LAKE SUPERIOR 7 Bowling Green 0 (JLA Friday)
A beautiful "send a message" game.  I annoyed basically
everyone in my vicinity by cheering for the Lakers.  I even
annoyed the Laker fans, because I thought that both would-
be Laker goals that referee Matt Shegos waved off were
good calls.  (1) The net was dislodged, as shown by four or
five different reply angles.  A tough one for the Lakers,
because Savard (BGSU goaltender) was going to get beat
with or without the net behind him, but the net was off.  (2) The
whistle had sounded before Marchant (?) knocked it loose
from Savard and into the net.  Both calls came when the game
was 1-0, so they looked bigger at the time than what they
eventually were.  Savard had an interesting game.  He made
a few nice saves, but looked clueless on most of the goals.
Look down!  Look down! :-)
 
The best non-goal of the weekend was Bates Battaglia
completely undressing Savard at the left dot and walking
around him toward the empty BGSU net.  Battaglia took
himself over the goal line though when he went around
Savard and by the time he gathered the puck and prepared
for a backhand into the open net, BGSU's Curtis Fry had
belly-flopped and had an outstretched stick on the ice
defending the Falcon net.  Battaglia obliged by slamming
the puck into Fry's stick.  After the game I told LSSU AAD/SID
Scott Monaghan that he's welcome to send Bates down to
Ann Arbor during the summer and I'll teach him how to lift
a backhand two inches.  (Seriously, that's all he needed.
If he needed more than that, he'd have to see a more qualified
instructor, but drop a stick on the ice and I can keep a point
blank backhand between two inches and four feet most of the
time.  Of course, I'm not trying to do it in the CCHA playoffs,
either. :-)
 
MICHIGAN 6 Michigan State 2 (JLA Friday)
Great comments already made by Steve Bartley and J Michael
Jackson, some of which I'll reiterate (sorry).  The first goal was
a wild scramble in front of Chad Alban in the MSU net.  UM's
Kevin Hilton located the puck, but not a lane to shoot through.
Hilton had the patience and presence of mind to move into an
opening before roofing it over Alban...who immediately left for
the lockeroom.  Down one goal and one goaltender (freshman
Mike Brusseau replaced Alban) five minutes into the game,
the Spartans began to hit, and hit, and hit.  MSU landed several
solid checks and Richard Keyes (argh!) scored a beautiful goal
on a two-on-one rush during a four-on-four.  All of a sudden the
game was tied and MSU had the momentum.  Then Alban
returned.  About two minutes later Michigan fans saw shades of
Denny Felsner and Mike Knuble as Jason Botterill came up the
right side and muscled his way around Jeff Kozakowski (who
goes 200+ lbs) to the net where he beat Alban.  The shot wasn't
as picturesque as Keyes', but the overall individual effort on
the play was.  UM up, 2-1.  A couple of blinks later, State had a
power play opportunity.  Unfortunately for them, the puck wound
up at the end of John Madden's stick.  A few seconds later (it
seemed like several minutes) the puck was behind Alban in the
MSU net.  During those few seconds the puck went from Madden
to Bobby Hayes and back to Madden as Hayes shaked-and-
baked one Spartan at the blue line before being mugged by
another as Madden cruised in on Alban.  For people who didn't
see this goal (live or via TV), my words cannot do it justice.  Pure
highlight material.  In my dream world, each conference would
capture these moments on video and have an action-packed
30-60 minute tape for each season.  Then, I could sit down with
fans from all over the country and enjoy the great stars and the
great plays.  I could see the Bonins, Pandolfos, Perrins, etc and
their fans could say, "When you read about so-and-so on Hockey-L,
this is what we are seeing."  And, they could see Aldridge, Madden,
Morrison and Co and I could say, "When you read about Madden's
shorthanded prowess on Hockey-L, THIS is what I see."  Unreal.
It was Madden's ninth shorthander of the season and it put one big
nail in the MSU coffin.  Michigan closed out the period with a nifty
give-and-go between Bill Muckalt and Mike Legg.  Muckalt got the
PP goal and the first period broke at 4-1.
 
Ron Mason was interviewed during the intermission.  He said
that Alban lost an edge and had to get his skates re-sharpened.
He said that the bad skate cost Alban the first goal and leaving
the game distracted his concentration, which cost him two more.
Hmmm?  So, three Michigan goals can be indirectly blamed on
MSU's skate sharpener I guess.
 
The three "penalty" incidents in the second period have all been
mentioned here, but are worthy of being repeated.
  (1) With UM up 5-1 midway through, Alban made a play on the
puck behind the goal line.  Morrison got to Alban and tried to steal
the puck, making contact with Alban in the process.  Alban did
manage to play the puck a few feet up the boards.  Morrison went
to chase the puck (there was already a scramble in the corner
for it) and Alban turned around and tried to break Morrison's ankle
with a vicious slash with his goalie stick.  Should have been five,
easy.  Kudos to Mason for immediately taking Alban out of the
game.
  (2) UM's Bubba Berenzweig pops Anson Carter going into the
corner.  Anson pops him back.  Bubba again.  Anson again.  You
get the picture.  What happens?  Bubba goes for four and Anson
goes for two.  Yeah, right.  Quite a way to get the first two penalties
of your college career though, mixing it up with Anson Carter.  As
for the call, two and two or four and four.  Their were two reasons
for the four and two.  First, Anson Carter is a star and Bubba
Berenzweig isn't (yet).  Replay the same incident and substitute
Morrison for Michigan and Tyler Harlton for Michigan State.
What happens?  Morrison goes for two and Harlton for four.
Secondly, it was a scoreboard call.  If the game isn't 5-1, MSU
doesn't need and may not get the power play.
  (3) On the ensuing power play, Bobby Hayes fulfilled many a
CCHA players dream.  He attempted to decapitate Richard
Keyes and only got two minutes for it.  Another easy five call,
IMO.  It gave MSU a 5-on-3 which they converted.  As for the
hit, it was a cross check squarely to the neck/side of the head.
In this case, I think the circumstances helped the two minute
call for UM.  First of all, referee Mark Shegos had already
received an earful for going four and two on the previous call.
Secondly, the target was Richard Keyes.  If it was Carter, Hayes
would have been gone.  But, other than being a dangerous
offensive player, Keyes is known for being just as likely to
deliver that kind of cheap shot as receive it.  Kind of like taking
out Ulf Samuelsson, only Hayes isn't Tie Domi.
 
UM added a late goal for a 6-2 win.  Other than for obvious reasons,
I was happy to see MSU eliminated because they haven't worn
a CCHA patch on their jerseys for at least two years running, so
why should they be allowed a shot at the CCHA title...regular or
post-season.
 
Michigan 4 LAKE SUPERIOR 3 (JLA Saturday)
What a great game.  Madden sprung Warren Luhning up the
middle for the opening goal midway through the first.  Matt Alvey
responded with an effort that Steve Bartley has already described.
Put that goal on the CCHA highlight tape.  As a UM fan, I enjoyed
the efforts by Madden and Hayes more, but from a pure hockey
fan view I'm not sure that Alvey's goal was topped.  Hopefully,
that's the defensive zone faceoff breakdown that seems to jump
up and bite Michigan every March.  (See Maine's third goal in
1993, fourth goal in 1995.)
 
Did someone order lightening?  Madden delivered it when he
slipped past Keith Aldridge at the far blue line and cruised 120
feet before beating John Grahame for his tenth (!!!!!!!!!!) shorthander
of the season.  Steve Bartley told me about counting Madden's
SH shots on goal at Yost.  Unbelievable.  Most of his goals are
the result of breakaways, but Madden has also been know to
finish a forechecking shift with a shot on net as well.  He must
have 30-40 shorthanded shots on goal this season.
 
Add a Jason Botterill goal and a Laker 5-on-3 tally (I didn't see
the second UM penalty, but the first should have been coincidental.
Aldridge mugged Morrison and Botterill proceeded to run Aldridge.
Good penalty, IMO.  I'm not going to fault Jason for protecting
Brendan.)
 
Michigan led 3-2 early in the third and had a man-advantage,
looking for another nail in the coffin.  Cue the Laker lightening.
Brian Felsner gained control of the puck, beat the lone Wolverine
back (Morrison) then beat Marty Turco for the shorthander.
Morrison didn't slow Felsner down enough for Blake Sloan (who
was trailing) to make a play on him.  Michigan 3, Lake Superior 3,
momentum to Laker Superior, third period...I've been there before.
(Btw...Felsner's SHG came while LSSU was serving a major.
LSSU won the five-minute mini-game, 1-0.)
 
Bring on Bobby Hayes for the heroics.  I can't begin to describe
the goal.  Suffice it to say it went in and UM went nuts.  It DID
seem like a long time (six plus minutes) for Michigan to hang
on, but hang on they did.  CCHA regular season co-champs
and CCHA post-season champs.
 
As for the All-Championship Team, it was damn near perfect.
Grahame and Turco both played well, but IMO Grahame was
deserving of the nod in goal.  UM's Harold Schock was a 5-10,
182 pound monster on the blue line getting one of the defenseman
spots.  Aldridge got the other, which is the only selection I
question.  He had three assists, all on the power play, and his
defense wasn't at his usual level in the title game.  Give me another
D, maybe another Laker (Lambeth?), I don't really know.  No one
else really jumps out.  The only D's to score a goal this weekend
were Gino Pulente (LSSU) and Steven Halko (UM), but I wouldn't
put either of them on the team based on that.  The selection of
Hayes, Madden and Gerald Tallaire (LSSU) at forward was a
done deal.  Alvey, Botterill and Joe Blaznek (LSSU) were also
notable.  Madden snags MVP honors, which maybe should
have been shared with Hayes.
 
Lastly, I have to say something about my buddy GM Finniss,
who just "signed off" as I was putting the finishing touches on
this post.  I'd like to say GM is the first Spartan fan that I like,
but I met Glen Keeney long before GM so Glen will always be
the starting point.  But, GM (as twisted as he is) may think more
like me than any other non-UM fan I know.  He just roots for the
wrong team!  GM -- DON'T BE A STRANGER!  Someday, we have
to do a fanzine together!
 
 
John H ([log in to unmask])
Btw...CCHA scoring champion Kevin Hilton left the title game
during the first period and did not return.  The early report was
that he suffered a charlie horse following a collision...with LSSU's
Mike Mattuecci, I believe.  I haven't heard anything more, but
Hilton's healthy return will be vital for Michigan in the NCAA.
 
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