Michigan
13-4-1, 11-1-0CCHA
Bowling Green
8-6-2, 5-5-2CCHA
Moss' Game-Winner Lifts Michigan Over Bowling Green
12/11/2004 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- The No. 4-ranked Michigan Wolverines came from behind for the second straight night to defeat Bowling Green 5-4 on Saturday (Dec. 11) at BGSU Ice Arena. The Wolverines overcame deficits of 1-0, 3-2, and 4-3 to pull out the victory. David Moss (Livonia, Mich.) notched the game-winner during the third period.
For the second straight night, the Falcons got on the scoreboard first. Just 2:12 into the game Mike Falk snuck the puck by Al Montoya (Glenview, Ill.) from the right side. The play was set up by a turnover behind the Michigan net.
Shortly thereafter BGSU killed off a U-M power play to maintain its early lead. Penalties against the Wolverines at 7:26 and 11:31 were successfully killed off by the U-M penalty-killing unit to keep the score 1-0 in BGSU's favor.
Brandon Rogers (Rochester, N.H.) nearly tied the game while on the power play with 4:08 remaining, but his shot rang off the crossbar and out.
The teams skated four-on-four with 2:34 left in the opening frame as each team was whistled for an infraction. The extra space benefited Michigan as Jason Dest (Fraser, Mich.) tied the game at 18:47. Eric Nystrom (Syosset, N.Y.) picked up the first assist by fighting off a check while skating toward the BGSU net from the right wing. Nystrom waited for Dest to jump up into the play before feeding him a backhand pass for the one-timer goal in the slot.
Just five seconds later at 18:52 the Maize and Blue took the lead, 2-1. Moss won the faceoff forward toward the left where Jeff Tambellini (Port Moody, B.C.) took control as he skated into the Falcon zone. Tambellini faked a shot from the left wing before spinning around and firing a behind-the-back pass into the slot where Moss was waiting to tap the puck past the BGSU netminder.
The Falcons quickly responded to start the second period with a strange goal while enjoying a five-on-three advantage. A dump-in from the right side of the neutral zone by Derek Whitmore bounced awkwardly off the right boards and went into the vacated net as Montoya had left his crease to play the dump-in. The score ended U-M's streak of successful penalty kills at 24.
Bowling Green regained the lead, 3-2, at 8:12 when James Unger caught Montoya slightly out of position on the right side and was able to slide the puck underneath the U-M goalie.
With 7:01 left in the middle stanza Brandon Kaleniecki (Livonia, Mich.) had a great chance to even the game up when U-M garnered a three-on-one. Kevin Porter (Northville, Mich.) fed Kaleniecki at the top of the circles, but Kaleniecki's shot was smothered by goalie Jon Horrell.
Kaleniecki got his revenge three minutes later with 4:04 to play in the period when he beat Horrell between his pads from almost the same spot on the ice as before to knot the game at 3-3. The tally quelled BGSU's momentum as the Falcons had just killed a five-on-three U-M power play 11 seconds earlier. T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.) and Milan Gajic (Burnaby, B.C.) drew assists on the tally.
The second period finished with the score tied 3-3 and U-M outshooting Bowling Green 24-13. Michigan had 15 shots to BGSU's seven during the frame.
Bowling Green took its third lead of the game at the 2:09-mark of the third period on a shot by Ben Geelan from the slot that beat Montoya glove side.
The Wolverines came back yet again as Hensick made the score 4-4 at 3:43. Hensick brought the puck out of the left corner, stick-handled through traffic to get to the left slot and found space inside the right post for his goal.
Michigan finally scored with the man advantage on its seventh attempt of the game to take the lead at 6:52. Matt Hunwick (Sterlilng Heights, Mich.) fired a shot from the middle point and Moss caught a piece of it in front to deliver a 5-4 Michigan advantage.
With 12 minutes remaining, Bowling Green's Steve Brudzewski took a pass at center ice to gain a breakaway. Montoya calmly waited at the top of his crease and denied the shot aimed for between his pads.
A Bowling Green power play 20 seconds later tested Montoya and the Wolverine defense but could not produce the equalizing goal.
With 1:30 left in the game BGSU beat Montoya but was denied by the crossbar to keep U-M up. Following the play Rogers was called for slashing. Bowling Green removed its goalie for a six-on-four advantage but could not find a way to beat Montoya in the end.
Michigan is off for 18 days until it competes in the 40th annual Great Lakes Invitational on Dec. 29, taking on Michigan Tech at 4:30 p.m. at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
