Notes & Quotes: #5 Michigan 4, #13 Wisconsin 1
3/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Q U O T E S
U-M Senior Forward Eric Nystrom
On how U-M got off to such a good start ... "We just wanted to make sure we established a good forecheck against a team like that. They're a physical team and so are we. We got the puck behind them and were making sure we were finishing our checks on their defensemen. We created turnovers and got scoring chances. We really had good jump in the first period and that was huge for us. There were points in the game where we got away from chipping it in and chipping it out, getting a little cute at the blue line. Once we established the game plan of chipping it behind their defense and going on the forecheck that's when we had our best success."
On not giving up a power play in the last two periods ... "We had to keep our cool. Things get a little chippy and out of hand. We were playing hard and they were taking penalties. For the most part, we were on the power play a lot more than they were because we were moving our feet and causing them to take penalties and take our guys down. On the other end of it we weren't hooking and we weren't holding."
U-M Junior Forward Jeff Tambellini
On how experience factored into the game ... "You have to be able to handle the moment. That's the whole thing with the NCAA Tournament. Guys can play well in the regular season but these kind of games, there is so much pressure and so much riding on these games that experience is huge. We're lucky to have 15 upperclassmen. We know that we've played tough games and tight games, so we're confident right now."
N O T E S
• The Wolverines have won at least one NCAA Tournament game in 11 straight seasons. The last time they left the NCAA Tournament without a victory was 1994, when they fell to Lake Superior State.
• Michigan has won a season-best 11 consecutive games. It marks U-M's best single-season winning streak since 1993-94, when the Wolverines also won 11 straight. U-M did have a winning streak of 15 overall games that spanned two seasons (1995-96 to 1996-97).
• Michigan's season-best unbeaten stretch of 14 games (12-0-2) ties for the fourth-best streak in U-M history. Additionally, it is Michigan's best since 1996-97, when U-M had a program-best streak of 23 games (20-0-3) without a defeat.
• U-M is 26-1-2 when it tallies a power-play goal. Tonight, the Wolverines were 1-for-8 with the man advantage.
• Michigan's penalty-killing unit extended its streak of successfully killed penalties to a season-best-tying 24. U-M negated three Wisconsin power plays that all came in the first period of play. The streak began five games ago vs. Bowling Green on March 5.
• U-M is on an 11-game winning streak at NCAA Regionals in the state of Michigan. The Wolverines are 13-1 all-time at regionals situated within their own state. At Van Andel Arena, Michigan is 4-0 in the NCAA Tournament.
• Brandon Rogers notched his first game-winning goal of the season tonight. He now has two career game-winners.
• Jeff Tambellini equaled his single-game career high with four points on two goals and two assists. Tambellini has a team-leading 19 multi-point games this season, including seven in his last nine games. He extended his point streak to three games.
• Tambellini's four-point effort (2-2-4) set the Midwest Regional record for points in a game.
• T.J. Hensick earned his 100th career point with a goal in the second period. He has 35 goals and 66 assists in his career. He has a line of 23-32-55 in 2004-05.
• Hensick ended a five-game goal drought with his marker tonight. With a 1-2-3 line he tied his season-high points and earned his 18th multi-point game of the season.
• Eric Werner tallied an assist to bring his season totals to 8-22-30. He's the first U-M defenseman to reach 30 points in a season since Mike Komisarek in 2001-02.
• Goalie Al Montoya earned his 30th victory of the season to tie his single-season career high for wins. As a freshman in 2002-03, Montoya was 30-10-3. This season, he is 30-6-3.
• Montoya has allowed two or fewer goals in each of this year's five postseason contests. He has allowed two goals once, one goal three times and has one shutout. His GAA during the span is 1.07 with a .944 save percentage.
• In his sixth career NCAA Tournament contest, Tambellini scored his first two goals. He has a 2-4-6 line in six games. Hensick and Rogers also recorded the first NCAA Tournament goals of their careers. Hensick's came in his third career appearance while Rogers' came in his ninth.
• When notching the first goal of the game the Wolverines are 23-1-3.
• Sporting its maize jerseys, Michigan is 11-0-1.
