Michigan Hockey: Disappointing finish to a very good year:

Disappointing finish to a very good year:

First off, Michigan had a very good year with winning the GLI, CCHA regular season along with the CCHA tournament. Getting to the Frozen Four is a great accomplishment for this very young team, but the way the season went being number one for so long and an easy road once they got into the tournament to the Frozen Four you have to feel disappointed of what could/should have been.

This game against Notre Dame scared me because we already played them and beat them twice in the CCHA. The first period it almost seemed like the Michigan players thought they had the game before it even played. Earlier in the day, several broadcasters (CBSC) were talking about how uptight Michigan seemed during the press conference and before the game while Notre Dame was loose and had that nothing to lose attitude. Billy Sauer had a bad first period, but Michigan did not help him either.

Good luck to Kevin Porter and the Hobey Baker award which will be seen on ESPNU at 7:30pm EDT. - 8:00pm EDT. Friday night (4/11/08).

The rest of this article is from mgoblue.com:
http://www.mgoblue.com/ice-hockey/article.aspx?id=133538

Site: Denver, Colo. (Pepsi Center)
Score: #1 Michigan 4, #5 Notre Dame 5 OT
Records: U-M (33-6-4, 20-4-4 CCHA), ND (27-15-4, 15-9-3 CCHA)
Attendance: 18,544
Next U-M Event: Season Complete

DENVER, Colo. -- The No. 1-ranked University of Michigan hockey team fell to fifth-ranked Notre Dame with a 5-4 overtime decision in its NCAA Frozen Four semifinal game Thursday (April 10) at the Pepsi Center. Chad Kolarik (Abington, Pa.) led the Wolverine charge with a pair of goals for his 17th multi-point game of the season, while Aaron Palushaj (Northville, Mich.) contributed three assists on the night. Appearing in relief, Bryan Hogan (Highland, Mich.) backstopped Michigan for the final 45:44, making 18 saves.

After facing a 3-0 deficit through the first 20 minutes of play, U-M scored three straight goals -- two in the second period and one early in the third -- to knot the game at 3-3. The Fighting Irish reclaimed the lead at 4-3, but Carl Hagelin (Sodertalje, Sweden) forced overtime with a goal at 14:39.

in the overtime period, the teams exchanged quality scoring chances but Calle Ridderwall's second goal of the game gave Notre Dame the win at 5:44. DanVeNard boomed a shot from the point, and Hogan kicked out a leg to make the save. However, the big rebound found Ridderwall's stick, and the freshman roofed a shot to propel his team to the national championship game against Boston College.

Notre Dame jumped out to the early lead with Ridderwall's fourth tally of the 2007-08 campaign. On an odd-man break, Ridderwall grabbed a feed from Justin White and deked across the front of the net before depositing the puck behind Billy Sauer (Walworth, N.Y.) for the 1-0 lead at 5:00.

Just 42 seconds later, the Irish pushed their edge to a pair of goals with a quick shot that beat the U-M netminder glove side. Ryan Thang gained the zone for ND, bringing the puck to the left faceoff circle before dropping a dish to Mark Van Guilder. The captain snagged the feed and walked the puck to the slot, lifting a shot that gave him his 13th goal of the season.

With time winding down in the first period, Notre Dame increased its lead once more with a shorthanded goal by Thang. The sophomore streaked in along the boards, then cut in toward Sauer and backhanded a shot for his 18th marker of the year.
Despite an 11-9 shot advantage, Michigan trailed 3-0 after 20 minutes of play, and Hogan took over duties in the Maize and Blue net.

Kolarik's 29th tally allowed Michigan to break onto the scoreboard at 8:48 of the second stanza. Kevin Porter (Northville, Mich.) corralled the puck and carried it coast-to-coast, relaying it from behind the net to the top of the slot. Kolarik snared the puck and rifled a shot that found its way under the crossbar at 8:48 to cut the Notre Dame lead to 3-1. Hogan also drew an assist on the play.

U-M pulled within one a mere 15 seconds after the Kolarik marker with a goal by Matt Rust (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.). Hagelin chipped the puck to the far faceoff hash marks for Palushaj, who sent a feed to Rust stationed near the right post. Rust fanned on his initial shot but followed it up with a second try that he banked off goalie Jordan Pearce for his 12th goal of the campaign. The marker allowed the Wolverines to climb to within a goal with a 3-2 score.

With White serving two minutes in the box for an ND bench minor, Kolarik notched his sixth power-play goal of the season to knot the game at 3-3 at 2:16 of the third period. Palushaj slid a pass through traffic to Max Pacioretty (New Canaan, Conn.) in the middle of the slot. The left winger's shot caromed off the crossbar and over the back of the net, where it was scooped up by Kolarik. The alternate captain stuffed the puck under Pearce for his 30th goal of the year.

Notre Dame regained the lead on a marker by Kevin Deeth at 11:30. Dan Kissel received a pass from Ian Cole and, with a three-on-two advantage, skated in on Hogan. Kissel flipped a pass to Deeth, who pulled the puck across the front of the crease on his backhand, then switched and lifted a wrister past a sprawling Hogan for the 4-3 edge.

Hagelin's 11th goal of the year tied the game once more at 14:39. With Notre Dame challenging at the blue line, Rust dumped the puck deep into the zone. Hagelin snapped up the disc as it bounced off the end boards and threw it on goal. The attempt banked off Pearce's skate and over the goal line to even the contest at four goals apiece.

Notre Dame was whistled for obstruction hooking at 17:06, giving the Maize and Blue a chance to end the game in regulation time. Michigan registered a pair of shots but could not convert. Time ran out in the third period, and the teams carried the 4-4 deadlock into an overtime session.

Ridderwall's rebound goal at 5:44 sent Notre Dame on to the national championship game against Boston College.

Michigan ends the 2007-08 season with an overall 33-6-4 record. The Wolverines graduate a trio of seniors -- Porter, Kolarik and Chris Fragner (Ann Arbor, Mich.).

written by ErocWolverine

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