Michigan
U.S. NTDP U-18 Team (ex)
Michigan Prevails in Exhibition Play Against U.S. NTDP
1/13/2006 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 9 University of Michigan ice hockey team had a come-from-behind 4-3 victory on Friday (Jan. 13) in an exhibition contest against the U.S. National Team Development Program Under-18 Team at Yost Ice Arena. Brandon Naurato (Livonia, Mich.) netted the game-winner on the only goal of the third period and added one assist in the game. T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.) also had a goal and an assist.
In the opening minutes of the game neither team asserted itself offensively, with just five total shots being taken from the perimeter.
The Wolverines' first scoring chance came at 7:42 of the first period. Following a turnover, Naurato passed the puck up to Hensick, who, after breaking into the offensive zone, dropped the puck behind him to Jason Bailey (Nepean, Ontario). Bailey relayed it back to Hensick, who flicked the puck into goalie Joe Palmer's waiting glove.
USA managed a few scoring chances of its own when Patrick Kane skated in on Billy Sauer (Walworth, N.Y.) and shot from just inside the right faceoff circle. In the midst of the scramble for the puck that followed, Michael Carman managed a backhand shot that Sauer deflected away.
A penalty to Bailey at 14:00 proved costly for Michigan when, 10 seconds into the power play, Team USA capitalized on its first man advantage of the night off a U-M turnover. Sauer stopped the initial attempt by Rhett Rakhshani, but Blake Geoffrion was there to scoop up the rebound and wrist the puck past Sauer on the glove side.
Michigan's final scoring chance of the period proved unsuccessful as well, when Jack Johnson (Ann Arbor, Mich.) fired a hard shot from the right side of the ice. Andrew Cogliano (Woodbridge, Ontario) collected the rebound from Palmer but was unable to bang it into the open net, and the puck clanged off the goal post.
After being shut out in the first period, the Wolverines came out determined to even the score, outshooting Team USA 15-8 in the second frame.
Team USA had the first solid scoring chance of the period. A cross-ice pass to Kane looked as if it would turn into a quality scoring chance for USA, but David Rohlfs (Northville, Mich.) was there for the Maize and Blue to break up the play.
Team USA pulled ahead 2-0 after a one-timer from James O'Brien found the back of the net. Ryan Flynn moved the puck up ice to Kane, who swiftly passed to O'Brien for a successful shot stick side.
Michigan took advantage of its first power play of the second period and finally got on the scoreboard at 6:57. Naurato passed the puck to Travis Turnbull (Chesterfield, Mo.) for a quick shot on Palmer. Chad Kolarik (Abington, Pa.) gobbled up the rebound from the left of Palmer, who was unable to recover quickly enough to deny Kolarik the goal.
USA countered with a goal at 9:01. Geoffrion took the pass from Bill Sweatt and shot the puck at the U-M goal. Sauer was able to make the initial save, but Johnson scooped up the rebound and flicked it past Sauer to regain the two-goal lead.
Noah Ruden (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) replaced Sauer in net at 9:36 of the second period.
A five-minute checking-from-behind major to Brian Strait gave the Wolverines the opportunity they needed to even the score. Johnson passed the puck to Hensick waiting in the left faceoff circle, and Hensick rifled a pass to a waiting Andrew Ebbett (Vernon, B.C.) just outside the right side of the crease. Ebbett one-timed a shot past Palmer at 18:16.
The Maize and Blue evened the score at 3-3 on the same power play when the puck squirted off Cogliano's stick to Hensick just inside the USA zone. Hensick shot the puck through the screen in front of the net and past Palmer's glove just four seconds before the period expired.
The momentum generated at the end of the second frame carried through the intermission for the Maize and Blue, and Michigan scored the winning goal at 3:08. Danny Fardig (Ann Arbor, Mich.) won the faceoff in the USA zone, sending the puck back to Zac MacVoy (Livonia, Mich.). MacVoy quickly sent the puck to Naurato on the far left, and Naurato shot the puck past Palmer to give Michigan its first lead of the game, 4-3.
Goaltending kept Team USA in the game, with Palmer making two good saves against U-M. The first came when Cogliano took a pass from behind the blue line and raced in on Palmer. Cogliano stopped short of the crease and slipped the puck to Ebbett, but Palmer went down and made the stick save. A few minutes later, Johnson sent a hard slap shot in on Palmer, but Palmer reached up, sending his stick flying, and made the save.
USA's Johnson had a few quality chances of his own late in the third period, but two saves by Ruden prevented him from tying the contest. Johnson's first shot came at the top of the zone, but Ruden saw it the whole way in and easily deflected it away. Shortly after, Johnson took the puck and brought it back into the U-M zone, breaking through two Michigan defenders and wristing a backhander Ruden's way.
Ruden continued to deny Team USA when a breakaway by Kane turned into a scoring chance for Ryan Flynn. Kane skated into the zone but was quickly met by Michigan defensemen. Kane slid past the net but dropped the puck back to Flynn, who was trailing the play. Flynn took a quick shot, but Ruden knocked the puck away with his stick.
USA pulled its goalie at 19:08 but could not find the back of the net in the final minute of the game.
The Wolverines return to regular-season play on Tuesday, Jan. 17, when they make their first of two trips this season to East Lansing, Mich., to face Michigan State. Game time is 7:35 p.m. and the broadcast will be carried by FSN Detroit.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
