July 28, 2011 - 6:49pm
LIVE BLOG: Michigan hockey takes on Bowling Green
BY MICHAEL FLOREK
We are LIVE at Yost for the first game of Michigan's home-and-home series with Bowling Green. After four straight losses the Wolverines take on the Falcons who have won one game this season, last weekend against Alaska Fairbanks. Michigan's uninspiring offense so far this season takes on Bowling Green goaltender Nick Eno who was spectacular in the Falcons' only win.
Micihgan has a couple of lineups changes to start this game:
Offense
12 Hagelin - 19 Rust - 10 Brown
25 Wohlberg - 29 Caporusso - 21 Treais
39 Sparks - 27 Czarnik - 16 Winnett
14 Lebler - 11 Lynch - 23 Glendening
Defense
7 Langlais - 4 Summers
6 Burlon - 2 Greg Pateryn
13 Moffie - 5 Kampfer
Goaltenders
35 Hogan
31 Hunwick
A very sparse crowd is on hand at the opening of tonights game. The whole left side of the student section is practically empty, hopefully the no-shows are just getting fired up for Ohio State tomorrow. The Rust line will start the game.
19:03 Caporusso just took a pass from Wohlberg and walked in on Eno, he got in too tight though and couldn't get a solid shot off.
18:11 There is one guy in the student section wearing green. How does the student section let that happen?
17:05 The Wolverines are playing hard tonight, Carl Hagelin just crashed the net and was pushed into the post, taking the whole net with him. It negated a Rust scoring chance, but was good hustle nonetheless.
15:38 Caporusso just pulled a spin move in the high slot and made in errant pass. The crowd ooed and ahhed over the move, but he could have just shot.
10:46Eno just gave up a HUGE rebound right in front, but no Wolverine was there to capitalize on it. Unrelated to that, Michigan is on the power play for the first time in the game. The are converting at an absymal 8.3 percent this season.
9:01 Increase that percentage, Caporusso just dangled around all four guys and then stuffed it into the net as he was being hauled down. 1-0 Michigan
7:01 The student section has filled out a little bit, but it is still a weak effort. We have spotted two people in green and one guy inexcusably wearing pink in the front row.
5:11 Hogan has played strong so far tonight, he just got lucky on his last save. It was a shot from the point and there were 3 guys blocking his vision. He just stuck out a pad and it got it. Maybe the Wolverines' luck is changing.
3:38 The Wolverines are only outshooting Bowling Green 9-7 but they are outchancing them by more than that. Eno just had to reach back and make a glove save a
Langlais slap shot that looked like it was heading for the lower right corner.
1:04 Treais just hustled his way back to block a shot on the backcheck, but he and Hogan lost sight of the puck as it came back to Bowling Green's David Solway and he put it on the top corner. 1-1
End of Period The Falcons picked it up a little bit after the goal, and it turned out to be a relatively even period.The final shots: an even 10-10.
Mike Nichols has attended 250 consecutive Michigan hockey games. He started his streak on December 27, 2003 and traveled over 8,000 miles. All he got was a tiny plaque. He deserves a bronze statue for that kind of dedication. I don't think Red has even done that.
The crowd go thte kid on the zamboni to take the shoe off relatively early in the game. The kid, who was wearing eye block for no reason, failed to convert on the opportunity. Reminds me of the Wolverine powerplay before this game.
Second Period
19:41 Brown just fanned on a point-blank opportunity to start the second period.
17:28 We have some extracurricular activity after the whistle, after two series with Miami and Michigan State the Wolverines are used to this. Unlike those games however, there were no penalties called.
15:00 Michigan's defensive zone coverage has been weak so far this period. They just gave up a wide open shot from the high slot. Hogan was up to the challenge, however.
13:31 After Hagelin couldn't capitalize on a pass from Rust, Bowling Green went down 4-on-2 but were so excited they couldn't stay onsides, that's tough.
12:11 Fellow Daily writer Nick Spar is in love of with the Caporusso line. While I don't have quite the new found passion that he has, I do agree that they have been good tonight. Treais almost banked one in off the goalie.
10:44 After a sloppy first half of the period, Michigan has put together some solid shifts. The most noticeable difference has been that they are driving the net a lot more and getting in front of Eno.
9:05 Speaking of driving the net, after two coincidental penalties made it 4-on-4 Wohlberg took it wide and made a hard cut towrd the net. It wasn't hard enough however, and the defensemen just pushed him into the side of the net, knocking off everything.
7:09 After a neutral zone turnover by Bowling Green, Michigan had a four-on-one, after two passes Burlon clanged one off the post.
4:08 Either a somebody got caught on a long shift, or the coaching staff has switched up the lines. On the ice right now is a Lynch - Brown - Lebler.
3:08 The line is paying dividends. Lebler wheeled out of the corner and fired a wrist shot, the puck came to Lynch on the back door but his backed opportunity was deflected wide by Eno.
1:52 It turns out Brown was just caught on a long shift. He double shifted and now the lines are restored.
1:02 Czarnik picked up the pick and went in one-on-one he made a quick move let go of a wrister that found it's way over Eno's shoulder on the glove side. 2-1 Michigan
End of Second Period Michigan will take the momentum from that last goal into the locker room. Final shots of the period 20-15.
Score-O Michael from Pittsburgh came out and got the crowd riled up, but couldn't back it up as he missed the net twice. The girl who went last would have hit the shot if they didn't lift up the board. The Score-O grade overall, C+.
Third Period
Quick side note: The guy wearing pink in the front row has left the building. It seems like his friends don't really miss him at all. Nevermind, I'm being informed he has just put a coat on. Either way, I think all of us are better for it.
18:19 Moffie just took a penalty. This will be the first time a team has a power play since the first period.
16:31 Bowling Green hasn't gotten a shot on this power play, but Kampfer just took a penalty, 5-on-3 for the Falcons.
16:22 Well that was quick, Bowling Green only need one shot to score on a slap shot from the point. They worked it around the perimeter until Kyle Page was wide open. Tied 2-2
15:08 Michigan fans start worrying. With the remaining power play time, Bowling Green took a shot from the point, the guy in front deflected it back door, and Tommy Dee put it top corner, 3-2 Bowling Green
14:00 Hogan blockered a weak shot from the outside out in front and the only color there was orange. The puck found its way into the top right corner, 4-2 Bowling Green. The building is silent right now.
12:22 Michigan has started to get a sense of urgency, they have been carrying the play since the goals. Lebler just put one off of the goalie's mask.
10:23 Burlon just got tripped. Power play for the Wolverines, if they ever needed a goal it would be right here. The season is potentially on the line.
8:23 The out-of-sync power play didn't have any prime chances that they put on net. The whole team is trying to be a little too fancy right now.
4:27 Brown is off his game tonight, he just fanned on another one-timer attempt from the slot.
2:15 Bowling Green is just collapsing in front of their own net, Michigan can't get anything through.
1:00 They just pulled Hogan, and Langlais just took a diving shot, but missed the open net. Coach Berenson has just called a timeout to regroup the troops.
End of Game Final score 4-2 Bowling Green, tough loss for the Wolverines and the NCAA tournament streak is officially in jeopardy. When you are 4-6 you cannot lose at hom to a 1-8-1 team and still be considered good. This is the first time since 1988 that Michigan has lost five straight since 1988. Check back tomorrow for game two of this series from Toledo.
