WOLVERINES SWEEP BULLDOGS, 6-2

They say the best offense is a good defense. That's exactly what the
Michigan hockey team got Saturday night as they swept Ferris State by
a 6-2 score.

Defenseman Jack Johnson scored two goals and two assists to push his
weekend total to eight points, while Matt Hunwick added a goal and
assist to give him a five point weekend. Sophomore forward Andrew
Cogliano also chipped in a goal and two assists and created several
opportunities throughout the game.

Despite laying a 9-4 smackdown on the Bulldogs the night before, the
Wolverines were still disappointed in their defensive effort over the
final 40 minutes when they allowed four goals on 32 shots.

Saturday night in the series finale, the Wolverines didn't let off the
gas pedal and played a strong 60 minutes of hockey.

"I think our team played better defensively," U-M head coach Red
Berenson said. "We know we'll get our goals if we're patient and we
play well without the puck."

Unlike Friday night when the Wolverines jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead
in the opening minutes, U-M did have to be a bit more patient Saturday
to get their first goal.

They had a great opportunity five minutes into the game when Chad
Kolarik took a dish from Andrew Cogliano at the blueline and went in
all alone. He tried to go high glove side, only to be denied by
Bulldogs goalie Mitch O'Keefe.

Near the halfway mark, Cogliano came flying in on the right side and
fired a wrist shot just over the shortside top corner of the net.

Michigan would finally open the scoring with 6:49 remaining the
opening stanza. Just after a penalty to Ferris State expired, Brandon
Naurato muscled a centering pass from near the endboards that found a
trailing Matt Hunwick all alone for the easy slam dunk.

Minutes later, Cogliano zipped into the FSU zone, put a move on the
defenseman, and just missed a backhander wide.

But Cogliano would get rewarded for his efforts with 34.6 seconds left
in the opening period when he connected with the exact same shot he
tried midway through the period. Coming in on the right side, he
fired a wrist shot into the shortside top corner of the net, a play
very reminiscent of many Jeff Tambellini goals.

"I thought Chad Kolarik and Andrew Cogliano could have had three goals
each in the first period," Berenson said.

The Bulldogs would cut the lead in half just 36 seconds into the
second period when Matt Verdone sent a pass in front and Mark
Bomersback got by the Michigan defenseman, grabbed the puck, and slid
a backhander though the legs of U-M goalie Billy Sauer.

But the Wolverines would respond 1:30 later. A scramble in front of
the FSU net saw the puck pop out between the circles. With the goalie
already down, Jack Johnson stepped up and blasted a shot into the top
corner of the net to make it 3-1.

Michigan would extend their lead at 9:16 on a goal by Brian Lebler.
The play started out as a two-on-one for Cogliano and Kolarik, with
Cogliano carrying the puck down the right side. He sent a centering
pass to Kolarik that hit off the Ferris defenseman and redirected to a
Lebler, who was trailing the play. Lebler got the puck alone in front
and easily banged it past O'Keefe.

On the power play with 6:37 left in the second period, Naurato would
sent a bullet from deep in the right corner that hit off the skate of
Travis Turnbull at the far post and into the net to make it 5-1.

The Bulldogs would get one back 7:36 into the third period when Zac
Pearson slid a shot from between the circles through two U-M players
and beat Sauer. The Wolverine goalie never appeared to see it coming.

The Wolverines would put the final nail in the coffin with 1:32
remaining in regulation during a five-on-three power play. Cogliano
setup Johnson, who ripped a one-timer past O'Keefe.

"The past 10 games or so, they were not going in for me, but I had the
mentality to keep shooting, and eventually one of them is going to go
in," Johnson said. "I started getting the bounces going my way."

Sauer finished the game with 22 saves, while O'Keefe had 28 for the Bulldogs.

The Wolverines play a home-and-home with Western Michigan next
weekend. Friday night is in Kalamazoo, and the Saturday night game is
the final regular season home game for the Wolverines and will also be
Senior Night. That game can be seen on Fox Sports Detroit.

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That's all for now...

Go Blue!

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