Michigan
11-3-0
Wisconsin
4-9-2
Big Third Period Ignites Wolverines to Win Over Badgers
11/24/2006 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
MADISON, Wis. -- The No. 7-ranked University of Michigan hockey team snapped its six-game losing streak in the College Hockey Showcase with a 4-3 come-from-behind win at Wisconsin on Friday (Nov. 24). Down 3-2 after 40 minutes, David Rohlfs (Northville, Mich.) and Andrew Cogliano (Woodbridge, Ontario) scored 27 seconds apart during the third period to deliver the win. Billy Sauer (Walworth, N.Y.) was outstanding in goal, making 34 saves to tie his season high. The win was the 1,400th in U-M's program history.
Fifteen seconds into the game, Rohlfs had a prime scoring chance go awry. Rohlfs was crashing the right side of the net, and received a crossing pass from Kevin Porter (Northville, Mich.) that he chipped too high over the net.
U-M picked up a power play at 7:24. Michigan had one shot on goal during the sluggish man-advantage, also allowing a near-breakaway chance to Wisconsin's Ross Carlson.
The Badgers got on the scoreboard first, capitalizing on an odd-man break at 9:57. Blake Geoffrion's crossing pass from the left side was deflected by Chris Summers (Milan, Mich.), but the puck still got through, allowing Michael Davies to flip it past an off-balance Sauer.
Over the next two minutes, the Wolverines had two good chances to even the game up. Jack Johnson's breakaway with 8:35 left in the stanza was stoned by Badgers' goalie Brian Elliott. Chad Kolarik (Abington, Pa.) had a chance to whack a loose puck into the net shortly after, but Elliott extended his right pad for the save.
UW's first power play came at 12:32 -- and while there was no scoring, each team had good chances during the two-minute span. Tim Miller (Davisburg, Mich.) and Travis Turnbull (Chesterfield, Mo.) combined a two-on-one, but Miller's pass was behind Turnbull. Soon after, Davies nearly got his second tally of the night on a Badger three-on-one. Sauer snagged his shot from the right wing with his trapper, keeping the score at 1-0.
The Badgers eventually upped their lead to 2-0 on a shorthanded marker at 17:25 by Jack Skille. Skille scooped up an errant U-M pass in the UW zone, brought the puck down the right wing and beat Sauer blocker-side from the right circle.
Down 2-0 after 20 minutes, U-M was out-shot 11-6 despite three power plays to UW's one.
The Wolverines trimmed their deficit to 2-1 at 1:19 of the second period. Cogliano took a pass from Kolarik in the neutral zone and sped into UW territory, splitting two defensemen. Cogliano then passed to the left post for Miller, who wristed the puck past Elliott.
The Maize and Blue tied the game at 2-2 with a power-play goal from T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.) at 10:55. From the left side, Porter fired the puck cross-ice into the UW zone. Cogliano picked up the puck on the right side, and relayed it into the high slot for a Hensick one-timer. The soft shot caught Elliott moving the wrong way, beating him stick side.
Seconds after U-M successfully killed a penalty, the Badgers struck again to retake the lead, 3-2, at 14:44. Davies quickly moved the puck from the left side of the goal line to the far post, and Matthew Ford slammed it into net.
Shots were even at 22 apiece through 40 minutes of play.
Michigan fended off a fierce Badger power play to start the third period, as U-M never managed to clear the puck during the two-minute span.
The Wolverines knotted the game at 3-3 on a Rohlfs score at 8:25. Hensick twisted through traffic in the slot, and threw a backhanded pass, from left to right, for Rohlfs to tap in from the edge of the crease. Summers also drew an assist on the play.
Michigan took its first lead of the game, 4-3, just 27 seconds later at 8:52. Porter relayed a pass from Matt Hunwick (Sterling Heights, Mich.) to Cogliano near the right dot in UW's zone. Cogliano promptly snapped a shot on net -- the puck hit Elliott's blocker, carrying enough momentum to reach the back of the goal.
Ford had a semi-breakaway with 10:48 on the clock, but Sauer was up to the challenge with a glove save.
The Wolverines continued their stingy play by killing off a Badger power play with less than 10 minutes remaining. Sauer came up huge during this kill with a right-pad save on Ben Street, who was open in the left slot after receiving a pass from behind the net.
UW's pressure dissipated after Davies took a checking-from-behind penalty with 4:27 left in regulation. After the power play, Michigan allowed just one more shot on goal, and held on for the 4-3 victory.
Michigan takes on the No. 1-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers tomorrow night (Nov. 25) in Minneapolis, Minn. Faceoff is slated for 7:05 p.m. CST.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
