4B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - March 28, 2005
LINE OF THE WEEK
TJ. Hensick
Forward
Friday vs. Wisconsin
1 Goal, 2 Assists, +3
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
"Every year we say, 'Learn from this
experience.' But when are we going
to finally learn?"
- Michigan captain Eric Nystrom
on losing in the NCAA Tournament again.
Trevor Frischmon
(Colorado College)
Frischmon almost single-handedly
propelled the Tigers into the Frozen
Four. He tallied a shorthanded goal
and the game-winner.
Jeff Tambellini
(Michigan)
Tambellini continued his postseason
dominance, scoring three goals and assist-
ing on a pair. He set a regional record for
points in a game with four.
0
FRIDAY'S GAME
Wisconsin Badgers
Burish
1
After hot start, Michigan struggles on offense*
Michigan Wolverines 4
Tambellini (2), Rogers, Kolarik
SATURDAY'S GAME
Michigan Wolverines 3
Tambellini, Kaleniecki, Nystrom
Colorado College 4
Frischmon (2), Sertich, Crabb
Colorado College 4, Michigan 3
Michigan 2 1 0 - 3
Colorado College 0 2 2 - 4
First period -1. MICH, Jeff Tambellini 24 (Eric
Werner, Andrew Ebbett) 9:17T 2. MICH, Brandon
Kaleniecki (David Moss, Brandon Rogers), 15:14.
Penalties - Milan Gajic, MICH (Obstruction-hook-
ing) 2:51; Mark Stuart, CC (High Sticking) 7:26:
Gajic, MICH (Interference) 10:00; Gajic, MICH
(10-minute misconduct) 10:00; Stuart, CC (Trip-
ping) 14:24; Kevin Porter, MICH (Hooking) 16:36;
Rogers, MICH (Hooking) 19:25; Brett Sterling, CC
(Holding) 19:25.
Second period - 3. MICH, Eric Nystrom 12
(Ebbett) 1:32; 4. CC, Marty Sertich, 27 (Lee
Sweatt, Brian Salcido) 6:13; 5. CC, Trever
Firschmon, 9 (Stuart, Joey Crabb) 5:27. Penal-
ties- Porter, MICH (Obstruction-hooking) 2:12;
Nick Martens, MICH (Obstruction-tripping) 4:25;
Rogers, MICH (Boarding) 5:48; Sertich, CC (Trip-
ping) 9:09; Sweatt, CC (Obstruction-holding)
14:49; Werner, MICH (Elbowing) 20:00.
Third period - 6. CC, Crabb 16 (Frischmon)
4:24; 7. CC, Frischmon 10 (Brunkhorst, Salcido)
10:06. Penalties- Richard Petiot, CC (Hook-
ing) 17:27.
Shots on goal: MICH 11-6-10 27; CC 7-7-9 23. Power
plays: MICH 2 of 5; CC 1 of 7. Saves - CC, Curtis
McElhinney (9-5-10) - 24; MICH, Al Montoya
(7-5-7) - 19.
Referee: Scott Hansen
At: Van Andel Arena - Grand Rapids, Mich.
Attendance: 6,571.
"The ability to finish teams really determines a champion - (cham-
pionship) teams can just put away guys in the second periods,first peri-
ods, and not even let them get back in the game.
"We just couldn't find that fourth goal."
- Michigan junior Jeff Tambellini
By Jake Rosenwasser
Daily Sports Writer
GRAND RAPIDS - The Wolverines didn't have to look far for
chances, but that fourth goal eluded them. After Michigan jumped out
to a 3-0 lead just two minutes into the second period, Colorado College
goalie Curtis McElhinney held Michigan scoreless for the final 38 min-
utes of the game.
But it wasn't all McElhinney. On some of Michigan's best chances,
McElhinney didn't even have to make the save. Instead, Michigan con-
tinually misfired when it needed goals most.
In the second period, with Michigan leading 3-2, Wolverines forward
Milan Gajic skated in all alone on McElhinney. Gajic deked and shot, but
his attempt floated too high. It soared over the cross bar, and even over
the boards, into the protective net above the top of the glass.
"I saw the puck bounce up," McElhinney said. "I knew that he was
going to go high glove, actually, as soon as he pulled it to his side there.
But it bounced up, and he fired it into the (protective) net. So we caught
a break there."
After Colorado College had clawed all the way back to tie the
game 3-3 in the third period, Michigan junior Andrew Ebbett
skated toward the goal as a puck ricocheted off the back boards.
The puck slipped out to the immediate left of the net, and McEl-
hinney was late getting over. Ebbett had a sliver of an open net to
shoot at, but his quick shot squirted too far right and across the
crease. When Ebbett got back to the bench he slammed his stick
against the boards in frustration.
"I was just trying to tell the guys and tell the seniors, 'Is this the way
you want to go out? Is this how you want to end your career? Stay after
it. There's still hockey left,' " Michigan captain Eric Nystrom said. "You
get that one chance, that rebound, and it goes in the net and you go into
overtime. We just couldn't generate that chance."
Even later in the waning minutes, Michigan had two last chances to
knot the game at 4-4.
Senior Eric Werner flipped an in-stride pass from the defensive
zone up to Michigan senior David Moss. With three minutes remain-
ing, the forward skated into the Colorado College zone and got behind
the defense. Colorado College defenseman Richard Petiot caught up
to Moss and hooked him as McElhinney stoned Moss's shot. Petiot
was whistled for a penalty and Michigan had one final power play to
tie the game.
The Colorado College penalty kill kept the Michigan power
play at bay, but the Wolverines had one final opportunity. Michi-
gan sophomore T.J. Hensick skated through the Colorado College
zone and slid a pass over to Gajic. The senior wound up and fired
a slap shot, but McElhinney was up to the task again. He got his
stick on Michigan's final chance and sent the puck to the right, out
of harm's way.
"They have an extremely good power play there," McElhin-
ney said. "They move it around very well. They made a nice
pass at the end there, and I think it was (Gajic who) made a nice
shot. (But) he kind of fired it into me. The stick was behind me
a bit there."
For Michigan's 10 seniors, the blown opportunities will resonate for
a long time.
"You've got to take advantage of the chance when you're there," Nys-
trom said. "We can keep saying this, and we've been saying it for four
years, but our four years is up. That killer instinct to put a team down;
RYAN WEINER/Daily
Senior Milan Gajic had one last opportunity, but was denied by
Colorado College goalie Curtis McElhinney.
that killer instinct to take the jump and get to that game you want to be in
- we've been saying it, but we just haven't done it."
Player
Tambellini
Hensick
Gajic
Ebbett
Kolarik
Nystrom
Werner
Moss
Rogers
Hunwick
Porter
Ryznar
Kaleniecki
Martens
Rohlfs
Brown
Dest
Woodford
Henderson
Montoya
Olson
Cook
Ruden
Player
Montoya
Ruden
Mayhew
'M'
GP.
42
39
42
40
42
38
39
38
42
40
39
36
42
38
35
35
42
26
10
40
13
36
7
GP
40
7
1
STATS
G A Pts
24 33 57
23 32 55
20 19 39
6 31 37
18 17 35
13 19 32
8 23 31
10 20 30
5 22 27
6 19 25
11 13 24
6 17 23
13 8 21
1 10 11
5 5 10
3 5 8
1 7 8
3 4 7
0 1 1
0 0 0
0 0 0
+/- PIM Sht
+30 32 207
+19 24 132
+4 54 125
+12 28 90
+5 53 114
+17 33 65
+9 48 50
+21 26 77
+21 70 91
+15 60 54
+11 51 47
+3 46 50
+12 46 131
+10 34 28
+9 14 42
+10 95 60
+24 52 38
+2 30 36
0 4 10
-- 22 0
+4 6 5
+7 54 16
- 0 0
GAA PCT
2.52 .895
1.34 .953
0.00 1.000
SFFETHE DRAW
MICHIGAN PLAYERS -M
6 - Matt Hunwick
9 - Milan Gajc
35 - Al Montoya
COLORADO COLLEGE PLAYERS
6 Trevor Frischmon
12-1.PBrunkhorst
24 - Brian Salcido I
Skating w/ puck .- Skating w/o puck . . . Pass - - Shot
How it happened: After Michigan jumped out to an early 3-0
lead in the opening minutes of the second period, Colorado College
put together a steady comeback, getting power play and shorthanded
goals, along with a disputed deflection score that was upheld. With
the score tied at three midway through the third period, Tigers forward
J.P. Brunkhorst took a shot from the point that bounced off Michigan
goalie Al Montoya's pads. The rebound popped out in traffic to for-
ward Trevor Frischmon, who fired the puck from the left circle and
beat Montoya to give Colorado College its first lead of the game at
10:06 of the third. The tally would stand up as the game-winner.
Analysis: Frischmon's goal ended Michigan's season. The marker
capped a string of four unanswered Tigers goals and propelled Colo-
rado College into the Frozen Four in Columbus. Despite late chances
for Michigan, the Wolverines weren't able to capitalize after the score.
w
30
1
0
L
7
1
0
T
3
0
0
'I
AWARD WINNERS
NCAA Au.-MIDWEsr
REGIONAL TEAM
AL MOW"oYA
JEFF TAMBELUNI
BRANDON RoGERs
Younger players shine in playoffs
CCHA Sup 6 Au-
TOURNAMENT TEAM
BRANDON RoGm
JEFF TAMBELLINI
By Ryan Sosin
Daily Sports Writer
GRAND RAPIDS - It is natural to focus
on the 10 seniors who played their last game
together as members of the Wolverines. But two
players who will don the Maize and Blue next
year showed that the future is not so bleak.
CCHA SUPER 6 MVP
JEFF TAMBELUNI
CCHA BEST
DEFENSIVE FORWARD
ERIC NYSTROM
ALL-CCHA
FIRST TEAM
T.J. HENSICK
JEFF TAMBELLINI
SECOND TEAM
MATT HUNWICK
HONORABLE MENTION
BRANDON Roms
Emc NysnRm
Au-ROOKIE TEAM
HONORABLE MENTION
CHAD KOLARIK
As the final minute
slowly melted off the clock
in Saturday's 4-3 loss,
Michigan junior Jeff Tam-
bellini was flying around
the rink with his after burn-
ers at full throttle - skat-
ing end-to-end twice on an
extended shift.
..
°
"It was desperation hockey," Tambellini said.
"It's terrible that we were even in that situation,
but that's the way the game works, and all we
could do was just try and put as many pucks to
the net and see if we could get a bounce."
His four-point performance in Friday's
win over Wisconsin came just a week after
he lit up the CCHA en routeto tourna-
ment MVP honors. Since the postseason
began, Tambellini has surpassed fellow
returning Wolverine, sophomore T.J. Hen-
sick, in scoring thanks to 10 points in six
games. His four-point night against the
Badgers set a Midwest Regional record
previously held by four players. Former
Wolverine Mark Mink was the last Wol-
verine to tally three points in the Midwest
Regional. He did it against Colorado Col-
lege in the 2003 finals. Senior captain
Eric Nystrom commended the junior's
defensive efforts but said the fear that
Tambellini strikes in opposing goalies is
what makes him a good player.
"It was a pretty good game - I'm not going
to lie," Nystrom said on Friday. "(Tambellini is)
just a dangerous player all over the ice.... He's
got an NHL shot that he can put anywhere."
Like Tambellini, freshman Chad Kolarik
pushed his game to another level for the playoffs.
During the CCHA Tournament, Kolarik had
three goals. The freshman had a goal disallowed
against Wisconsin but, despite several quality
scoring chances, finished his weekend minus-1
with one point in the Midwest Regional.
"For a freshman and a center and his first
go around in this environment, he handled the
puck well," Berenson said. "He was poised.
You would never know he was a freshman,
and he's a young freshman."
Berenson acknowledged that the window
closed on the seniors and that the opportuni-
ties for the 65-year old coach are dwindling.
Following the loss on Saturday, Nystrom was
visibly upset that four seasons with a so-called
next year mentality all came up flat. Senior
David Moss echoed those sentiments, point-
ing out how close Michigan has come in each
of their four seasons in Ann Arbor.
"It's so hard to win it," Moss said. "We've
been knocking on the door every year. It's just
so tough, you never know who is going to win
it every year."
"I think that you look back and think that
one of these years could have been the year,
but it didn't work out for us and I know were
all pretty disappointed," he added.
GAJIC GONE FOR TEN: Midway through the
first period on Saturday, senior Milan Gajic
was pegged with a interference call that quickly
became a 10-minute misconduct. As Gajic came
around from behind the Michigan net, he threw
his arms up in dismay at the referee's call.
"Sometimes, players don't understand
how officials think," Berenson said. "Often,
just a gesture is enough to embarrass the
official where he thinks that's worthy of a
10-minute misconduct."
Berenson said he wasn't happy with the
call in such an important game but was
equally upset with Gajic. He blamed both
sides for not understanding the others' men-
tality in the game.
"The officials have to understand the seri-
ousness of the player," Berenson said. "These
games are life-and-death type games for the
players. This is your last game of your career, so
there's a lot on the line. And emotions run deep.
But I'm not interested in Gajic taking 10-minute
misconducts, soI blame him, not the official."
HARDWARE THE HARD WAY: Despite coming out
on the short end of the regional final, Michigan
split the All-Regional team honors with Colora-
do College. Tambellini was joined on the team
by senior defenseman Brandon Rogers and
Montoya in goal.
The Tigers' Trevor Frischmon, Marty Ser-
tich and Brian Salcido earned the other three
spots on the team. Frischmon claimed the
Most Outstanding Player after scoring a short-
handed goal to bring the Tigers to within one
and then netting the clincher midway through
the final frame.
BACK To FORT WAYNE: Three Wolverines
were selected in Wednesday's UHL draft
by the Fort Wayne Komets. Senior Eric
Werner was taken in the third round, while
seniors Jason Ryznar and David Moss went
in the fifth and sixth rounds, respectively.
As of yet, there is no official word on if
any will sign.
RYAN WEINER/Daily
Jeff Tambellini and Chad Kolark (24) celebrate a goal against Wisconsin.
CCHA STANDINGS
Team
Michigan
Ohio State
Northern Mich.
Nebraska-Omaha
CCHA Overall
23-3-2 31-8-3
21-5-2 27-11-4
17-7-4 22-11-7
13-11-4 19-16-4
TIGERS
Continued from page 1B
Colorado College tied the game 4:24 into the
third period on forward Joey Crabb's wrist shot
and the goal stood, and that was the difference."
But Frischmon told a different story.
"I don't think it did (hit my stick)," Frischmon
said. "I didn't feel it hit my stick at all. But when
you looked at the replay, it kind of looked like it
got it on net, hit (Montoya's) pads and it pretty
much just came right out to me. I just went to the
net and the puck was sitting there for me, and I just
banged it in."
Despite a power play opportunity in the waning
Michigan, which Owens called "probably the hot-
test team in the country." The Tigers' trip to the
Frozen Four in Columbus will be Owens's first.
On the other hand, some Wolverines were
left despondent as they faced the prospect of a
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