Live Game Blog: Michigan vs Notre Dame NCAA Semifinals

And there it is. Notre Dame is headed to the Championship game as Hogan gets beat for the game winner off the stick of Calle Ridderwall for the 5-4 victory. Kevin Porter is the first Wolverine over to console Hogan as he could only turn away so many shots before getting beat. Great game from Denver, unfortunatly, the Irish come away with the win to set up a Notre Dame vs Boston College Championship game on Saturday night. Thanks for tuning in, highlights probably won't be up until tomorrow. Great season for the Wolverines as they came up one goal short of the NCAA Championship

Another big glove save from Hogan keeps things knotted up for the time being. Notre Dame has been the more aggressive team here in overtime. It's only a matter of time before an Irish shot finds the back of the net unless Michigan can pick up their intensity.

A nail-biter here from Denver as we're down to 15 minutes left in overtime and Michigan's holding their own with a true freshman in Bryan Hogan in the net.

15:00 Overtime

The Wolverines have had all sorts of trouble staying onsides as they are called once again for crossing the blue line before the puck, taking away a scoring opportunity as Kolarik and Porter had a 2-2.

Hogan comes up with the first save of OT standing up to the pressure early on. Hogan had to turn away a number of good chances from the Irish including a 2-1 break for Notre Dame

Injury for the Irish right off the opening draw as Christian Hanson went down clutching his knee and had to be helped off the ice.

It sure seems like Berenson's move to pull Billy Sauer in favor of freshman, Bryan Hogan has paid off. Hogan let up just one goal through the second and third periods. The defense seems to have responded best to the challange, stepping up infront of their freshman netminder. While Sauer allowed the three first-period goals, the defense has to shoulder some of that blame as they allowed Notre Dame to break in untouched and get off easy shots on Sauer. Now we'll have to see if the freshman can perform under the pressure of overtime. I'm sure the last place Hogan expected to be when he woke up this morning was between the pipes as overtime was set to begin.

End of Regulation

We are headed to overtime from the Pepsi Center as Michigan has battled back from the 3-0 deficit to force OT! We'll play a 20-minute sudden death overtime period after this 15 minute intermission. The NCAA blogging policy does not tell me how many posts I get in overtime, so I'm going to assume that I get three like the other periods. We're going to go try to catch our breaths, we'll be back with you in a few minutes as OT begins.


Here's some NCAA Tournament overtime history for you: the last time that Michigan appeared in an overtime game during the NCAA tournament was back in 2004 when they fell to Boston College 3-2. Michigan is 6-8 all-time in overtime games while Notre Dame is 1-0 with that victory coming last year over Alabama-Huntsville in double overtime. The last NCAA semifinal to go to OT was back in 2003 as that game saw Michigan lose to Minnesota 3-2 in Buffalo, NY.

Notre Dame has killed off 89.1% of its penalties on the year but Michigan was able to score earlier this period when Kolarik knocked the loose puck into the net. Not so fortunate on this one as Notre Dame kills it without allowing a Michigan shot on goal.

Huge penalty here on Notre Dame as Hagelin is hooked so the Wolverines will be on the power play for two minutes. With just 2:51 to go, Michigan will have the one-man advantage for just about the rest of regulation. Kevin Keeth is the guilty party for the Fighting Irish.

3:28 3rd Period
Unbelievable!!! Goal for the Wolverines as Hagelin ties the game up 4-4 with a backhand that squeezed between Jordan Pearce and the near post! That was the 11th goal on the season for the Swede as Rust and Palushaj pick up assists. A bad goal for Pearce to give up with the one goal lead as he failed to seal off the post allowing Hagelin to bounce the puck in the net.



Big save for Hogan as Notre Dame almost took a two-goal lead. Hogan was able to pounce on the loose puck in the crease to allow Wolverine fans to breath again...not that breathing is easy at this point when you combine the altitute and the way this game has gone

Wolverines have their backs up against the wall now as there are just 7:00 left in their season unless they can come up with another goal to match the Irish. Hogan hadn't been tested until Deeth got in all alone and couldn't come up with the save. He'll have to be strong the rest of the way as another Notre Dame goal could be the dagger.


8:00 3rd Period
Goal for Notre Dame as Kevin Deeth beats Hogan stick side to give the Irish the 4-3 lead with 8:30 left in the game. The goal was the 10th on the year for Deeth as Kissel and Cole pick up assists.

Michigan has been doing uncharacteristically well in the faceoff circle winning 35 of the 54 faceoffs on the night.

Notre Dame with the only major scoring chance in the last five minutes but Hogan able to come up with the pad save.

The two semifinal games today were announced as sellouts. Interestingly enough, they announced 18,543 for the first game and 18,544 for the second. I wonder who that extra person was that decided to check out Michigan vs Notre Dame? There are plenty of empty seats here in the Pepsi Center as roughly half of the North Dakota fans left after their 6-1 loss but attendance is based on tickets sold, not people in the seats.

14:26 3rd Period
GOAL!!!!!!!!!! After Aaron Palushaj and Max Pacioretty pounded away at the loose puck, Chad Kolarik scored his second goal of the game, knocking the puck out of the air and around the far post from his position behind the net. Palushaj and Pacioretty pick up the assists. What a job by the Wolverines to claw their way back to an even score. The power-play tally is Kolarik's 30th goal of the season

3rd Period starts with a penalty to Notre Dame for too many men on the ice. Great opportunity for Michigan to even things up here, but they have not had any success on the power-play today as Notre Dame came into today #2 in the nation on the penalty-kill.

Unfortunately the internet is not strong enough for me to post the highlights as they happen, but as soon as we get back to the hotel, I'll get them up.

2nd Period Intermission
Michigan could not convert on the power-play as their best shot came from Caporusso but his shot missed wide. Hogan still has not been tested in goal and that credit goes to the Michigan defense which has figured something out from the first period.

Bryan Hogan has been strong in net and Michigan has seemed to regain their edge and equally important the momentum. Scoring update: Carl Hagelin has been credited with an assist on the Matt Rust goal and Bryan Hogan earned an assist on the Chad Kolarik goal. 3rd period just a few minutes away...I'll be back around the 15:00 mark.

Reminder, you can listen to our live broadcast by clicking here. Tony and Christian have the call of the third period

4:45 Second Period
Now Michigan will be on the power-play as Kolarik drawks a holding penalty. Michigan has done a great job to get within one goal, let's see if they can even it up before the next break.

Roughing penalty coming to Michigan here so Notre Dame will have another two minutes of a one-man advantage as Mark Mitera is sent to the box. After killing off the first thirty seconds, a great hustle play by Tim Miller results in a Notre Dame slashing penalty so we're back to a four-on-four for the next 1:20 or so and then Michigan will get about :30 seconds on the power-play. Miller chased the puck all the way down into the Fighting Irish zone and then beat the Notre Dame defensemen to the puck as Jordan Pearce decided to play it to his left instead of covering it up. Despite losing his stick, Miller stayed with the puck, pinning it against the boards with his skates and eventually drawing the slash.

Michigan is winning the faceoffs today as you can certainly see the change in momentum. Michigan is now the more aggressive team with most of the action occuring down in the Notre Dame zone. Bryan Hogan has held up his end in net as he came on to replace Billy Sauer after the first period. More credit should go to the Wolverine defense as after a poor first period they seem to have stepped up protecting the freshman goalie as they have kept Notre Dame from getting any good attempts on Hogan.

10:00 Second Period
GOAL! Michigan is on the board as Chad Kolarik scores his 29th goal of the season off the Kevin Porter assist and before the PA announcer here as the Pepsi Center could even finish announcing the goal, the Wolverines stike again as Matt Rust pokes one in with assists going to Aaron Palushaj. Michigan's right back in this one as the Notre Dame lead has been cut to 3-2 with two Michigan goals just :15 seconds apart! The Michigan crowd is back in it as well as the Wolverines have all the momentum.

Some chippiness here as Scooter Vaughen threw his man to the ice after a whistle but no penalty called. Michigan can't loose their heads as going shorthanded is no way to start a comeback.

Yet another missed opportunity for Michigan as Porter and Pacioretty got out ahead of a ND line change but Kolarik's pass missed it's mark.

14:42 Second Period
Michigan looking much more aggressive here as they realize that their season depends on it. Lots of looks, but still no goals for Mihchigan as it's 3-0 Irish.

Bryan Hogan tested early but is able to turn away a nice drag play from the Irish. Ben Winnet had a great chance of a rebound but missed just wide. You have to wonder what's going through the mind of Billy Sauer as after an outstanding weekend in regional play against Clarkson and Niagara he allowed three first-period goals to Notre Dame and finds himself on the bench in what could be the last game of the Wolverines' season.

1st Period Intermission
Michigan got a chance with a one man advantage as Brock Sheahan took an interference penalty with 2:27 to go in the period. Notre Dame showed why they had the second best penalty kill in the nation as the Irish easily killed off the penalty and then added a short-handed goal to boot. 3-0 Notre Dame as Thang got in on the act scoring unassisted with :34 seconds left in ther period. Michigan's in trouble as for some reason, Sauer can't stand up to playing in the city of Denver.

While the defense hasn't played well either, all three goals were certainly saveable. Michigan's got a tall task ahead of them if they plan on advancing as they'll need four goals against Jordan Pearce who is one of the best goaltenders in the country.

I guess it doesn't matter that the internet isn't strong enough for highlights as there sure haven't been any for the Wolverines.

As we get set to start the second period, Red Berenson has elected to pull Billy Sauer in favor of freshman Bryan Hogan. Wow.

3:44 First Period
Naurato had an open net as Jordan Pearce found himself out of position but could not get a stick on the puck. There have been some opportunites for Michigan in this period but they haven't been able to convert. Notre Dame is definitely the more physical team, not a style Michigan wants to play against trailing 2-0.

Notre Dame playing with a lot more intensity here in the first period as they are beating the Wolverines to all the loose pucks. You have to wonder if Michigan might have been looking past the Fighting Irish a little bit as many of the fans were. This is my last post of the first period, so more to come at the intermission.

8:08 First Period
Mitera is back on the ice for this penalty kill. Nice save by Sauer as he turns away the Irish attempt to poke one past. Michigan is taking a more aggressive approach to this kill as Hagelin got in on net shorthanded but couldn't get a good shot off. Michigan now back at full strength

Louie Caporusso tagged with a hooking penalty so Michigan is back on the penalty kill with 10:21 to play. Not the start Michigan wanted to get off to and as we saw out of the earlier game, Michigan's got to get something going soon or they're in trouble. You have to wonder if Michigan came in a little overconfident having beaten the Irish twice already this season.

Notre Dame on the power play as Winnet takes an obstruction/hooking minor at the 6:52 mark. Sauer needs to get something going as he has not looked good at all in this first period. Michigan cannot afford to go down 3-0 as Notre Dame is known for their strong defense. Good job killing off the penalty as Sauer had to come up with a few big saves to keep this game at 2-0. Winnet back on the ice as we're 5-5 again.

13:20 First Period

Early scoring opportunity for the Wolverines as Hagelin's shot went just over the net :43 seconds in.

Michigan appears to have traveled fairly well as the Wolverine cheering section occupies two of the corner sections in the Pepsi Center. What they lack in qauntity they make up for in quality as they have been loud during the games opening minutes belting out Hail to the Victors every chance they get.

Another oportunity for Michigan as Hagelin came in strong with Turnball, but the centering pass went a bit wide. Our internet has been pretty shaky so as of now, highlights aren't happening.

Bad news for Michigan as Mark Mitera appears to limp off the ice. More on this as we figure out what happened.

And with that, even more bad news for Michigan as Notre Dame has jumped out to an 1-0 lead behind a Calle Ridderwall goal. Assit to Justin White.

Just as I was about to hit the publish button, Notre Dame scores again. 2-0 Fighting Irish as this one will be credited to Mark Van Guilder with the assist from Ryan Thang. It should be noted that earlier this year when Michigan beat Notre Dame at Yost, they also came back from a 2-0 first period deficit.

We're here live from the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado as the second NCAA semifinal is a few
minutes away. We'll be complying with NCAA blogging policy so count on three posts per period. Listen to our broadcast live on the stream

Frozen Four preview: The Road Ends in Denver

Well, after the season started October 12th in St. Paul, MN for BC and Michigan, both teams were surprised by the results. Michigan not only beat Boston College, but then gave Minnesota all they could handle. BC, on the other hand, would come out of that weekend ready for the season to start, but would soon hit a rough patch. North Dakota would start the season with a 6-0 throttling of the defending champion Spartans, followed by split weekend series all the way until the new year. Notre Dame, the Cinderella of this ball, would start the season 16-4, with 3 of the 4 losses coming to Wisconsin, Denver, and Miami (all tourney teams), before slumping down the stretch and controversially making the tournament over Minnesota State. Now a season that has been loaded with great story lines, from Minnesota and Wisconsin barely making the field, Miami entering the fray as the team-to-beat...for a while, North Dakota, Boston College, and Boston University getting hot late to make waves (BU missed the tourney, the others...well you know about them), and finally, the resurgence of Michigan in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, wraps up in Denver. Here is what you need to know for the games this Thursday and Saturday in Denver.

• North Dakota v. Boston College (6 PM EST)

This will be the third straight year these two teams will meet in the Frozen Four, with BC winning each of the previous two meetings, only to go on to lose to MSU and Wisco in the championship game. This is Boston College's 3rd straight trip to the Frozen Four and their 4th trip in the last 5 years. So let's start with the Eagles from Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

Boston College

Schedule:
BC started the season with the overtime loss to Michigan, before beating RPI to salvage the weekend in Minnesota. They followed that with a stretch where they played NoDak (we'll get to that later) and accumulated a 2-3-5 record. Yes, you read that correctly, they tied 5 of their next ten games before playing BU at the end of November in that rivalry series. That series against the Terriers seemed to revitalize the Eagles as they swept their bitter rivals and along with those wins, went on a 13-3-2 stretch to bring their season back from devastation to a very respectable 15-6-7 record. Unfortunately, they ended the season 1-6-1 to bring their record going into the Hockey East tourney to 16-12-8 and leaving BC in desperate need of a deep conference tourney run. You ask and you shall receive from this bunch with loads of postseason experience as they have reeled off 6 straight postseason victories including the NCAA regionals in Worcester. A team who knows how to win in the clutch is the best way to describe these Eagles as they pulled off victories in OT against New Hampshire (in 3OT) and Miami since the regular season has ended to ensure that they will continue playing in Denver.

Relevant Stats:
These Eagles are a strong team, lead by Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalist junior F Nathan Gerbe (30-30-60 in 42 GP). Gerbe will be the player to watch for sure, as he has done everything in his power this season to make sure this team returns to the Frozen Four and, if not for Kevin Porter, would have a legitimate claim to the Hobey Baker trophy. Gerbe isn't the only player on this BC squad though, as Boston College scores 3.57 goals per game, ranking them as the second best scoring team in Denver this weekend, well ahead of NoDak and ND. Along with Gerbe, there is stud freshman Joe Whitney, whose 40 helpers leads the team, sophomore Ben Smith, who, like Gerbe, is well balanced with 23 goals and 22 assists, and Benn Ferriero, whose 41 points shows that Phoenix has yet another highly ranked college prospect. Those four players all have more points than Notre Dame's leading point getter, showing that BC is an offense to be feared this upcoming weekend if you are a Sioux fan. Another thing to watch is that amount of pro prospects on this team, as there are 10 drafted players on the BC roster, 8 of whom play meaningful minutes for the team. There is a lot of pro talent for the Eagles and they will use every bit of it against the Fighting Sioux. On the other hand, BC is the worst defensive team in Denver this weekend, giving up 2.36 goals against per game. They have the only starting goalie this weekend whose GAA is above 2 (John Muse has a 2.26 GAA and .920 Save%). While his stats may not look great, John Muse is a large reason for BC being here at all, as the freshman has stepped up in the absence of a second goaltender and has played in all 42 games this season for BC. Finally, watch for lots of special teams goals in the BC games, as they boast the best PP unit of any in Denver (21.7%) and the worst PK unit (83.9%).

Other Miscellaneous Stats:

• When leading after 2 periods: 18-0-3; when trailing: 2-8-1
• 15.9 PIM/G
• This season: Lost to Michigan 4-3 in OT, tied NoDak 0-0 (game called after 2 periods due to ice conditions)

North Dakota

Schedule:
North Dakota's season started out swimmingly, as they were able to dispatch of the defending national champion Michigan State Spartans in convincing fashion, 6-0, and made the statement right there that they would be a team to reckon with. Now if only they had remembered that there were more games to be played. Following that game 10/13, NoDak would spend the rest of 2007 in split series purgatory, getting a tie and a win in Boston (against BC and Northeastern, respectively) before splitting 8 straight series. After the final split series in that stretch, North Dakota's record was 10-8-1 and the date was January 5th. With half the season gone and the Sioux splitting half their series, it was anybody's guess as to where this team was headed. Well, a sweep of Michigan Tech got the Sioux headed in the right direction, and what followed vaulted North Dakota back into the national debate for number 1 team in the nation. The Fighting Sioux did not lose another game until the first round of the WCHA tournament, compiling a record to end the regular season of 14-0-3 in their final 17 games and an overall record of 23-8-4. In the WCHA tournament, NoDak struggled against the Huskies from Houghton, but were able to win the best of 3 series in 3 games. In their next game in the WCHA semis, they would lose to Denver (the eventual champs) 3-1 before beating Colorado College 4-2 to claim 3rd place in the WCHA. This team is loaded with talent that has been to this stage before, as North Dakota will be making its 4th straight appearance in the Frozen Four to try to win the school's first national title since 2000.

Relevant Stats:
North Dakota is not the scoring machine of past years (see 8 goals against UM last year in the regional) but they still have the talent to score when needed. NoDak averages 3.05 goals per game, well below both BC and UM, and most of that scoring comes from 4 players. Only four players on the Sioux roster have double digit goal totals on the season, all of which have scored 15 or more goals. The next closest on the roster is a medley of players with 8 goals a piece. The main goal scorers to watch for North Dakota are the top 3 point getters on the team in T.J. Oshie (18-27-45), Chris VandeVelde (15-17-32), and reigning Hobey Baker winner Ryan Duncan (18-22-40). These 3 make up the scoring for North Dakota, all except for the wild card, goal scorer extraordinaire Andrew Kozek (who has 18 goals but only 3 assists). While the other 3 seem to be much more rounded offensively, Mr. Kozek knows how to find the back of the net, so don't be surprised to hear his name this weekend. Defensively though is where the Sioux shine, as they allowing a minuscule 1.76 GAA. While the blueline has been particularly strong, the majority of the credit has to be given to Sioux goaltender Jean-Philippe (J-P for short) Lamoureux. This senior goaltender has taken a huge leap forward each season he has been at NoDak, going from sophomore year with a 2.61 GAA to last year, where he started 25 straight games to end the season, winning 21 games on the season and recording a GAA of 2.42. Now after getting beat up his first season, followed by becoming the starter his junior year, he skyrocketed to stardom this season, leading the nation with a 1.64 GAA and a .936 save %. This young man (who stands all of 5-8...hmmmm, short goaltender who can perplex offenses, why does that sound soooo familiar?) has put the Fighting Sioux on his back and will be the most important part of the equation once again on Thursday and, if all goes right for North Dakota, Saturday as well.

Other Miscellaneous Stats:

• Goal Differential by period: 1st: +32, 2nd: +7, 3rd: +13
  
• 18.3 PIM/G
• PP% - 19.1%; PK% - 87.4%
  
• This season: Tied BC in Boston though the game was called after 2 periods.
• Only played 4 neutral site games this year (in the WCHA tournament and the NCAA Regionals)

The Game Itself:

While both teams come into this game playing great over the second half of the season, I see this game coming down to more about in-game momentum than incoming momentum. Each team will be so experienced from previous years, not only with how to approach the Frozen Four atmosphere but also how to approach this particular opponent. You think Michigan hates playing North Dakota, imagine how North Dakota must feel about playing Boston College. In the end, the game will come down to goaltending, as this is the one area where there is a VERY LARGE advantage for one team, that being North Dakota and J-P Lamoureux over Boston College and John Muse. While Muse has done well this season, he will be put in a tough situation and will have to play the best game of his young career to get the Eagles the victory. Watch for the senior leadership of Lamoureux in net to help his team, while Muse's freshman anxiety may hurt his team. Gerbe, Oshie, Duncan, Whitney are all big names, but the biggest name for this game will be the little man in net, J-P Lamoureux.

Prediction:

Watch for both teams to come out flying, though J-P will stand tall and Muse will let in an early goal to TJ Oshie. The second period will not be much as both teams clamp down and both goalies see every shot clearly. The third period will see a bad penalty from NoDak result in a PP goal for Nathan Gerbe to knot the score up. Not long after though, Muse lets in a soft goal to Andrew Kozek and from their Lamoureux stands on his head to preserve the 2-1 victory and North Dakota is back in the championship game for the first time since 2005.

• Notre Dame v. Michigan (9:30 PM EST)

For the first time in the history of this proud football rivalry will the two teams meet on the ice in the NCAA tournament. While Michigan had dominated the series for quite some time before last year, these two teams have traded blows the last couple of years, with each not backing down from the other. Now the teams will meet for the third time this year, with Michigan trying to continue its winning ways against Notre Dame (they swept the Irish 3-2 at Yost and 5-1 at the Palace in mid-January). Notre Dame, in its first ever appearance in the Frozen Four, will try to continue its march to the top of the college hockey world with the always-amazing Jeff Jackson at the helm. So, let's start with Jeff's Irish squad.

Notre Dame

Schedule:
Notre Dame came into the season expected to move past the powerhouse program in the CCHA, Michigan, and lead a 3 team race atop the CCHA with themselves, Miami, and Michigan State. While those 3 teams lived up to their parts, Michigan crashed the party, ruining what was supposed to be Notre Dame's official coming-out party as an official top-rung hockey program. The season that was supposed to be amazing, started slowly, with a loss to Wisconsin and a win against Mercyhurst (ugh!) in the Lefty McFadden Invitational. They followed that with a split against Denver, a win over BG, and a split with Ferris State, bringing their record to 4-3 at the end of October, not the start the Irish faithful were expecting. But the luck of the Irish picked up after that, with a 12-1 record in Notre Dame's next 13 to move the Irish to 16-4 and in great position moving into the holiday break. Unfortunately, out of those 13 games, only a split at Miami could be considered anything of significance, leading to trouble come later in the season. Heading into the holiday season with a 16-4 record and a trip to Tampa for a winter tournament made for what seemed to be a bright future for Notre Dame. In Tampa, they lost their first game to UMass before beating RPI to win 3rd place. The following stretch in the CCHA was brutal, as Notre Dame split with NMU, lost and tied to MSU, and were swept by the Wolverines. That stretch of 8 games dropped Notre Dame's record to 18-9-1 on the season and out of consideration atop the national rankings. The Irish then swept Bowling Green in convincing fashion in a series that should have gotten them back on track, at 20-9-1. Unfortunately, Notre Dame would end the regular season with a stretch, where they went 2-3-3 against the likes of WMU, OSU, Alaska, and Ferris St (Yikes!). Notre Dame followed that by winning 2 of 3 against Ferris State in the quarterfinals of the CCHA tournament before losing to both Miami and NMU at the Joe during the CCHA semis and 3rd place game. All of this put many into the frame of thought that Notre Dame shouldn't be in the tournament, especially not ahead of Minnesota State. There was an argument to be made between Wisconsin and Notre Dame, but not Minnesota State they said. So with that, Notre Dame went to Colorado Springs to try and prove doubters wrong, and did they ever, beating #1 seed New Hampshire 7-3 before beating fellow CCHA mate and defending champ MSU 3-1 to move onto to Denver and the Frozen Four.

Relevant Stats:
Offensively, Notre Dame is horrible in comparison to the rest of the teams in the Frozen Four, with an anemic 2.89 goals per game. That offense seemed to have taken a hit when the Irish lost their leading scorer, Eric Condra (15-23-38) in the CCHA tournament. Notre Dame proved that was the not the case when they put up 10 goals in the regionals against 2 of the top 4 goalies in the nation (Kevin Regan of UNH and Jeff Lerg of MSU). This team will still not be able to keep up with the Wolverines in a shootout, but if the Wolverines overlook the Irish offense (especially Ryan Thang or Kevin Deeth), they could be in deep trouble. Defensively, the Irish are one of the best in the nation, allowing only 2.04 goals against per game. With a great blue line corps (starring Brock Sheahan, Dan VeNard, and Kyle Lawson), this team has the distinct possibility of causing the Wolverines offense problems. The defense is especially great on the penalty kill, killing off 89.6% of their opponent's powerplay opportunities. Expect the Irish to play for a 1-0 or 2-1 score and if they get up early, watch out, the Wolverines could be in trouble. In net for the Irish will be junior goaltender Jordan Pearce, who touts a 1.95 GAA and .917 save percentage. The play of Pearce and the blue line corps will be important, but in the end, the integral play will be that of Deeth and Thang and whether they can outscore the amazing Wolverine offense.

Other Miscellaneous Stats:

• Goal Differential by period: 1st: +6, 2nd: +23, 3rd: +10
  
• 13.3 PIM/G
• PP% - 15.4%; PK% - 89.6%
  
• This season: Swept by Michigan in a home-and-home (with ND's home game at the Palace)
  
• Swept Michigan in the regular season last year before beating them again in the postseason (in the CCHA championship).
  

The Game Itself:
This is a second straight all-CCHA matchup for the Fighting Irish, as they beat the Spartans to get here, while the Wolverines will try to continue their winning ways against Notre Dame following last season's sweep at the hands of the Irish. Jeff Jackson versus Red Berenson; Jordan Pearce versus Billy Sauer; Brock Sheahan and Dan VeNard versus Chad Kolarik and Kevin Porter; Mark Mitera and Scooter Vaughan versus Ryan Thang and Kevin Deeth; loads of great matchups show up in this game, but the game will play out in my mind, more on the shoulders of the Michigan offense. Notre Dame cannot be expected to put up more than 3 goals, and more likely will only put up 1 or 2. Therefore, it will come down to whether the Wolverines can put goals against the strong Irish defense and the jitters of being in their first ever Frozen Four.

Prediction:

This game will probably be played much closer to the vest, as neither team has players who have been to the Frozen Four with coaches who have. Therefore, the coaches will probably try to keep things simple to make sure the players feel comfortable. Expect a lower scoring game and the team to score first to have a huge advantage. I see the Wolverines and Irish playing close for the entire first period with a 0-0 score after 1. In the second period, the Wolverines will finally get on the board, thanks to Louie "Light the Lamp" Caporusso. That leaves the score at 1-0 after 2, but then the fireworks will start. Both coaches will look at their teams and tell them that we are in for a fight, so let's go out play our hearts out over the final 20 minutes. I see plenty of scoring in the third, with the teams combining for 5 goals. The final score will be...4-2 Michigan after a late goal (EN) to push the lead back to 2.

This should provide you with all the info you need to know about the 3 teams other than Michigan in the Frozen Four, which starts on Thursday. Remember, we will be broadcasting live from Denver, CO, so listen to 88.3 FM Ann Arbor if you are in the area, or just tune into listen to us live on the sports stream at WCBN.org.

By the way, a little trivia to impress friends with: When was the last time the Frozen Four did not feature one of the following 3 teams(Michigan, Boston College, or North Dakota)? Answer: 1994 (Lake Superior State [who won while coached by Jeff Jackson], Boston U, Harvard, Minnesota)

Michigan v. Clarkson: Game 2 from Albany

--9:30--

MICHIGAN IS HEADING TO THE FROZEN FOUR! Billy Sauer’s incredible goaltending allows the Wolverines to keep their 2 goal lead. Michigan fans are going nuts as the band plays “The Victors” and the Michigan players mob Billy Sauer at the net. Michigan will go to the Frozen Four for the 23^rd time, more than any other school. I will wrap things up shortly.

--9:28--

Billy Sauer is playing out of his mind, making save after save to deny the 6 on 3 attack by Clarkson, as they have pulled Leggio in favor of another attacker. He continues to dive all over the place and denies Clarkson any chance to place the puck in the back of the net.

--9:25--

Steve Kampfer gets called for tripping in front of the Michigan net, but it couldn’t have come at a better time. He bails out Billy Sauer, who nearly gives up a shorthanded goal.

--9:23--

Things are getting crazy in Albany, with the Clarkson attack becoming more frantic. Thankfully, Clarkson’s Tim Marks just got called for slashing with 3:50 left in the period. This is a real backbreaker for the Golden Knights

--9:12--

The linesman has called another penalty, this time on Brandon DeFazio for interference. As I just finish typing this, Chris D’Alvise gets called for a slash, giving Michigan a 5 v. 3 advantage. This is a big momentum gain for Michigan as they can add another goal.

--9:07--

At the beginning of the third period, we were handed a ballot for the 2008 Ice Hockey Championship All-East Regional. Here is how we filled ours out (we promise it’s not too biased):

F- Kevin Porter, Michigan

F-Chad Kolarik, Michigan

F- Matt Beca, Clarkson

D-Mark Mitera, Michigan

D- Travis Anderson, Niagara

G- Billy Sauer, Michigan

MOP: Kevin Porter, Michigan

--9:04—

The announcer, who has a heavy New York accent, has just announced the final of the Wisconsin-Denver game, with Wisconsin winning 6-2. Thankfully, this is not Michigan’s fate, as they were sent to Albany instead of Madison.

--9:00--

The penalty fest continues as Matt Beca is called for roughing. Michigan will have the man advantage once Naurato returns to the ice.

--8:59--

Unfortunately, Brandon Naurato gets called for slashing about a minute into the Michigan power play. It was a silly decision by Naurato right in front of the ref and we will play 4 on 4 hockey. Billy Sauer stands on his head shortly after to keep the 2 goal advantage.

--8:57--

Chris D’Alvise will be called for high sticking, sending the Wolverines back on the power play. The Wolverines are 1-3 on the PP tonight.

--8:53--

GOAL MICHIGAN! The third period starts out with a bang as Porter puts in a backhand goal from beautiful passing from Chad Kolarik and Max Pacioretty. The first line continues to dominate and Kevin Porter now has 5 goals in this regional. With the majority of the third period remaining, the Wolverines can enjoy a 2 goal cushion.

--8:35--

The final minute of play sees the Wolverines take advantage of Clarkson getting caught out of position twice with Kolarik getting stuffed by David Leggio twice, the first on a one on none with the goalie only to beat, the second on a 2 on 0 with Porter hitting Kolarik for the shot. David Leggio just kept Clarkson in this game by himself and a one goal lead going into the 3^rd is very dangerous for the Wolverines. Shots after 2: Clarkson 17, Michigan 14

--8:31--

Another great penalty kill by the Wolverines, Billy had a couple nice saves, and Clarkson is now 0-6 on the power play. The Wolverines are starting to get frustrated by the amount of time they are spending on the penalty kill and it can be seen in their offense.

--8:26—

Both teams saw the penalties go by the wayside, but immediately afterwards, Tristin Llewellyn is hit with a penalty which, was in this humble man’s opinion, a terrible call. This ref unit has worked its way out of the Frozen Four, unless the NCAA wants to see its refs get ripped for terrible officiating on national television. The NCAA chose a terrible set of refs for this weekend and hopefully, they wake up before they cost the Wolverines the game with another horrible call.

--8:19--

Chad Langlais has been hit with a cross-checking penalty, which the ref declined to call but the linesman made from VERY FAR AWAY. Clarkson has followed the penalty with a great attack and a couple good scoring chances, before Nick Dodge is hit with a penalty on his takedown of Tim Miller.

--8:14--

The Wolverines kill off another penalty, pushing Clarkson to 0-4 on the power play tonight. The game has turned into a grind fest with a lot of shoving and very little offense.

--8:09--

Tristin Llewellyn has received a two-minute minor for cross-checking with 13:43 left in the period, the Wolverines go back on the penalty kill, where they are 3 for 3 on the night in successfully killing the Golden Knight’s power play. The penalty was a result of a scrum in front of Billy Sauer as Clarkson had a great attempt at a goal.

--8:05--

Not much going on in Albany as both teams have skated full bore for the first five minutes of the 2^nd period, and have created a combined total of zero good scoring chances. The closest for Michigan was a 2-1 for Tim Miller and Danny Fardig which resulted in Fardig having an open net, but whiffing on the attempt. Clarkson’s closest was a slap shot set up for Detroit Red Wings prospect Bryan Rufenach, but he whiffed on his attempt.

--7:42--

The first period has come to a close here in Albany, with Michigan leading 1-0 thanks to Palushaj’s wraparound goal. The shots on goal are tied at 10. Billy Sauer has made some great saves to keep the Wolverines in the game. The play is much more physical than it was last night as the Golden Knights look to slow down the powerful Michigan offense. They remind Tony, Andrew, and I of Michigan State’s trap style. We also agree that Clarkson fans are as obnoxious as all get-out. Michigan will be on the PK once play resumes.

--7:40--

25 seconds from the end of the period, Kampfer goes back into the box for holding. The penalty seemed to come out of frustration, as the play since the Michigan goal has been in the Michigan zone.

--7:35--

A questionable tripping call comes to Steve Kampfer, putting Clarkson back on the power play. Fan rain down “Worst Ref Ever” onto the referee tonight. Keep in mind that these are the same fans that have put up with Shegos all year.

--7:30--

GOAL MICHIGAN! Freshman Aaron Palushai took the puck from behind the net and made a nice wraparound goal, catching Leggio out of position and putting the Blue ahead 1-0 on the power play. Assists were awarded to Mark Mitera and Kevin Porter and the goal came about 15 minutes into the first. Just like last night, Michigan scores first, which will hopefully give them some momentum to carry to the end of the period.

--7:27--

Michigan just had their best scoring opportunity turned away by Leggio. Chad Kolarik got the puck near the Clarkson net, made a nifty move to go high, but it was saved by the Clarkson netminder. After the play, Kolarik was interfered with by Clarkson defenseman Phil Paquet, but Chad helped it with a dive. Once the penalty was called, Paquet grabbed Kolarik’s cage and pushed it down. Kolarik was called for “embellishment,” the first time I have heard that called, and Paquet will be penalized 2 minutes for interference and 2 minutes for roughing after the whistle. Michigan will go back on the power play to try and get a goal here in the first.

--7:20--

Billy Sauer just made two great saves to keep this game scoreless, one on a point blank one-timer. This is reminiscent of the CCHA championship round, where Billy had a slow first night and had to play well against Miami in the title game.

--7:14--

Matt Rust gets called for interference to put the Golden Knights on the power play for the first time. Michigan has yet to find the tempo they set up last night and they are looking to keep up the solid penalty kill they maintain in their game versus Niagara.

--7:08--

The first penalty of the night comes as Brandon DeFazio takes a contact to the head penalty. Both teams have been back and forth early in this first period and neither have been able to set up a good scoring chance. Hopefully this power play will give Michigan some momentum early in the game. On a side note, there is a good showing by Clarkson fans and they have not been silent since the puck dropped. We aren’t near the Michigan fans, but they are awfully hard to hear.

--7:04--

Let’s Play Hockey! The puck is dropped and Michigan tries to continue their season. Clarkson gets a quick shot of on Billy Sauer, but he makes the save. Below are the starting lineups for each team. Scooter Vaughn is dressed for this game and will play alongside Mark Mitera on the blue line.

Clarkson -> LW – Chris D’Alavise
D - Steve Zalewski
RW – Matt Beca
D – Grant Clitsome
D – Phil Paquet
G – David Leggio

Michigan -> LW – Max Pacioretty
C – Kevin Porter
RW – Chad Kolarik
D – Mark Mitera
D – Chris Summers
G – Billy Sauer

--6:40--

We have settled in for the East regional final and a set to watch our Wolverines take on the #3 seed Clarkson Golden Knights. These two teams have not played each other since 1962 when Clarkson defeated Michigan in the Frozen Four. Red Berenson was at this game, but was a player instead of a coach. Michigan fans continue to stream in to root on the #1 ranked Wolverines. We won’t be able to blog live again, but will have our posts and final thoughts after the game.