Bowling Green not up to icers' challenge

Friday: Michigan 6, Bowling Green 1

Yesterday: Michigan 4, Bowling Green 3

More hockey coverage: Page 3B

By Jon Schwartz

Daily Sports Writer

BOWLING GREEN - Just outside the door to the Bowling Green lockerroom, a sign implores the team to overachieve and show the CCHA's coaches that its team is better than its preseason No. 9 ranking in the coaches poll.

"Prove them wrong," the sign pleads, printed over the CCHA logo.

The Falcons were unable to do that this past weekend, but the Wolverines were able to legitimize the coaches No. 1 ranking with two victories, 6-1 and 4-3.

In the meantime, the Bowling Green players were able to prove that while they may not be ready to beat a national power like Michigan right now, they can compete with what may currently be the best team in the league.

The wins pushed the Wolverines to 4-0-2 on the young season and 2-0 in the CCHA.

The Wolverines attacked early and often throughout the course of the series.

"I thought it was a good team effort," Michigan coach Red Berenson said after Friday's victory. "We kept them off balanced in the first part of the game and we made them play in their zone more than they wanted to."

The Falcons could muster only seven shots combined in the first period of the two games. Michigan countered with 37. The Wolverines made the red light glow four times in the opening frames while Bowling Green could only sneak one first period shot past Michigan goalie Josh Blackburn all weekend.

"Scoring early was important, and carrying a lead throughout the game was good for our team," Berenson said.

Over Michigan's first four games, the team often found itself playing from

behind, spending the game clawing back from early deficits. In first periods this season, Michigan had been outscored 8-5.

But as conference play started, the Wolverines wanted to establish

themselves early and play with a lead.

While they certainly did that, Michigan could not claim as much success last night in finishing off the Falcons as they had on Friday night.

Michigan's defense suffered a letdown, despite leading 3-1 at the start of the third period. The Wolverines allowed Bowling Green center Greg Day to complete his hat trick for the night and tie the game at 3-3 with 5:03 remaining in the final stanza.

Berenson was not pleased with how his team finished the game.

"I thought we got sloppy and maybe overconfident," he said. "We just got into a bad funk. I'd like to leave here thinking that we made a bigger statement than we did."

What precluded them from leaving on better note was the impressive play by Bowling Green goalie Tyler Masters. In the final two periods, Masters stopped 24-of-26 shots.

It was a far more impressive showing than the six goals that he gave up on Friday night, and with an offensive attack to back him up last night, he came very close to being the story of the game.

Langfeld, along with linemates Andy Hilbert and Scott Matzka made Masters work hard. The line scored three of Michigan's four goals, including the game-winner at 18:42 of the third period.

Langfeld buried two of his four shots on the night, his first 28 seconds into the game. His second came much in the same fashion as the first, this time 23 seconds into the second period and put the Wolverines ahead 3-1.

But after Langfeld's second tally, Bowling Green seemed to take over the game. The Falcons were far more intense and had the Wolverines offense quieted for most of the second half of the game.

"I think we just kind of shut it down," Matzka said. "That was the biggest problem with our team. They capitalized on all their chances, but we gave them a lot of chances."

Still, when it looked like Bowling Green had the momentum that would push it over the edge, the Wolverines rallied behind the vocal Michigan fans in the building, fans that would have "The Victors" echoing throughout the building when Matzka put Michigan ahead for good.

For both weekend games, the Wolverines were without team captain Geoff Koch. He missed practice all week due to a right ankle injury as well as a death in the family. He expects to start practicing again early this week.

BRENDAN O'DONNELL/Daily

Sophomore Mike Cammalleri scored a goal and added two assists in Michigan's sweep of Bowling Green this past weekend.