Michigan
24-9-3, 18-7-3CCHA
Ohio State
22-10-5, 16-8-4CCHA
Wolverines and Buckeyes Tie for Second Straight Night
3/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Site: Columbus, Ohio (Value City Arena)
Score: #8 Michigan 3, #15 Ohio State 3 (OT)
Records: U-M (24-9-3, 18-7-3 CCHA), OSU (22-10-5, 16-8-4 CCHA)
Attendance: 13,628
Next U-M Event: Friday, March 14 -- vs. Bowling Green at CCHA Tournament First Round (Yost Ice Arena), 7:35 p.m.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The University of Michigan ice hockey team held on for a 3-3 tie against rival Ohio State University Saturday night (March 8) in front of 13,626 fans at Value City Arena. Michigan entered the game guaranteed a second-place finish in the CCHA regular-season standings, while the Buckeyes secured the No. 3 seed for the CCHA Tournament, which begins next week with six best-of-three, first-round series.
Three different Wolverines tallied goals on the night and freshman goaltender Al Montoya (Glenview, Ill.) tied a career high with 38 saves to keep U-M unbeaten in its last six games against Ohio State (4-0-2). After Michigan netted two unanswered goals in the second period, the Buckeyes played an inspired third period to force overtime and earn one point in the CCHA standings.
The first 10 minutes of the contest were played mainly between the blue lines with both teams trying to place the emphasis on physical play. It was a finesse play, however, that would lead to the first goal of the game. The Buckeyes were able to light the lamp first as forward R.J. Umberger raced coast to coast to give the Buckeyes an early 1-0 lead. With 8:35 left in the first, Umberger picked up the puck at his own blue line and skated into the Michigan zone, went wide around freshman defenseman Brandon Rogers (Rochester, N.H.) in the high slot and beat Montoya through the five-hole.
Michigan was able to answer just five minutes later, however, when the Wolverines converted on their first power power-play opportunity of the game. Just moments into the special teams chance, freshman forward Jeff Tambellini (Port Moody, B.C.) found a rolling puck on his stick near the blue line. Taking time to settle the puck, Tambellini let go a knuckling wrist shot that found its way through senior forward Jed Ortmeyer's (Omaha, Neb.) screen in front to even the contest at a goal apiece and give Tambellini his team-leading seventh power-play goal.
Ohio State opened the second period with two consecutive power-play opportunities but it was Michigan that found a way to break the tie first. A blocked shot in the Michigan zone on OSU's second of the two power plays led to a 2-on-2 going the other way. Sophomore forward David Moss (Livonia, Mich.) carried the puck down the left wing and into the Buckeye zone. With five OSU forwards out on the power play, Moss was able to beat Paul Caponigri easily on the wide side and beat Ohio State goaltender Mike Betz with a backhand shot through the netminder's five-hole just after the Buckeyes power play had expired, giving the Wolverines their first lead of the game, 2-1.
Michigan extended its lead moments later on its own power play at the 14:48 mark of the second period when a shot in the low slot from freshman forward Andrew Ebbett (Vernon, B.C.) produced a rebound opportunity for fellow freshman forward Brandon Kaleniecki (Livonia, Mich.). With the puck laying just outside the crease, Kaleniecki was able to poke the puck under Betz as the puck barely slid over the goal line.
Entering the final frame trailing by two goals, OSU cut the Michigan lead in half just over a minute into the period when Caponigri made amends for his earlier mistake. Caponigri found the puck in the far corner, skated toward the front of the net with little resistance and slid a backhand shot past Montoya just inside the far-side post to bring the score to 3-2 in favor of Michigan.
Ohio State nearly drew the game even at the 10:33 mark when a Daymen Bencharski centering pass deflected off of R.J. Umberger's skate for what appeared to be his second goal of the game. However, the referee and his linesmen quickly gathered and eventually disallowed the goal, ruling that Umberger purposely kicked the puck into the net.
Two minutes later, the Buckeyes found themselves on a power play with a chance to draw the game even after Kaleniecki picked up a checking-from-behind penalty in the offensive zone. With 8:15 left in the third period, a one-time shot from Umberger on the near side produced a rebound that was picked up by Bencharski just outside the crease and flipped into the net over a downed Montoya to tie the game 3-3 and eventually send the game into overtime.
A scoreless overtime period gave Michigan its third tie of the season. Michigan finished 2-4 on the power play while Ohio State went 1-6, marking the fifth consecutive game the Wolverines have allowed a power-play goal. Michigan lost the shots-on-goal battle 41-31.
Michigan will return home to host Bowling Green State in the first round of the CCHA Tournament Friday through Sunday (March 14-16) at Yost Ice Arena. Opening faceoff is 7:35 p.m. each night of the best-of-three series.
Contact: Paul Thomas (734) 763-4423
