Inside College Hockey | 2004 NCAA Northeast Regional

March 27, 2004
NCAA Tournament | Northeast Regional
Home Away From Home
Michigan turns the tables on UNH; will face BC Sunday

By Nate Ewell

Michigan 4, New Hampshire 1
Team	Goal	Str
Time	Assists
First Period
1-MI	Brandon Kaleniecki (19)	EV
1:05	Unassisted
Second Period
2-MI	Andrew Ebbett (9)	EV
9:45	M. Gajic
3-MI	Eric Werner (9)	PP
12:06	M. Gajic, T.J. Hensick
Third Period
4-MI	Brandon Kaleniecki (20)	EV
1:11	A. Ebbett
1-NH	Nathan Martz (5)	EV
13:46	S. Collins, S. Saviano
Goaltending
NH: Mike Ayers, 60:00, 34 saves, 4 GA
MI: Al Montoya, 60:00, 27 saves, 1 GA
Penalties: NH 6/12; MI 5/10
Power Plays: NH 0-3; MI 1-4
Attendance: 10,104

MANCHESTER, N.H. – If New Hampshire was supposed to feed off the energy of its home crowd Saturday against Michigan, it would be lucky to harness enough power to light a bulb.

Actually, it did light the bulb behind Michigan goaltender Al Montoya once, but by then the damage had been done. Michigan executed a perfect game plan to take the Verizon Wireless Arena crowd out of the game and earn a spot in Sunday's Northeast Regional Final.

The Wolverines scored early, forechecked relentlessly, and eliminated UNH's space in its offensive zone. It was a combination no team could master against Michigan when it won regionals at Yost Ice Arena in 1998, 2003 and '04, but the Wolverines appeared to take lessons from those victories, as well as last weekend's loss to Ohio State that was marred by a lackluster first period.

"It was the kind of game we had to play to have success," head coach Red Berenson said. "Our team was very focused on not letting any momentum go against us for long."

The result gave Michigan fans – and they were vocal, as usual – plenty to cheer about. For most of the game, it sounded like a truly neutral site, if not a Michigan-dominated crowd. It started with Brandon Kaleneicki's first goal, just 1:05 into the game.

"We knew coming into this game that the UNH fans would get behind their team if they had the opportunity," said Michigan defenseman (and New Hampshire native) Brandon Rogers. "I think that was a big goal for us coming out in the first minute of the game and scoring a goal [to] quiet down the crowd. We knew once [the crowd] got behind them, it could be a long night for us."

As it turned out, the New Hampshire crowd never did find its voice. That had to do with the early goal, of course, but also a quick, hard-hitting Michigan forecheck that kept play bottled up in the Wildcat end. At the other end, Michigan defensemen played UNH's smaller, skilled forwards as soon as they crossed the blue line taking away time and room and creating turnovers.

"We won some of the little battles," Berenson said. "I can't tell you we outmuscled their team, but sometimes when you want the puck, and you've got some confidence, then you feel a little stronger."

Seventeen minutes passed in the first period before New Hampshire really had its first sustained pressure, and even that generated only one shot on goal. Outshot 14-2 in the first period, UNH created more chances as the game went on, but couldn't score until Michigan had a 4-1 lead.

By then Michigan was nearing the final chapter of how to beat a team that's hosting an NCAA regional. It's a title they've never shared with visitors to Yost, or perhaps one that they've written thanks to years of experience on the other side.

"In college hockey, it's all about momentum," Berenson said. "When the home team gets momentum, they have a huge advantage, and they just never got it tonight."

Boston College 5, Niagara 2
Team	Goal	Str
Time	Assists
First Period
1-NU	Joe Tallari (16)	EV
3:35	J. Cross, B. Ehgoetz
1-BC	Patrick Eaves (16)	PP
14:23	B. Eaves
2-BC	Ryan Shannon (13)	EV
17:03	J. Adams
Second Period
3-BC	Peter Harrold (2)	44
13:06	Unassisted
2-NU	Sean Bentivoglio (2)	PP
18:11	A. Clarke
Third Period
4-BC	Patrick Eaves (17)	PP
2:15	T. Voce, R. Shannon
5-BC	Ryan Shannon (14)	EV
7:13	D. Spina
Goaltending
NU: Jeff VanNynatten, 60:00, 34 saves, 5 GA
BC: Matti Kaltiainen, 60:00, 26 saves, 2 GA
Penalties: NU 6/12; BC 7/14
Power Plays: NU 1-5; BC 2-5
Attendance: 10,104

POWERFUL STUFF FOR BC

Nowhere in hockey is timing more crucial than on the power play. And coming off a two-week break from games in which the players spent five whole days away from the rink, Boston College had good reason if its power play looked anything less than crisp in Saturday's first-round game against Niagara.

Instead, not only did they go two-for-five with the man advantage (and two for their first three opportunities), they scored those goals with reflex-like quickness.

Patrick Eaves had both power play goals on one-time slapshots, both coming on passes from his right. The first was 14 seconds into a first-period power play, on a pass from Ryan Shannon, and the second came 16 seconds into a power play, on a pass from Tony Voce.

BC's power play efficiency could be credited to a few things: first, Jerry York spent considerable time in practice on improving the unit. The power play and goaltending were the two things he focused on during this week's practices.

Second, the return of Ben Eaves helped the Eagles. Although Eaves was playing on the power play the last three games, he wasn't seeing even strength shifts due to his recovery from a fractured kneecap. Now fully healthy, Eaves had his timing back, and started both of the goal-scoring plays by cleanly winning faceoffs.

In the end, while impressed with the quickness of the goals, York didn't care if they had taken the full two minutes before they were scored.

"We'll take 'em whenever we can get 'em," he smiled.

INCH's Three Stars of the Night

3. Milan Gajic, Michigan
His two assists, to Andrew Ebbett and Eric Werner, were NHL caliber. That line was flying from the drop of the puck.

2. Ryan Shannon, Boston College
The dynamic Shannon was all over the ice for the Eagles, scoring two goals and nearly netting a couple more.

1. Michigan's defensemen
The Wolverines played New Hampshire's forwards physically, never giving them enough room to operate in the offensive zone.

SEEN AND HEARD AT THE BIG V

• Niagara head coach Dave Burkholder credited his fourth line for their efforts against the Eagles. While Joe Tallari and Barret Ehgoetz were the only familiar names to most fans, the senior trio of Nick Kormanyos, Jordan Meloff and Paul Muniz turned in an impressive performance – continuing a postseason trend. Their efforts were the key to Niagara's semifinal victory over Wayne State in the CHA Tournament.

"Start to finish, they were our best line," Burkholder said. "I had to keep sending them out there."

• With Western New York a fertile recruiting ground for Boston College, the first game featured several familiar faces squaring off. BC sophomores Chris Collins and Stephen Gionta and Niagara freshman Pat Oliveto were youth hockey teammates (playing for Collins' father, Glenn, on their first travel team), and remain frequent golf partners in the summer.

"If I was going to lose in the NCAA Tournament, I'm glad it was to them," said Oliveto with a smile after the game. "They are great friends, we see a lot of each other over the summer, and they are great hockey players."

• Niagara came in with the reputation of an agressive forechecking team, different from the typical, upset-minded trapping teams (see: Wayne State, 2003). The Purple Eagles definitely sent two forecheckers when they could, and their defensemen made smart pinches at the points, but for the most part Boston College dominated territorially so much that Niagara couldn't really get its forecheck going.

• Ben Eaves played extensively for the first time since suffering a fractured kneecap; in his three games since returning from the injury he was limited primarily to power play work. Today he played at even strength and short-handed, as well as with the extra man, and other than leaving the ice slowly after taking a second-period hit, he showed no signs of the injury.

• Manchester fans are used to seeing a Clarke in purple colors make great moves – former Colorado College forward Noah, who is one of the top rookies in the AHL for the Monarchs. Today it was Niagara's Aaron Clarke, who set up the Purple Eagles' second goal with a nifty move around the BC defense. The two Clarkes aren't related; Noah is from Los Angeles, while Aaron is from Peterborough, Ontario.

• New Hampshire had a couple of unique equipment problems within a few minutes of each other in the first period. First, Tyson Teplitsky's stick got stuck in a seam in the boards behind the UNH net. He left it there, protruding like a weed growing out of the ice, until the puck came back near the stick. At that point, he yanked it out and played the puck.

Shortly thereafter, Mike Ayers lost his catching glove on a collision in the crease. Play continued, but UNH was able to regain possession long enough for Ayers to fish hit mitt out of the net.

• When Michigan scored to make it 3-0 12:06 into the second period, you could sense the deflation on the New Hampshire bench. Meanwhile, Mike Ayers, who had slid on his side to try to stop Eric Werner's shot, remained prone there for a few moments before getting up.

• Al Montoya, who battled a hamstring injury late in the regular season, was slow to get up at the end of the second period, but remained in the game and looked fine in the third.

PLUSSES AND MINUSES

Matti Kaltiainen, who has earned his share of criticism for turning seemingly routine saves into adventures, made a huge stop under the spotlight Saturday. When Niagara's Joe Tallari was awarded a penalty shot, Kaltiainen stood his ground and made a stick save look easy on Tallari's bid to beat the Finnish goaltender through the five hole. NCAA officials were unsure when the last penalty shot had occurred in a tournament game.

They are about as popular as a groin pull in the college hockey world, but the Michigan band – and it pains me to say this – deserves credit. They made their presence felt in the nightcap and brought some energy to a dull building.

Classy move by Dick Umile to send five seniors out for the final faceoff of the game. Mike Lubesnick even got off a shot that Al Montoya had a tough time handling. The Verizon crowd responded with a warm round of applause as well.

You've heard of phantom assists, when they are awarded but not warranted? Verizon Wireless Arena offered its own version of phantom assists: they didn't announce them until the intermission.

The demand for tickets didn't match the "fastest sellout ever" that the Northeast Regional became known as. Some fans reported that they couldn't find takers for tickets at face value before the game, and empty seats dotted the arena throughout the day. One shudders to think what the attendance will be like tomorrow.

WHAT'S NEXT

Boston College and Michigan are two programs that won their conference regular-season championships and are accustomed to reaching the Frozen Four. Six years ago, in fact, they met for the title in Boston. Only one will be there this year.

Expect Michigan to employ a similar in-your-face style of play, as the Eagles forwards, while a little deeper, share some similar traits with UNH's. Don't expect the Wolverine forwards to be able to punish BC's defensemen as much on the forecheck, however.

New Hampshire and Niagara wrap up their seasons and bid farewell to some terrific seniors. Steve Saviano and Mike Ayers, most noteworthy, leave the Wildcat program, which can expect increased production from this year's freshmen to help fill the offensive gaps. Niagara, meanwhile, without Joe Tallari, will count even m ore on Barret Ehgoetz and Jeff VanNynatten.