KALENIECKI'S QUAD LIFTS WOLVERINES
October 17, 2003

The Michigan hockey team blew a two goal lead only to have sophomore
forward Brandon Kaleniecki save the day as they came from behind to defeat
the Quinnipiac Bobcats, 5-4.

Kaleniecki, who was pointless in the first three games, exploded with a
career-high four goals including the game winner with 3:22 left in
regulation. David Moss also added a career-high three assists.

"(Kaleniecki) was one of our best players," coach Red Berenson said. "He
worked hard, he hit, he checked, he back-checked, he did all of the little
things that you have to do to play well and the puck just started coming to
him. His work effort paid off and that's what we need more from our team.
He's paying the price on both ends of the ice and that's the difference."

Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the rest of the
Wolverines. The Bobcats may be from the Atlantic Hockey Conference, but
they took U-M to the limit tonight.

Trailing 2-0 midway through the first period on goals by Eric Nystrom and
Kaleniecki, Quinnipiac's Joe Dumais cut the lead in half with 4:55 left in
the opening stanza when he stuffed a rebound past goalie Al Montoya. Then
7:24 into the second period, the Bobcats tied the game on a shorthanded goal.

Kaleniecki put the Wolverines back on top a few minutes later when he put
in a rebound off Moss's shot.

But the Bobcats would even it up again with 4:04 left when Chris White slid
the puck past Montoya. Then 16 seconds later, Craig Falite grabbed a loose
puck and wristed it past Montoya.

Michigan's hero of the night tied the game 2:58 into the third period when
he fired a one-timer past Bobcat goalie Jamie Holden to complete the hat
trick. The Wolverines thought they had taken the lead moments later, but
Moss's goal was immediately waived off as the ref determined he kicked the
puck in the net.

Late in the period U-M back on top after Andrew Ebbett won a faceoff in the
right circle to Kaleniecki, who backhanded a shot past Holden.

Once again, another game where the Wolverines are the dominant team on
paper, yet instead of blowing the opponent out of the water they instead
played an unmotivated game and cut it very close.

"We talked in serious terms about whether we really wanted to play this
game or not," Berenson said of his talk with the team during the second
intermission. "Did we really want to pay the price to win this game or not.
I didn't see it tonight. I just saw our guys going through the motions."

After last Friday's wake up call in Miami, you would think the team got the
message they need to play their best every game, but tonight it was
apparent that still hasn't happened. "We need to figure it out pretty
soon," Kaleniecki said, "because tonight they played a very good game and
we just didn't have it."

The weekend series wraps up tomorrow night at Yost.

LAST FOURSOME: The last Wolverine to register four goals in one game was
former captain Jed Ortmeyer against Western Michigan back in January.

---------------------------

For those in attendance, how much effect did Berenson's speech to the fans
have during the game? I've read that some fans continued to do it, and
someone watching the game on TV said it sounded like some of the other fans
were booing those fans who continued to do the post C-Ya chant. I will say
that it is very disrespectful of any fan who continued to do it after the
coach gives a speech from center ice before the game asking you to
stop. That's just uncalled for.

That's all for now...

Go Blue!

Jason
Michigan Hockey Net
http://MichiganHockey.net/