Ohhhh man. A couple things go sliiightly differently, and the feeling coming out of this Michigan season changes drastically. It doesn’t suddenly become great, but a whole lot better with the Wolverines’ first major win.
Tempo Free
From the official box score, a look at the tempo-free stats:
| Maryland 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | Michigan | ||
| Faceoff Wins | 9 | Faceoff Wins | 9 |
| Clearing | 13-16 | Clearing | 12-12 |
| Possessions | 25 | Possessions | 24 |
| Goals | 8 | Goals | 7 |
| Offensive Efficiency | .320 | Offensive Efficiency | .292 |
This game was about as even as can be. Both teams had decent offensive performances despite poor weather conditions, and did it on almost even possessions. That one possession for UMD in the end was the difference.
Notes
By definition, a one-goal game that’s close in possessions could be decided in either direction based on that one last chance with the ball, but this was about as close as it can get. Michigan did have the final possession with the ball, but Maryland’s game-winning goal came on the penultimate possession (and U-M had a shot saved and hit a post with time running out). Close, but no cigar.
So, how does Michigan lose to Maryland by the same margin that it lost to Dartmouth and Marist? “By playing its best game of the year” seems like the obvious answer, but it’s the right one, too. Even though both Kyle Jackson and Ian King were out, Michigan had a good offensive performance. There was also an adequate defensive performance and a very good job done in the possession game.
About that possession game… Maryland was just a good team on faceoffs (slightly worse than Michigan for the year), but not many people expected the Maize and Blue to get to a stalemate there, despite the season-long stats. Brad Lott took every draw and won half, chasing Austin Hennigsen (5/10) and Will Bonaparte (0/3) before the Terps found something that worked in longpole Curtis Corley (4/5). Michigan also rode Maryland pretty well, with three failed clears for the Terps (as opposed to a perfect mark for U-M, unsurprising given Maryland’s lack of emphasis on the ride).
The difference between the goalkeepers – and perhaps shot selection – probably made the ultimate decision in this game. Gerald Logan saved just six shots, while Kyle Bernlohr saved 12. There’s no shame in being out-dueled by one of the best in the nation (and the Big Ten’s First-Team All-Conference honoree), but with the Wolverines putting much more rubber on the net than the Terps in a one-goal game, “what could have been” certainly involves a slightly different performance from each keeper.
With Jackson and King out, Peter Kraus (3G) and freshman Sean McCanna (2G) carried the torch offensively. Michigan had just three assists on its seven goals, which can be attributed to multiple factors. First, of course, is Maryland’s outstanding team defense (hardly a revelation), but also of note is Michigan’s developing offensive talent. U-M now has players who can win one-on-one matchups, even with two of its best missing the game. There’s a negative for Michigan, too though…
Michigan will regret the penalty situation. The Terps committed zero for the game, reducing the chance for man-up goals, which tend to be assisted. Michigan committed four infractions, with Maryland scoring on two of them. Each of those two goals gave the Terps a lead when the score had been tied in the second half, so cleaning things up could have helped in a big way.
Maryland’s talent is never in question, and in addition to Bernlohr, the standouts came on offense, with Matt Rambo and Bryan Cole – potential All-America selections – leading the way. Cole had a pair of goals and two assists, while Rambo chipped in a pair of goals.
Despite that, LSM Chase Brown was able to put together a big day with five caused turnovers and four ground balls. Lott (6GB) and fershman attack Rocco Sutherland, who started on account of the Jackson/King absences had four as well.
It’s fair to give the cold, windy, snowy conditions their due in helping Michigan keep this game close. Even though the offenses didn’t seem to have too much trouble (despite 17 turnovers for Maryland and 11 for Michigan, the efficiency marks were fine), the pace of play certainly played into an upset bid. If this one was played in pristine conditions, it’s fair to assume Maryland might have been able to play a cleaner game and win by a greater margin.
Talk about a youth movement. Five freshmen started for Michigan, including two attackman, a midfielder, and two defenders. The Wolverines’ injury situation this year stunk – and made for a year that didn’t meet expectations – but should help going forward.
Elsewhere
Boxscore. Michigan recap. Maryland recap. BTN subscribers can re-watch the game, if so inclined.
Up Next
Michigan hit the road to try to earn a Big Ten Tournament bid with wins over fellow non-blue bloods Rutger and Ohio State. Spoiler alert: that didn’t happen.