Ohio State and Michigan met again on the ice Sunday evening. The rivalry picked up right where it left off at the end of Friday’s thrilling shootout, with chippiness and a lot of goals. Four pucks found the net in the opening frame.
The Wolverines struck first. At the 1:45 mark the Buckeyes were slow to engage after a lost defensive zone faceoff. Brendan Warren’s shot beat Matt Tomkins, giving the home team the early lead. Though the shot totals were more or less even at 15-13, Michigan had the better of the chances in the period.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| No. 6 Michigan | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
OSU’s offense finally broke through near the halfway point. Shootout hero Dakota Joshua penetrated the Michigan defense and nudged a bouncing puck past Steve Racine. It was the first official goal of the rookie’s collegiate career.
One shift later, Michigan regained the lead. Kyle Connor and Tyler Motte skated around the Buckeye defense, earning a semi-2-on-1. Motte scored on the feed from Connor.
The Bucks responded with another game tying tally. Again it was a gritty goal coming from a net mouth scrum. Racine lost his stick in the scramble and waved frantically at the puck as Tyler Lundey swatted it across the line.
Ohio State surged ahead in the second period. Michigan’s Justin Selman took a trip to the penalty box on the opening faceoff. The Buckeye power play unit made quick work of the advantage, moving Racine from post to post and opening the net for a tap-in by Dave Gust.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:17 | Dakota Joshua (Anthony Greco, Janik Moser) |
| 1 | 13:26 | Tyler Lundey (Josh Healey, Brendon Kearney) |
| 2 | 1:17 | PP - Dave Gust (Matt Weis, Nick Schilkey) |
| 2 | 3:30 | Sasha Larocque (Mason Jobst, John Wiitala) |
| 2 | 18:46 | PP - Mason Jobst (Dakota Joshua, Matt Weis) |
| 3 | 19:41 | EA - Kevin Miller (Craig Dalrymple, Mason Jobst) |
The buzzing Bucks continued to dominate the opening minutes of the middle frame. They outshot the Wolverines 9-1 and stretched their lead to 4-2. Sasha Larocque teed off on a great set up from Mason Jobst, blowing the puck by Racine. It was the third point of the series for the rookie defenseman.
Michigan began to push back. A few minutes later the OSU defense lost Connor as he circled the net. With a little breathing room, the Big Ten’s leading scorer sighted a corner of open net and drew the Wolverines within a goal of the Bucks.
Late in the period Ohio State’s power play went to work for a second time. Relentless net crashing by Joshua, Mason Jobst, and Matt Weis overcame the spirited defense of Michigan’s penalty killers. Jobst slammed home a rebound and regained OSU’s two goal cushion.
When the dust settled on the middle frame, Ohio State led 40-31 in shots on goal and 5-3 on the scoreboard. The Bucks did not enjoy their lead long. Less than two minutes into the third, the Wolverines knotted the score at 5-5.
Michigan started the final period with a 5-on-3. The two man advantage and excellent puck movement soon resulted in a goal by Connor. Still on a garden variety 5-on-4, Motte netted his second of the game.
Two minutes later Motte struck again. His shot popped high and dropped behind Tomkins. It was the third goal of the game for the Chicago Blackhawks prospect and the first hat trick of his career.
The Wolverines kept the Buckeyes on their heels in the final frame. Midway through Ohio State was still seeking its first shot on goal and Michigan increased its lead to 7-5. Dexter Dancs tucked the puck behind a sprawling Tomkins.
The Bucks eventually applied some offensive pressure, pulling Tomkins with four minutes to play and facing a 4-on-4. Racine and his defenders denied the Scarlet and Gray at every turn. Ohio State played the remaining minutes of the game with the extra attacker on but couldn't close the gap. J.T. Compher hit the empty net. Kevin Miller potted one last marker for the Buckeyes.
As the final horn sounded tempers boiled over. The players on the ice scuffled. Joshua and Michigan's Cutler Martin were each assessed a major and disqualification for facemasking. Martin also threw more than couple punches over the referee at a fallen Buckeye. Alex Kile left the bench to join his fellow Wolverines, earning a misconduct of his own. No doubt the Big Ten will look at the tape. Suspensions are likely forthcoming.
The Bucks now return home where they remain until mid-February. Next week Ohio State hosts the conference’s surprise contender, No. 14/15 Penn State. Games are scheduled for Friday and Saturday with a 7pm start each night.
Notes
- Ohio State finished with a 49-47 edge in shots on goal.
- The Buckeyes were 2-for-3 on their power play opportunities while the Wolverines were 2-for-2.
- Other Big Ten results: The weekend brings a pair of sweeps. Penn State and Minnesota double up Wisconsin and Michigan State, respectively.
