WOLVERINES COMPLETE THE SWEEP, 5-4
November 20, 2004

The fast and the furious.

That's what it was like Saturday night as No. 2 Michigan and No. 14
Michigan State got caught up in an old fashioned shootout, with the
Wolverines outgunning the Spartans, 5-4.

A season high 6,921 fans packed Yost Ice Arena to witness the first
Wolverine weekend sweep of their arch-rivals since Feb. 21 and 22, 1992.

"It was unbelievable," coach Red Berenson said, as the teams combined for
seven first-period goals. "I think everyone expected a close game, a
low-scoring game, between these two teams, these two goalies.

"I can't tell you it was the best, it wasn't a coaches' game, it wasn't a
goalies' game, it was a players' game."

The Spartans' Jim Slater struck 30 seconds into the contest with a shot
from the top of the right circle beating U-M goalie Al Montoya in the top
corner of the net.

But the Wolverines quickly responded with a pair of goals. Brandon
Kaleniecki was credited with a goal at the 2:15 mark when MSU goalie
Dominic Vicari lost the puck and knocked it across the goal line with his
glove as he reached back for it.

Just under two minutes later on the power play, Milan Gajic put in a
rebound off a shot by Kaleniecki that went off Vicari's mask.

Then just over two minutes later, Spartan Drew Miller snuck a backhander
between the pads of Montoya to tie the game back up.

Miller put MSU ahead with 5:16 remaining in the opening stanza with a bad
angle, fluke goal.

But 1:30 later T.J. Hensick picked up the puck behind Montoya and went
coast-to-coast, faking Vicari and beating him stick-side to tie the game.

"I just went up the middle and it was a two-on-two with me and Chad
(Kolarik) and he was at the blue line, and I didn't think I could give it
to him so I thought, screw it," Hensick said. "Then we criss-crossed, and I
think the D got mixed up a bit, and I just took it to the net. I thought
Dom was going to poke-check me but he didn't, so I just went to the
backside of the net."

Ash Goldie would put the Spartans ahead 4-3 1:29 later on the power play
with a wrist shot beating Montoya upstairs on the power play to close out a
wild first period of action.

"It was just run and gun hockey, systems out the window, whatever the
coaches were telling us out the window," captain Eric Nystrom said. "We
just went back to the locker room and it was a one goal game. It wasn't
like we were getting blown out, so we just came back and just pretended it
was a 1-0 game, and we came out, tightened up defensively in the second and
third periods."

Hensick would start the comeback rally 10:48 into the second period when he
took a feed from Eric Werner and beat Vicari shortside from the left of the
slot to tie the game.

"I thought the player of the game, for me, was T.J. Hensick," Berenson
said. "He just took over the game at times. A kid like that he's just 18
years old he just took charge of that game."

The Wolverines reclaimed the lead 1:33 later on a blast by the captain.
Spartan Jared Nightengale lost the puck at the U-M blueline and tried to
kick it back out to a defenseman at neutral ice, only for the Wolverines to
take it away. Jason Ryznar led the charge down ice, dropped the puck to
Nystrom, and he sent a blast over Vicari's shoulder for what would turn out
to be the game-winning goal.

"The game-winner was nice considering I was out there for three goals
against in the first," Nystrom said. "Everything was just going in and I
was getting pretty down on myself and luckily I got that one chance to make
a difference."

Montoya came up with two big sliding saves late in the second period to
preserve the lead.

The Wolverines held the Spartans to just five shots on goal in the third
period and hung on for the victory.

Montoya finished the game with 20 saves, while Vicari turned aside 26 for
the Spartans. The Spartans were 2-for-6 on the power play, while the
Wolverines went 1-for-5.

"It's good, it was hard-earned," Berenson said of his team's effort. "You
give up that many goals at home, but you still win the game. You give the
team credit for getting their game together and having a good finish. We
play them four times, and we're off to a good start. Those are key games
for us."

U-M remains in second place in the CCHA standings with 14 points. Ohio
State tied Nebraska-Omaha 4-4 tonight to keep a one point edge over the
Wolverines, however U-M has two games in hand.

The Wolverines face two more key nonconference games next weekend as they
travel to Minnesota and Wisconsin for the annual College Hockey Showcase.

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That's all for now...

Go Blue!

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