Michigan salvages split in Columbus

By Jon Schwartz

Daily Sports Writer

COLUMBUS - This weekend, the Michigan hockey team played four periods of excellent hockey.

But a sweep of the two-game series would have required six.

On Saturday night, the Wolverines (10-4-1 CCHA, 16-6-3 overall) skated all over Ohio State with a 6-2 victory, showing the skill that manifested itself at the start of the season.

But Friday night's 3-1 loss to the Buckeyes (8-7-1, 11-10-1) was another of the all-too-frequent flashes of mediocrity that have plagued the Michigan season to date.

"We were upset about the game last night and probably our opponent wasn't as upset," Michigan coach Red Berenson said after rebounding on Saturday night. "I don't think we played a lot better. But we played enough better to make a difference."

In the first two periods on Friday night, Michigan looked like a group of high schoolers facing an NHL team. Ohio State's impressive backchecking along with its players' fiery first steps were too much for the flat-footed Wolverines to match.

"I think that's one of the best games our defense has played together as a core

unit," Ohio State coach John Markell said.

Goals by Miguel Lafleche and Doug Andress staked the Buckeyes out to a 2-0 lead heading into the third. With the way the game was going, it didn't seem like Michigan had any chance at sending Ohio State to its sixth-straight loss.

But a Mike Komisarek tally at the 5:31 mark of the third put the Wolverines back in it, with an Ohio State empty net goal sealing the 3-1 victory.

"We had a good third period, we really did," Berenson said after Michigan outshot Ohio State 15-5 in the final stanza. "It was a close game, but as a coach you look back and say 'we had one good period out of three and that's not good enough.'"

Fortunately for Berenson and the Wolverines, the full package arrived at the Schottenstein Center on Saturday night.

The Wolverines put the problems of the previous night behind them, the most notable of which appeared to be the notoriously poor ice surface at the arena which hosts both hockey and Ohio State basketball.

"The ice is really bad here," sophomore right wing Andy Hilbert said. "A couple of times I was skating down the ice and I just fell just because the ice is so soft. But you can't make excuses like that - they have to play on it, too."

Hilbert got the Wolverines on the board early, and after heading into the locker tied 1-1 after the first, Michigan charged forward, leaving Ohio State in its dust.

Trying to overcome their less-than-stellar season to date, many of Michigan's expected leaders showed up to play. Seniors Josh Langfeld, Jeff Jillson, Geoff Koch and Scott Matzka each scored a goal. Koch also posted a plus-minus of +3 on the evening, while Jillson led the Wolverines with a +4.

The weekend was dominated with a chippy style of play that made it seem as though a brawl could be assured for late in the second game. But the teams shook hands as the game ended and skated off, leaving the emotion of the series hanging over the players' heads until the next meeting.

"It's been brewing for the four years since I've been here, so I don't know if anything really happened today that we weren't ready to expect," senior defenseman Bob Gassoff said.

Alyssa Wood/Daily

Michigan forward Mike Cammalleri gets checked into the boards by Ohio State defenseman Pete Broccoli. Cammalleri struggled Friday, but rebounded for a three-point night Saturday.