter Camper and Carl Hagelin got tangled up between the team's benches. Both are gone for two minutes. They have yet to announce the penalties, but it's safe to say it'll be for roughing. There will be four men on the ice for each team for the first time tonight.
12:08 Now three men for the Wolverines. Penalty on Matt Rust for tripping. And a shorthanded chance for Glendening stopped by Reichard. There's a ton of open ice now, with the 4-on 3 advantage for almost 2 minutes.
11:14 Michigan has a hill to climb now. 2-0, RedHawks. That's a power play goal for Miami on its first chance. Back at four aside for each team for 40 seconds. The goal was by Palmer again. This time a shot found the upper-corner above Hogan's stretched glove.
10:00 The now-packed house is trying to re-energize the Wolverines. Shots are even at 3-3, but it's pretty clear who's making the most of their chances.
8:00 Michigan seems to be playing with more of a chip on its shoulder now after the quick start by the RedHawks. But Miami seems to be winning all the battles along the boards for loose pucks in Michigan's zone. That allows the RedHawks to maintain pressure, and that has contributed to both tallies so far.
6:30 Good shot by Lynch right off the faceoff win by Glendening. And that's the first shot or scoring chance for either team in at least 3 or 4 minutes.
4:50 Neutral zone turnover for Brown led to a potential chance for Miami, but no goals. The Wolverines have had the better end of the play since the second goal. A shot from the point from Pateryn led to a Czarnik rebound opportunity, and Winnett also just had a chance off a cross-ice pass from Treais.
3:43 And now there's a RedHawks penalty. Michigan clearly has gained the momentum late in the first frame.
1:30 Penalty killed off by Miami. A lot of chances for Michigan, especially with shots from the point by Burlon and Kampfer. But there was also a shorthanded chance for Miami off of a Kampfer turnover at the blue line.
End of the first period Michigan was the better team for most of the period, but that's not what it says on the scoreboard. The bottom line is the RedHawks capitalized on the few chances they had, and Wolverines didn't. Shots are 7-4, Michigan at the end of the stanza.
A few Michigan players, including captain Chris Summers are waiting for an explanation from the refs. Wingels, the captain of Miami, stood along with Summers. At the end of the minute0long discussion, there was a four-minute doubled minor penalty assessed to Miami. That will take affect at the beginning of the second.
The Michigan synchronized ice skating team is on the ice for the first intermission. Personally, I prefer the shootout contest. But the crowd liked it, so what do I know?
Wow! The zamboni riders both just took off their shoes and tossed them onto the ice (upon the student section's request). This drew the largest reaction from the crowd so far tonight, which, actually, isn't saying much since Michigan is down 2-0. But still, this place got pretty loud in appreciation of the kids cooperating. They even started a 'Best Kid Ever' chant.
Start of the second period
19:30 What wasn't announced after the 4-minute penalty announcement was that Vaughan starts the period in the box for two minutes. That means it's a two-minute penalty for Michigan.
18:00 Michigan PP over. Just as it was expiring, there was a flurry in front of the net. Caporusso had a wide-open net but hit the post. Huge missed opportunity there.
16:42 Penalty shot for Michigan!
After a Langlais break-a-way got broken up by a RedHawks trip, Langlais's try on the penalty shot was stopped by Reichard's glove. It wasn't a good attempt by Langlais on the backhand. I have no idea how Langlais of all people was wide open for a break-a-way, considering he's a defenseman.
Michigan has the momentum early here in the second, but all these missed opportunities hurt. First, the Caporusso post and now the Langlais missed penalty shot attempt. That's the first Wolverines penalty shot this year. So far, 0-1.
14:00 Another chance for Michigan. The Hagelin-Caporusso-Brown line is buzzing in the RedHawks end. Another break-a-way for Michigan, this time for Treais. the puck passes the goal line in his second effort off of his skate. It's ruled no goal, but the play is under review.
If this one remains not a goal, the missed chances (especially in the first seven minutes of this period) have killed the Wolverines. It's still a two-goal game but the ice is tilted and Michigan has had virtually all of the chances since the last RedHawks goal. From penalty shots, to posts, to pucks being kicked in, Michigan can't buy a goal.
It's ruled no goal. As they say in football, the ruling in the field stands.
12:00 The crowd is really into it now, clearly annoyed by the non-goal by Treais. it looked to be the right call. It went off Treais's skate, which really wasn't the question when the refs decided to review it. The issue was whether Treais intended to kick it in. I think he did, and apparently whoever decided to not call it a goal agreed.
11:30 Another RedHawks penalty. And the ice will continue to be tilted in Michigan's favor.
9:30 Michigan PP over. Shots are 16-6, Wolverines for the game. 9-2, for the period. Still a two-goal game.
8:46 Penalty on Michigan's Lynch. Let's see if it starts to go Miami's way, even though they still have a 2-0 lead.
7:52 So much for going Miami's way. Less than a minute into their first PP of the period, it took a penalty of its own. And on the ensuing four-on-four, it took another. If Michigan doesn't score within the next two minutes, consider it just another enormous missed opportunity.
6:30 On the 4-on-3, Burlon rang one off the post. Now it's 5-on-3 for another 30 seconds.
5:54 With three seconds left on the 2-man advantage, Michigan finally put one home. Chris Brown scored, assisted from Hagelin and Caporusso. 2-1, RedHawks. Brown kept pounding away at the puck and finally knocked it in.
The play was briefly reviewed but the call on the ice remains a goal. It was only a matter of time until the Wolverines put on past Recihard, with the amount of chances they have had.
4:11 Shots on goal don't always tell the story. But, to an extent, they do tonight. It's 20-6 Michigan, which indicates they have had dominated. And they have, but it's still a one-goal game in favor of the RedHawks.
1:00 The pace of play has gone down a little bit since the Brown goal. Not a lot of chances for either team since then.
End of the period Still 2-1, RedHawks. Shots were 14-2, Wolverines. The key question heading into the third: Will the Wolverines continue the dominance they have shown ever since the second Miami goal? If they played the way they have for the last period-and-a-half, it will be nearly impossible for Miami to pad its lead and for Michigan to not tie it up.
With that said, however, look for the RedHawks to come with a better effort in the third. Remember, this is probably their biggest series of the young season so far, too.
Start of the third period
18:00 Pretty even through two minutes of play here in the third. It looks like Miami was happy to have that intermission to subdue the Michigan momentum.
16:37 Miami's on the board again. 3-1, RedHawks. Brandon Smith had a great chance right in the middle of the slot, and put it under Hogan's pads to regain the two-goal lead.
Soon after the RedHawks goal, there are coincidental penalties. So we have some more four-on-four hockey, something we've seen quite a bit of tonight.
15:09 After Reichard covered the puck to stop play, a scrum in front of the net has turned into another set of coincidental minors. You don't see this very often. We'll now have three-on-three hockey for 51 seconds. And then four-on-four again for a little over a minute.
Rust has now been sent to the box, so a PP for the RedHawks. Scratch the three-on-three; it's a man-advanatage for two minutes for the RedHawks.
14:18 Hogan made a nice diving save with his team now down a man. Still a minute left on the PK, though.
12:30 The Rust penalty has expired, so we're back to even strength.
9:55 Not much happening since the flurry of penalties has passed. The Wolverines have just under half of a period to overcome a two-goal deficit to No. 1 Miami. Hey, Boston University was able to do it in the title game last year against the RedHawks with less than 2 minutes left, so why can't Michigan with less than 10 minutes left?
8:52 Pateryn penalty for obstruction holding. Even if they can kill it off, the Wolverines don't have time on their side. Killing penalties is the last thing they want to be doing.
6:45 Penalty over, but now it's time to get some pressure on Reichard like they were able to do in the second period.
5:52They'll have a better chance to do that with a PP. This is essentially a must-convert for the Wolverines, with less than 6 minutes left and a two-goal deficit. Stranger things have happened (i.e. last year's title game), but I highly doubt Berenson thinks it's a good idea to wait until there's two minutes ago to start becoming urgent.
4:00 A few chances for the Wolverines on the PP, but no goals across as it's still 3-1 with less than four minutes left now.
2:00 With two minutes left now, Michigan hasn't been able to get the puck anywhere near Reichard. The game is basically being played between the blue lines now in the neutral zone. That makes it tough to even pull Hogan.
1:04 Hogan is pulled after a Miami icing.
09.5 Wohlberg took a penalty right before a Miami player was cruising towards the net for an empty goal. the whistle blew before he was able to score, but fans have started to head for the exits, and Michigan will lose the first game of this series.
Final score: 3-1, RedHawks
