Northern Michigan's Wildcat hockey team seems to be peaking at the right
team. The 'Cats finished their last 16 games of the regular season with
a record of 11-4-1 (including a nonounting victory over the Czech Select
team). This weekend NMU concluded the regular season by tieing and then
beating WCHA McNaughton Cup champions University of Minnesota-Duluth.
The result is, most importantly, home ice in the first round of the WCHA
playoffs, as the Wildcats clinched at least fifth place on Friday with
their tie of the UMD Bulldogs, combined with Minnesota's win over St.
Cloud. In addition, NMU at least for the moment vaulted over Michigan
Tech into fourth place in the WCHA. Unless Tech can beat Wisconsin in
Madison today, the standings will remain as they are with respect to 4th
and 5th. Although there doesn't seem to be much advantage to finishing
fourth rather than fifth, it's been pointed out that one of the five
visiting teams could pull an upset in the playoffs' first round; if so,
the survivors of the five top-seeded group would move up a notch, and
the fourth-place team would avoid the extra playoff game on Thursday
night in St. Paul. So, although Wildcat fans generally root for the
Michigan Tech Huskies when they're not playing NMU, today the sentiments
may be just a bit different.
NMU's play this weekend was not only important in final placing in the
conference, but a tremendous confidence-builder for the playoffs. Of
course, the UMD Bulldogs' motivation for this series had to be
questioned since they had absolutely nothing to gain. However, coach
Mike Sertich said on Friday in several different interviews that it was
important to his team that they keep their level of play and
concentration up leading into next week's playoff battle with
Alaska-Anchorage, an opponent he's not overjoyed about meeting in the
first round.
All I can say about this last issue is that Friday night's game, which
ended in a 3-3 tie, was extremely hard-hitting, playoff-style hockey.
The Bulldogs sure looked like they wanted the game. UMD showed why they
are the league champions, with their discipline, speed, strength, size
and endurance. And, for Brian F., Derek Plante certainly gets my vote
for the best player I've seen in the WCHA this season. The Wildcats
scored the first goal Friday night, only to have UMD come back with
three straight scores, two in the first period and one more early in the
second. Rusty Fitzgerald, who suddenly is making playing the 'Cats in
Marquette his best act, scored the first two goals. One was on a
rebound which caromed directly to him as he was coming down the left
slot area; he one-timed it perfectly as he flashed by the goal. The
third UMD goal was scored by guess who--Plante carried the puck from his
own zone into NMU's, did some fancy whirling around about eight feet
inside the Wildcat blue line, then let go a blistering low slap shot
through a crowd which was untouched by anyone.
NMU made it 3-2 later in the second period on a nice power play
goal by Brent Riplinger from below the left faceoff circle.
Incidentally, that made 11 straight games in which Riplinger has scored
a goal. The streak put him in sole possession of second place for the
WCHA record for this feat. (The record of 18 games is held by former
Wildcat Gary Emmons.)
Then, with fifteen seconds left in the period a major scuffle
broke out. When it was all sorted out and the penalty boxes half-filled
, NMU won the faceoff. Defenseman Garret MacDonald took a slap shot
from the upper part of the left faceoff circle. The UMD goalie, who was
greatall night, was at least partially screened, I'm sure. The puck hit
his inside leg pad and dribbled into the net to tie the score 3-3. You
can imagine what Lakeview Arena sounded like at that point, five seconds
from the buzzer.
The third period featured tremendous skating and goal tending. Both
teams had great chances but were stopped by the goalies. Paul Taylor,
the freshman, was in goal for the Wildcats; I can't locate yesterday's
Mining Journal and forget the name of the UMD netminder--but he was
tremendous, stopping several fairly clean breakaway attempts, including
a couple by Joe Frederick in (of course) short-handed situations. The
key to the game may well have been a defensive play by senior Wildcat
defensman Dave Huettl. With fifteen seconds left Plante carried the
puck down the right side. Just before he turned the corner to come in
on Taylor all alone, Huettle came flying across the faceoff circle and
checked Plante completely off the puck, burying him in the corner.
In the overtime each team again had several good chances, but the
goalies turned them all back. Sertich said the next day he thought
they'd won the game right at the beginning of the overtime when they won
the opening faceoff and a forward (Bonatini?) rushed in on goal, letting
go a hard wrist shot from about fifteen feet. Taylor made the save to
preserve the tie.
It was an absolutely great hockey game with terrific efforts by both
teams. In the postgame radio interview Rick Comley sounded as exhausted
as his players must have been. Rick noted hockey games "don't get any
tougher than that." Comley was quite displeased that three Wildcats took
ten-minute major misconduct penalties. Other than that, he was quite
exhilirated with the point, and the clinching of first round home ice
for the playoffs, and very happy with his team's effort. Sertich was
quoted in the newspaper the next day as saying it was an intense game
but his team was flat. If that's the case, I'd hate to see them when
they are "up." (UMD also drew a major misconduct penalty.)
Saturday was Senior Night. I can't believe I missed the last home game
of the regular season last year, but I must have, because I know I
didn't see the spectacle which was staged prior to last night's game,
which is said to be a now three-year-old tradition. All the house
lights were extinguished before the teams reentered the ice and Wildcat
Willie was spotlighted skating around in a mortarboard and graduation
gown (he did pretty well, but I don't think the Ice Capades will be
calling :-) ). Then the Wildcats took the ice, in the dark, visible
only occasionally as one of several spotlights caught a player skating
around. Then all the lights were extinguished again and the public
address announcer read off the accomplishments of the teams the seniors
have played on the last four years. Quite a list, including four Ramada
Cups, one McNaughton Cup, two WCHA playoff championships, a Final Eight
NC$$ appearance, and, of course, the 1991 national championship.
Following this the background and playing accomplishments of each of the
five seniors were read, followed by his spotlighted skating to center
ice. Rob Kruhlak, Dave Huettl, Dan Ruoho, Geoff Simpson and Joe
Frederick comprised the seniors. After the last was introduced the
group skated around the ice under the spotlight to a standing ovation,
and as they finished the circle both teams streamed out on the ice to
join them as the lights were gradually brought up, level by level.
Quite a show, and a tough act to follow!
This was a different game from Friday's. UMD scored first, and
early, when Panner was the beneficiary of a rebound following a nice
save by Corwin Saurdiff on a close-in shot by Sittlow. Saurdiff had
come out of the net to his left to face Sittlow, and the rebound went
out fifteen feet to the right, directly to Panner. The net was wide
open, as was painfully obvious in our seats at the opposite end of the
arena. Following the initial flurry of UMD threats, the game became
almost a Wildcat hockey clinic for the next 45 minutes. NMU poured in
five straight goals and were constantly in the Bulldog end of the ice.
In the first period Jason Hehr tied it at 1-1 when he received a pretty
centeringpass from Frederick, who was controlling the puck behind the
UMD net. That was just past the eight minute mark, and a few minutes
later Bryan Ganz gave NMU the lead for good with a nice tip-in of a shot
by Geoff Simpson from inside the blue line. Near the end of the first
period Mike Harding must have had at least six shots at the goal from a
couple of feet away as the Wildcats put on an unusually impressive power
play with Harding camped just to UMD goalie Taras Lendzyk's left. All
Harding had to show for the efforts was frustration, however, as Lendzyk
blocked every shot, usually with his body in a prone position. Maybe
Mike ought to work on his shelf shot a bit more.
Early in the second period Harding finally broke through as he circled
behind the UMD goal with the puck, then reached around and just used his
superior strength to stuff a backhander between Lendzyk's legs to make
it 3-1. A few minutes later Frederick, who the previous night had not
scored a point for the first time on home ice in about ten games, put
one in from just to Lendzyk's right after taking a pass from Greg
Hadden. Shorthanded Joe put on a nice little dance of joy after that
one.
A third of the way through the final period the Wildcats got their final
goal on a beautiful play by Greg Hadden and Geoff Simpson. Simpson
picked up a puck near the Wildcat blue line and sent a long cross-rink
pass to Hadden, who broke in alone on Lendzyk from the goalie's right.
Although he had an excellent shot opportunity, Hadden waited until
Riplinger, who was coming in a bit behind the play on the other side,
was in position. Greg then slid the puck past Lendzyk, who had no
choice but to come out a bit to challenge him, directly to Brent who
slipped it inside the left goal post. That unselfish play by Hadden
kept Riplinger's goal-scoring game streak alive and moved it to 12.
With a 5-1 score and play constantly in the UMD end (many additional
good scoring chances for NMU were turned back by Lendzyk), things were
starting to approach a party mode. Then the Derek Plante show came on.
Suddenly he got control of the puck twice in the same minute and a
four-goal lead was down to two goals, just like that. Comley very
wisely called time out immediately after the second goal, and the
Wildcats played steady defensive hockey (and still had a few rushes) for
the rest of the game. Sertich pulled Lendzyk at the end, but Saurdiff
was strong, as he needed to be, and it ended 5-3.
After the end-of-match handshakes between the two teams the Wildcats
returned to center ice and saluted the fans, then went to their bench
areas to give sticks to the most devoted followers still there.
In all fairness I'd have to say that UMD did not seem as intense in
Saturday's game as they did in Friday's. Comley noted the Wildcats had
a great effort, but he couldn't tell if the Bulldogs were really into
laying it all on the line in this one. Certainly, they didn't have much
reason to do so.
Saturday game stats
Scoring
First Period
1. UMD, Panner (7) (Sittlow, Hanson), 2:35
2. NMU, Hehr (6) (Frederick, Ruoho), 8:05
3. NMU, Ganz (10) (Simpson, Riplinger)
Second Period
4. NMU, Harding (16) (Hadden, Woog), 2:02
5. NMU, Frederick (22) (Hadden, MacDonald), 9:36
Third Period
6. NMU, Riplinger (18) (Hadden, Simpson), 9:14
7. UMD, Plante (29) (unassisted), 13:42
8. UMD, Plante (30) (Marinucci), 13:54
Power play opportunities: NMU, 1/8; UMD, 0/7
Penalties: NMU, 12; UMD, 13
Goalie saves: NMU, 30 (Saurdiff, 11-5-14); UMD, 31 (Lendzyk, 10-8-13)
Attendance: 4,248
Well, a great, fun-filled hockey weekend. And as a result, we get two
more games at Lakeview! All right!!!
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* Steve Christopher, NMU [log in to unmask] * * * * *
* NCAA Division I Hockey National Champions 1990-91 * GO * *
* NCAA Division I Hockey Final Eight 1991-92 * *
* WCHA League Champions 1990-91 * 'CATS! * *
* WCHA Playoff Champions 1988-89/1990-91/1991-92 . . . * * * * *
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