No. 8/10 Men’s Hockey Falls in CCHA Super Six Title Game to No. 4t/5 Michigan, 4-2 – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/20/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 20, 2005
Box Score
DETROIT, Mich. – The No. 8/10 Ohio State men’s hockey team fell in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Super Six Championship final to No. 4t/5 Michigan, 4-2, Saturday at Joe Louis Arena. The Wolverines earn the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA tournament with the win. The 16-team NCAA championship field, including six automatic bids and 10 at-large spots, will be announced at 11 a.m. Sunday live on ESPN2.
The loss drops the Buckeyes, who were the tournament’s No. 2 seed, to 27-10-4 on the year. The top-seeded Wolverines improve to 30-7-3 and extend their unbeaten streak to 13 (11-0-2). The game was a rematch of the 2004 tournament title game, which the Buckeyes won, 4-2.
Michigan scored the only goal of the first period, when Milan Gajic scored on a one-timer on the power play 2:54 into the game. The Buckeyes had an apparent goal waved off later in the period, as it was ruled the whistle had blown before the puck crossed the line. After OSU was outshot, 7-1, to start the game, the Buckeyes ended the period outshooting the Wolverines by one, 12-11.
Buckeye Tom Fritsche (Fr., Parma, Ohio) tied the game at one 5:32 into the second period when he put in the rebound of a Domenic Maiani (Fr., Shelby Township, Mich.) shot, with Matt Waddell (So., Armstrong, British Columbia) picking up the second assist. Gajic again put the Wolverines ahead with his second power-play goal of the game, scored at 6:46, just 1:14 later. JB Bittner (Sr., Pittsburgh, Pa.) tied the game at two, as he threw the puck in front of the net and it went off Eric Werner’s skate and into the net. Rod Pelley (Jr., Kitimat, British Columbia) and Dan Knapp (Jr., Rochester, Mich.) assisted on the goal, which came at 6:57. The Buckeyes outshot the Wolverines in the period, 12-10.
Jeff Tambellini put UM ahead, 3-2, with an unassisted goal 5:27 into the third period, as his shot bounced in off a Buckeye defenseman. Jason Ryznar ended the scoring with an empty-net goal with .5 remaining on the clock. The Wolverines put 17 shots on net in the period, while holding the Buckeyes to just five.
Michigan outshot the Buckeyes in the game, 38-29. Buckeye goalie Dave Caruso (Jr., Roswell, Ga.) had 34 saves while allowing three goals in 59:01. Wolverine goalie Al Montoya had 27 saves in 59:57.
The Buckeyes were held scoreless on seven power-play chances, while Michigan converted 2-of-10 opportunities.
Postgame Notes
Fritsche and sophomore defenseman Sean Collins (Troy, Mich.) were named to the all-tournament team, the 13th and 14th Buckeyes to be so honored. Also named to the all-tournament team were Michigan’s Tambellini, who also was the MVP, Michigan defenseman Brandon Rogers, Alaska Fairbanks forward Ryan McLeod and UAF goalie Wylie Rogers.
Caruso’s 34 saves were the second-highest total of his career and this season. He had a career-best 37 stops vs. Alaska Fairbanks Dec. 4.
Bittner is tied with Dave Beaudin (1984-87) for fourth place all-time in career games played with 159. He is two behind second-place Doug Andress and Scott May, who both played from 2001-04. Mark Anderson (1985-88) is OSU’s all-time leader with 167.
Fritsche now is tied with seventh in OSU history for single-season points by a freshman with Andrew Forcey (1986). Fritsche’s point total is the highest for a Buckeye freshman since Brian Loney had 55 in 1992. Fritsche’s 33 assists rank fifth in OSU history for single-season rookie assists, one behind third-place Bruce Allworth (1974) and Loney (1992).
Ohio State is 1-2 against Michigan this season and has lost the last two meetings. OSU won the first game Jan. 21 4-1, before Michigan won game two of the series in Columbus, 6-3, Jan. 22.
OSU and Michigan have met in the league tournament each of the last four seasons. The Wolverines won in the semifinals in 2002 and 2003 before OSU won in the championship last season.
Junior defenseman Nate Guenin (Jr., Aliquippa, Pa.) has 136 penalty minutes this season to rank 10th in Buckeye history for penalty minutes.
The Buckeyes are 2-5-1 all-time in CCHA championship games.
Fritsche has seven (3-4) postseason points to tie for seventh in OSU history for single-season postseason points.
Waddell has an assist in three consecutive games. Fritsche is on a three-game point and goal streak, with 3-3-6 totals.
Hockey Game Box Score (Final)
Ohio State Hockey 2004-05
#10 Ohio State vs #4 Michigan (Mar 19, 2005 at Detroit, Mich.)
Ohio State (27-10-4) vs. Michigan (30-7-3)
Date: Mar 19, 2005 Location: Detroit, Mich. Arena: Joe Louis Arena
Attendance:16891 Start time:7:35 pm End time:10:12 pm Total time:2:37
Goals by Period 1 2 3 Tot
———————————-
Ohio State………. 0 2 0 – 2
Michigan………… 1 1 2 – 4
1st period – 1, UM, Gajic, Milan/19 (Hunwick, Matt/18, Rogers,
Brandon/20) 2:54 (pp). Penalties – Tom Fritsche, OSU (hooking) 2:04;
Porter, Kevin, UM (cross-checking) 4:44; Domenic Maiani, OSU
(obstruction-hooking) 8:41; Kenny Bernard, OSU (tripping) 10:44; Cook,
Tim, UM (obstruction-tripping) 13:17; Andrew Schembri, OSU (high
sticking) 15:22; Martens, Nick, UM (hit after whistle) 17:53.
2nd period – 2, OSU, Tom Fritsche/10 (Domenic Maiani/22, Matt
Waddell/13) 5:32. 3, UM, Gajic, Milan/20 (Kaleniecki, Brandon/8,
Rogers, Brandon/21) 6:46 (pp). 4, OSU, JB Bittner/10 (Rod Pelley/19,
Dan Knapp/23) 6:57. Penalties – Tambellini, Jeff, UM
(obstruction-hooking) :45; Nate Guenin, OSU (charging) 6:02;
Tambellini, Jeff, UM (interference) 8:28; JB Bittner, OSU
(interference) 10:57; Matt Waddell, OSU (holding) 12:09; Hunwick,
Matt, UM (hooking) 13:14; Andrew Schembri, OSU (high sticking) 17:48;
Tambellini, Jeff, UM (hit after whistle) 20:00; Jason DeSantis, OSU
(hit after whistle) 20:00; Tambellini, Jeff, UM (hit after whistle)
20:00; Jason DeSantis, OSU (hit after whistle) 20:00; Kolarik, Chad,
UM (slashing) 20:00; Matt Waddell, OSU (slashing) 20:00; Kolarik,
Chad, UM (hit after whistle) 20:00; Matt Waddell, OSU (hit after
whistle) 20:00; Montoya, Al, UM (unsportsmanlike conduct) 20:00; Bryce
Anderson, OSU (unsportsmanlike conduct) 20:00; Bryce Anderson, OSU
(10-minute misconduct) 20:00.
3rd period – 5, UM, Tambellini, Jeff/21 5:27. 6, UM, Ryznar,
Jason/6 (Woodford, Mike/4) 19:59 (empty net). Penalties – Nate Guenin,
OSU (roughing) 6:19; TEAM, UM (too many on ice) 7:53; TEAM, OSU (too
many on ice) 12:36.
Shots on goal – OSU 12-12-5 29; UM 11-10-17 38.
Power plays – OSU 0 of 7; UM 2 of 10.
Penalties – OSU 16 (40 min); UM 12 (24 min).
Goalies – OSU, Dave Caruso 25-8-4 (59:01 minutes, 37 shots-34
saves) , EMPTY NET (00:59, 0-0); UM, Montoya, Al 29-6-3 (59:57, 29-27)
, EMPTY NET (00:03, 0-0).
Penalty shots – None.
A-16891 T-2:37
Three stars: 1. Gajic, Milan 2. Tom Fritsche 3. Montoya, Al
Referee:Steve Piotrowski Assistant Referee:John Philo; Kevin Langseth
Win-Montoya, Al (29-6-3). Loss-Dave Caruso (25-8-4).
ID-333844
CCHA Championship Game
All-Tournament Team-UM-Tambellini, OSU-Fritsche,
UAF-McLeod, UM-Rogers, OSU-Collins, UAF-Rogers
