Michigan
4-1-0
Quinnipiac
2-2-0
Tricked Again! Tambellini Trio Produces Michigan Win
10/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Sophomore forward Jeff Tambellini (Port Moody, B.C.) picked a good time to notch his first career hat trick as his three markers propelled the University of Michigan ice hockey team to a 3-2 victory over Quinnipiac Saturday night (Oct. 18) at Yost Ice Arena. The win completed U-M's weekend sweep of the visiting Bobcats.
| | The Wolverines celebrate the game-winning third goal for Jeff Tambellini (center). |
Quinnipiac nearly got on the board with its first shot at 11:47 into the first period, but Wolverine sophomore goaltender Al Montoya (Glenview, Ill.) denied the Bobcats with a sprawling save with his right pad.
Junior Charlie Henderson (East Lansing, Mich.) nearly put the Wolverines on top with four minutes remaining in the first period but Eddy was able to get just enough of the puck to keep it out of the net. Henderson's shot from just outside the right side of the crease beat Eddy five-hole but the puck caught the inside of Eddy's pad and sent the puck dribbling helplessly across the Quinnipiac goal mouth.
Eddy continued his outstanding play late in the first period when he denied Andrew Ebbett (Vernon, B.C.) on the goal line. Ebbett received the puck on the left side of the crease and seemingly had an open net, but as he shot the puck Eddy came out of nowhere and made a sprawling save to keep the game scoreless.
Despite outshooting the Bobcats 21-2 in the first period, the Wolverines were unable to solve the Quinnipiac netminder. Michigan finished 0-5 on the power play for the period, while Quinnipiac mustered only one power-play opportunity.
One minute into the second frame, Tambellini converted Michigan's sixth power-play opportunity to give the Wolverines a 1-0 lead. Tambellini, who was stationed at the top of the slot, received a pass from junior Brandon Rogers (Rocherster, N.H.) and fired a shot through a screen by junior Eric Nystrom (Syosset, N.Y.) and past Eddy through the five-hole.
Following Tambellini's goal, Eddy continued to turn the Wolverines away, denying them repeatedly on point-blank opportunities. Michigan was unable to convert on two more power-play opportunities midway through the period due to Eddy's excellent play.
Montoya duplicated the efforts of his counterpart with seven minutes remaining in the period when he denied two point-blank power-play shots from the Bobcats. The two saves marked the fourth and fifth saves of the second period for the Michigan goaltender.
Tambellini netted his second marker of the night at 14:32 into the second period and put the Wolverines up 2-0 when he beat Eddy on a rebound shot. The initial shot from freshman David Rohlfs (Northville, Mich.) was saved by Eddy, but Tambellini pounced on the rebound on the right side of the crease and beat a sprawled out Eddy from an tough angle.
The Bobcats (2-2) clawed their way back into the game and cut the deficit to 2-1 when forward Tim Morrison scored an open-net power-play goal with less than a minute remaining in the second period. The play began when a Quinnipiac player dumped the puck into the Michigan zone and Montoya came out of his crease to handle the puck. As the puck rolled around the right dasher boards Montoya was unable to corral the puck and it popped out to Morrison at the left circle. Morrison proceeded to rip a one-time slapshot into the upper right corner of the unmanned Michigan net.
The scrappy Bobcats pulled even 3:49 into the third period when forward Chris White beat Montoya over his right shoulder with a slapshot from the left circle. The goal came during four-on-four play as both teams had a man in the box following a scuffle behind the Michigan net.
Tambellini completed his first career hat trick with just over seven minutes remaining in the third period to give the Wolverines a 3-2 lead. Tambellini fired a wrist shot through traffic after freshman T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.) won the faceoff back to him in the right circle. The shot eluded the Quinnipiac goaltender, who appeared to be screened on the shot, and went in the upper left hand corner of the Bobcat net.
Tambellini's third marker of the night proved to be the eventual game-winner as Montoya denied the Bobcats on a number of point-blank opportunities in the last five minutes of the third period.
Michigan (4-1, 1-1 CCHA) resumes CCHA play when it takes on the Northern Michigan Wildcats in a weekend series Oct. 24-26 at Yost Ice Arena. Faceoff is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. on Friday (Oct. 24) and 3:05 p.m. on Sunday (Oct. 26).
Contact: Andrew Ladd (734) 763-4423
