Michigan
20-14-3
Ohio State
24-8-5
Wolverines Drop Overtime Heartbreaker to OSU in B1G Semifinals
3/10/2018 11:13:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Cooper Marody recorded both Michigan goals to increase his point total to a team-high 46 points (14 goals, 32 assists).
» Michigan will await the decision of the Selection Committee next Sunday (March 18) to determine its seed in the NCAA tournament.
Site: Columbus, Ohio (Nationwide Arena)
Score: #6 Ohio State 3, #11 Michigan 2 (OT)
Records: U-M (20-14-3), OSU (24-8-5)
Next U-M Event: TBA
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The No. 3-seeded University of Michigan hockey team fell, 3-2, in overtime in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament to the No. 2-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday night (March 10) at Nationwide Arena. U-M will await its selection for the NCAA Tournament during Selection Sunday on March 18.
Michigan's first scoring opportunity came at the halfway point of the first period when freshman defenseman Quinn Hughes found himself behind the Buckeye defense on a breakaway. He made a backhand-to-forehand move, but was stymied by the Buckeye goalie to keep the game scoreless. Hughes had the Wolverines' next chance as well, but he hit the post from the high slot with 6:30 left to play in the opening period.
With Ohio State going on the power play at the 14:56 mark, Michigan's penalty-kill unit and goaltender Hayden Lavigne were kept busy by a flurry of shots and crisp passes. One minute into the Buckeye man-advantage, the puck trickled out to defenseman Gordi Myer at the left point, and he unleashed a powerful slap shot that beat Lavigne at the top-right corner of the net to put OSU up, 1-0, heading into the first intermission.
Just past the halfway point of the game with 8:44 remaining in the 2nd period, the "DMC" line had sustained pressure in the Ohio State zone before Hughes found junior forward Cooper Marody, who strode toward the net from the corner. After being tripped by a Buckeye in front of the net, Marody fell to the ice and finessed the puck from his stomach past the Ohio State netminder to tie the game at 1. Senior forward Dexter Dancs also picked up an assist on the play.
Ohio State regained the lead four minutes into the third period, when Dakota Joshua had a puck bounce off of his pants and go into the net for the goal. Miller took a shot from the point that John Wiitala was able to direct towards the goal where it found Joshua's pants. The goal was OSU's second power-play goal of the game, and made the score 2-1, in favor of Ohio State.
Michigan responded three minutes later when Marody scored his second highlight-reel goal of the game, this time opting for a spin-o-rama to beat the goaltender. After Marody won the faceoff, senior captain Tony Calderone bumped the puck to Hughes. The freshman made a no-look backhand pass to Marody who toe-dragged past a Buckeye defender before putting on the brakes and spinning to his forehand for the tying goal. With the score knotted at 2, the game was sent to sudden-death overtime.
Just 32 seconds into the extra frame, Matthew Weis skated into the zone and snapped a shot through Lavigne's five-hole to give Ohio State the victory. Weis received a pass in the slot from Tanner Laczynski and quickly put the puck on net for the game-winning goal. Wyatt Ege was also credited with an assist on the play.
With the win, the Buckeyes advance to the Big Ten Championship game next Saturday in South Bend, Indiana, against the No. 1-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Michigan now awaits its fate in regards to the NCAA tournament. The selection show is scheduled for Sunday, March 18.
