Back on Top; Wolverines Leap-Frog Redhawks After Battle of Nation’s Top 2 Teams
In a year full of big weekends for Red Barenson’s Michigan Wolverine hockey team, the past weekend was easily the biggest. Winliss in their last four contests (0-1-1 vs. Michigan State, 0-0-2 vs. Northern Michigan), the Maize and Blue went on the road for two tilts in Oxford, Ohio as the underdogs for the first time all season.
The Miami Redhawks entered the weekend on top of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. With only three losses all season, Miami came is as the #1 team in the nation. The hype was overwhelming for the Miami faithful. Some camped outside overnight for tickets, while others stayed warm and paid over $100 a pop on Ebay. And on Friday, a little under 4,000 unlucky spectators saw all their efforts go for naught.
There was no telling what pace the games would take on . On one hand, Miami and Michigan led the league in scoring. On the other, they both sit 1 and 2 in the conference in defense. Combined, five of the CCHA’s top seven point scorers hit the ice in the weekend series. With that much talent on the ice, it was the scoring that would win out.
The Wolverines jumped out to a quick start in Friday night’s contest. After seeing his high scoring skaters go cold the past two weekends, Hall of Fame coach Red Barenson switched up his lines. Well, it worked. 10 minutes in, Louie Caporusse batted a Travis Turnbull miss out of mid-air and into the back of the net, sucking the energy out of the once-hopping Steve Cady Arena. Three minutes later, it was Carl Hagelin’s turn to light the lamp for the Maize and Blue.
The Wolverines weren’t even close to being done, and only 37 second later, Hobey-Baker hopeful Kevin Porter netted his 24thgoal of the season. In 3:47, the Red-Hawks faithful had been absolutely stunned. Their nightmare got worse, as with 5:04 remaining, Max Pacioretty notched his first goal on the weekend (more on that later). After their two most disappointing weekends of the year, Michigan hockey was back.
Miami attempted a late surge, and scored two third period goals before the final horn sounded. Michigan 4, Miami 2. But the weekend wasn’t nearly over.
Friday’s loss didn’t damper the atmosphere in Oxford one-bit. The Redhawks third period surge gave fans reason to hope for a turnaround on Saturday night. So once again, an early arriving crowd let their team, and their opponents, feel their presence early on. But once again, the Wolverines were quick to silence the opposition’s faithful.
Set up by a beautiful dish by Chad Kolarik, Travis Turnbull slapped a shot home that beat Miami’s Jeff Zatkoff’s glove hand and found the back of the net. On this night, however, it the Wolverines didn’t expand on their lead like they did Friday. Miami answered when Ryan Jones scored Miami’s first goal of the night to make it 1-1.
Four minutes later, the Redhawks fans got what they were waiting all weekend for, a Miami lead. This time Jones, who scored the first, found teammate Andy Miele on a 2-on-1 breakaway and beat Billy Sauer for the goal. For the first time all weekend, Miami was up on Michigan, 2-1.
Max Pacioretty’s second goal of the weekend came only 23 seconds into the second period, and once again the nation’s two top teams were all tied up. After ten minutes of competitive, yet scoreless play, it was the Redhawks who broke the tie when Brad Robbins beat Billy Suaer to make it 3-2. It didn’t take Michigan long to tie things up, as Chad Kolarik landed a surprise spin-around shot in the net to make it 3-3 only threee minutes later. Just before the second intermission, Michigan jumped back in front when Kevin Porter scored for the 25thtime this season. After 40 minutes, Michgian led 4-3.
For the second straight period, Max Pacioretty opening play with a quick goal for Michigan. Only 35 seconds in, Pacioretty’s goal gave Michigan a commanding two goal lead with 19:25 to play.
Then, in a wonderful display of porous officiating, a puck that sailed high off above the goal hit the netting, which is out of play. However, the puck hit so hard it bounced back into play, and referee Matt Shegos never whistled the play dead. Assuming the play was over, Billy Sauer tried to catch the puck as it came back into play, failed, and it was stuffed home by an alert Andy Miele. They play was never reviewed, and once again it was a one goal game.
Three minutes later, the Wolverines once commanding lead was gone. Miami’s Nathan Davis sent the red and white faithful into a frenzy when he tied the game up with just over five minutes remaining. The Redhawks harnessed the energy that had finally been unleashed by the Miami faithful, and skated circles around Michigan for the final five minutes of regulation, then again in overtime. Lucky for the Maize and Blue, who had chances of their own to steal the win, the game ended in a 5-5 tie.
So what’s the end result of the biggest weekend for either team thus far? Well, Michigan leap-frogged Miami in the CCHA standings, where they now lead by one point. They should also leap them in the national polls, becoming #1 once again later today. The Wolverines put themselves in prime position for a top seed in next month’s NCAA tournament. Most impressively, after struggling for two straight weekends, the young Wolverines went into a hostile environment and played impressive hockey.
They’ll need to do the same if they want to make it to the Frozen Four in April.
Mike Fahmie
