Miami University
Michigan
Miami Falls 6-3 to Michigan in CCHA Opener
10/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Hockey
Oct. 19, 2006
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Freshman Gary Steffes (Grand Blanc, Mich.) tallied a goal and an assist but Michigan's Chad Kolarik scored three times in the third period as the Wolverines (3-0-0, 1-0-0 CCHA) downed the Miami University RedHawks (3-2-0, 0-1-1), 6-3 in the opening game of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association season for both teams.
Steffes gave Miami a 1-0 lead late in the first period with his second goal of the season at the 16:54 mark on a sharp-angle shot from the bottom of the left circle. Defenseman Alec Martinez (Rochester, Mich.) started the play when he picked up a loose puck in front of the Miami net and carried it through the neutral zone before finding Steffes as he gained the Michigan blueline. Steffes took the puck in stride and outraced a UM defender to the faceoff dot before firing a wrist shot that beat Billy Sauer high to the glove side.
David Rohlfs responded for the Wolverines midway through the second period when he capitalized on an odd-man rush at the 5:59 mark and made the score 1-1.
Less than two minutes later Andrew Cogliano took advantage of a turnover inside the Miami blueline and put his team up 2-1 with a shorthanded goal. Chasing the puck into the Miami zone, senior Geoff Smith (Toronto, Ontario) tripped on a broken stick, which allowed Cogliano to skate in alone and beat Charlie Effinger (Belleville, Ill.) with a backhand shot on the glove side.
With time winding down in the second, sophomore Bill Loupee (Bloomfield, Mich.) beat Sauer in much the same manner as Steffes did to make it 2-2 with 1:37 remaining in the period. Classmate Brian Kaufman (Shoreview, Minn.) forced a turnover in the neutral zone that led to Loupee's first goal of the season. Kaufman moved the puck ahead to Steffes, who found Loupee streaking in down the right win, where he promptly tucked the puck under the cross bar over Sauer's blocker.
The deadlock did not last long, however, as Kevin Porter tapped a rebound behind Effinger just 37 seconds later and gave the Wolverines their second lead of the night at 3-2.
Chad Kolarid added to the Michigan lead at the 10:58 mark of the third, and again at 14:35 with a pair of unassisted goals, his fifth and sixth of the season.
Despite trailing by three goals with just over five minutes remaining, the RedHawks refused to lay down and capitalized on a power-play caused by a penalty to Michigan's Jack Johnson. After a flurry of shots were fired at Sauer, sophomore Justin Mercier (Erie, Pa.) pounced on a rebound and tickled the twine with 4:22 left in the third to make the score 5-3.
Miami continued to apply pressure offensively late in the third, but an empty-net goal by Kolarik with 1:01 left to play finished the scoring and made it 6-3.
The RedHawks and Wolverines finish up the series on Friday night at 8:05 p.m.
NOTES: Miami's last win on the road versus Michigan came during the 1994-95 season ... the RedHawks are now 2-41-1 all-time at Yost Ice Arena ... Miami outshot Michigan 25-20 ... Effinger made 14 saves, with Sauer making 22 ... Miami was 1-for-6 on the power play, while Michigan was 1-for-3.
