Ohio State line gets offensive, burned by 'M'

By Joe Smith

Daily Sports Writer

COLUMBUS - Ohio State's third-line grinders Miguel Lafleche, Chris Olsgard and Nick Ganga were out to halt Michigan's potent top attackers this past weekend.

They did their job on Friday night, but on Saturday, they lost their prior identity and forgot that they were just a third line.

Michigan's Geoff Koch, Mike Cammalleri and Andy Hilbert made them pay, combining for nine points and showing what a first line is all about.

The trio of Wolverine stars have been on a scoring tear of late, holding point-streaks of eight, nine and 10 games respectively going into this past weekend against the Buckeyes.

So the Ohio State game plan was simple - aggressively attack Michigan's stars with physical play and get them off their game.

Instead of starting his top scoring line against Michigan's best group, Ohio State coach John Markell matched up his checking line of Lafleche, Ganga and Olsgard to do the dirty work.

According to the rules of hockey, Ohic State had the luxury as the home team to make the final line change, which enabled Markell to implement his defensive scheme.

And, on Friday, the grind line sure did. It bottled up Michigan's highest source of firepower by responsibly backchecking, winning the battles in the corners, hitting the Wolverines after the whistle and playing an overall solid defensive game.

"Why shouldn't they go after (Cammalleri and Hilbert)," Koch said of his linemates. "They're some of our best players so we have to expect that to happen."

Michigan's top line ended up at a minus-2 for the game. Hilbert's assist on Michigan's lone goal of its 3-1 loss remained the only point registered by the trio.

But Saturday night brought out a change in personality for Lafleche, Olsgard and Ganga that doomed them.

Maybe overconfidence or greed took over. Perhaps the checking line's two points in Friday's game made their mouths water for more on Saturday - they seemed to jump at every opportunity for a scoring chance. Meanwhile, their collective offensive mindset led them to lose touch with their responsibility of shutting down Michigan's top line.

"I think we've tried to add a little offense instead of playing a defensive role and let the other lines assume the offensive roles," Markell said. "I think they (third line) learned a little something."

What lesson did they learn? Never let up on Koch, Cammalleri and Hilbert, who each had three points on Saturday night - Koch's first three-point game of the season. Three of the goals came off of hustle plays by Koch, Cammalleri and Hilbert, as they won the battles that their opponents won the night before.

And it's no coincidence that Michigan also won the game, with Lafleche, Olsgard and Ganga shaking their heads in frustration at their combined minus-9 performance - and their painful delusion of grandeur.

Familiar faces: As Ohio State freshman center Dave Steckel glided past Michigan defenseman Mike Komisarek on his way to a great scoring chance for the Buckeyes, a reunion of former teammates and old friends ensued.

Both Steckel and fellow freshman standout R.J. Umberger were teammates of Michigan's Komisarek and Hilbert during the World Junior Championships. While representing Team USA to a fifth-place finish, the quartet got to know each other better when Hilbert and Steckel roomed together.

"It was fun to spend time with each other, but once you put on the Michigan jersey and they put on the Ohio State there's no friends out there on the ice," said Komisarek, who was also teammates with Steckel and Umberger for the United States Under-18 National Development Program based in Ann Arbor. "You're going to war out there."

Ice chips: Before Friday nights game, the Canadian national anthem was played to honor those who participated in the World Junior Championships, specifically for Cammalleri who had to watch an electronically-created flag on the scoreboard since there was none in the rafters of Value City Arena ... In the aftermath of Ohio State senior captain Andre Signoretti's dismissal from the team due to academic eligibility, the Buckeyes play-by-play man Herb Howenstine mentioned in the Saturday night broadcast that everyone seems to overlook the "fine team GPA of 2.85."

ALYSSA WOOD/Daily

Ohio State tried to rough up Mike Cammalleri all weekend, but the Buckeyes' strategy failed on Saturday.