Oh where, oh where, has the shooting gone?
 
In an extraordinary effort, Luciano Caravaggio saves a point for MTU
with 61 saves!   Box score, then commentary --
 
MTU  1 0 0 0 - 0
UMD  0 0 1 0 - 1
 
MTU Caravaggio   21  21  17   2 - 61
UMD Lendzyck        4   4     6   3 - 17
 
Ist Period:
 
MTU B. Peterson (Wright, P. Mikesch) ppg 7:35
 
       Penalties:
 
       UMD Taminen hooking 2:23
       UMD Petroff holding 5:52
       MTU Prokopetz interference 9:48
       MTU Hanchuk interference 11:01
       MTU Savage tripping 14:37
       MTU Garvey tripping 16:14
       MTU Hanchuk cross check 17:37
       MTU Wright 4 min rough 19:47
       UMD Fitzgerald 4 min rough 19:47
       UMD Fitzgerald slash 1947:
 
2nd Period (no scoring)
 
      Penalties:
 
      MTU Dupont cross check 7:47
      MTU Prokopetz 5 min major  hitting from behind 10:59
      UMD Fitzgerald roughing 12:22
      UMD Sitlow roughing 12:22
      MTU Kryser roughing 12:22
      MTU Kryser delay 12:22
      MTU Jensen roughing 12:22
      MTU Garvey roughing 12:22
      MTU Garvey cross check 12:22
      MTU Hanchuk interference 16:40
      MTU K. Peterson roughing 17:43
      MTU Federenko roughing 17:43
      MTU Hanchuk roughing 20:00
      UMD Cicerello slash 20:00
 
3rd Period:
 
UMD Fitzgerald (Sitlow) 11:04
 
      Penalties:
 
      UMD  Garrote hooking 00:53
      MTU Meyers high sticking 3:47
      MTU Jensen interference 12:33
      UMD Larson holding 12:57
      MTU Dupon hooking 15:22
      UMD Sitlow high sticking 15:22
      MTU Hanchuk roughing 16:13
      UMD Hansen roughing 16:13
 
Over Time (no scoring)
 
     Penalties:
 
     MTU Hanchuk roughing 4:19
     UMD Fitzgerald roughing 4:19
 
Commentary:
 
Michigan Tech did everything they could to lose this one to
University of Minnesota at Duluth. Only the outstanding play
by Caravaggio saved a point. In the first, MTU came out strong
which resulted in Brent Peterson's score. Wright passed to
Pat Mikesch at the right point who fire a shot on net. Lendzyck,
reputed to be a fine goalie (he was never tested last night),
stopped the shot but gave up the rebound to Peterson in the
slot. Peterson patiently waited until Lendzyck moved and then
put it through the '5' hole.  The remainder of the first was marked
by MTU penalties. Three different times during the first UMD had
5 on 3 opportunities.
 
The second continued where the first let off. The first eight minutes
of the second period was 5 on 5 hockey. It appeared that MTU had an
edge but did nothing to capitalize on it. Then began a stream of fouls
that really characterized the period. Prokopetz's 5 min major along with
extra add-on to Kryser and Garvey resulted in UMD having a 5 on 3
advantage for 3 minutes.  Unbelievble penalty killing by the MTU squads
shut UMD out.
 
The third belonged to UMD all the way. MTU was tired and basically just
reacting to UMD. At 11:04, Fitzgerald and Sitlow cycled the puck behind
MTU's net. Fitzgerald moved out the the front and Sitlow put the puck
on his stick. Fitzgerald slid the puck under Caravaggio for UMD's only
score. UMD continued the pressure trying to get the win but to no
avail.
 
Over time was even. Both teams tired, neither could get anything together.
Thus the game ended.
 
No team can win giving up 62 shots on net and only few teams can win
shooting four shots a period which MTU did twice last night.  MTU has not
shot in the double figures for a period since the first period of the first
game against Minnesota, now some 10 periods ago. It seems that the
character of the team has changed. Whereas starting the season aggressive,
pelting the opposing goalie with shots, making things happen and keeping
the opposing team off guard, MTU has become slow, tending to pass, defensive
and largely out of the game. This is starting to repeat a pattern seen last
year which caused MTU to finish last in the WCHA.  As with last year, MTU
is starting to pick up a lot of penalties per game and relying on their goalie
too much.
 
MTU needs to get back to a more free flowing play in which they crash towards
the net and force shots rather than pass at the perimeters and shoot from the
points. What is even more obvious, MTU needs to concentrate on basic skills
as passing, poke checking, back checking and fore checking. Interference away
from the play has to cease: I am beginning to believe that most of this is
caused by players either unable to, or being lazy/tired and not wanting to,
skate with the other shirt. As a result they hook, grab and otherwise interfere
with the opponent. The coaches have to get on these players.
 
MTU has to quit trying to be cute, shoot the puck and avoid penalties if they
are to play up to the level which I and, I think, most other MTU fans know they
can do. The team has excellent talent but it must be molded and coordinated
into a winning hockey team. Every game has seen flashes of brilliance: last
night, it had to be the penalty killing and goal tending. Other games, it was
the shooting of Pat Mikesch, the moves of Andre Savage, the strength of the
Peterson brothers, the hard deadly shots by Garvey,  feisty play of Figgy,
the game in and game out work of Prokopetz and the fast moves and shots by
Dupont.  This is still in the team: let's get consistency every game.