Wolverines Down Buckeyes in Penalty-Filled Battle

Friday, January 21

Columbus, Ohio

7:05 PM

Michigan

19-6-0, 14-4-0CCHA

Ohio State

7-14-2, 3-11-1CCHA

Michigan

Ohio State

1/21/2000 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey

Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In front of an NCAA-record crowd of 17,343 fans, the University of Michigan ice hockey team defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes in a 6-4 battle of endurance on Friday (Jan. 21), as the game lasted over three hours and included more than 40 penalties. The win, U-M's fourth straight, keeps the Wolverines in first place in the CCHA with 28 points.

Michigan (19-6-0, 14-4-0 CCHA) took the first lead with its ninth short-handed goal of the season and the fourth short-handed tally of the last six goals scored against Ohio State. With Sean Peach (Langley, B.C.) in the penalty box, goaltender Josh Blackburn (Choctaw, Okla.) fed the puck to Geoff Koch (Exeter, N.H.) in the neutral zone. Koch drove down the ice and fired the puck through Ray Aho's five-hole for the goal.

In the second period, Ohio State (8-15-2, 4-12-1 CCHA) tied the game with a goal just 1:14 into the period. However, Koch earned his fifth multi-point game with his second goal of the game at the 4:36 mark of the second. The goal was the first of three in a two-minute span as Jed Ortmeyer (Omaha, Neb.) scored at 5:28 and Ohio State's Ryan Smith scored at 5:58 of the second. A goal by Eric Meloche with just over eight minutes remaining in the period sent the game into the second intermission tied 3-3.

The Wolverines regained the lead with a four-on-four goal just 49 seconds into the third period. Mike Comrie (Edmonton, Alberta), the nation's third leading scorer, fed Peach, who passed the puck to Andy Hilbert (Howell, Mich.). Hilbert then fired the puck through Aho's five-hole from the right face-off circle. Michigan added an insurance goal when Josh Langfeld (Coon Rapids, Mich.) netted his sixth goal of the season at the 6:59 mark.

With just under half the third period remaining, Hilbert netted his second goal of the night while on a five-on-three power play, flipping a pass from Mike Cammalleri (Richmond Hill, Ontario) over Aho. Just after the score, a huge melee broke out behind the net, leading to game disqualifications for Jeff Jillson (N. Smithfield, R.I.) and Jean-Francois Dufour, who will miss next week's rematch.

The teams meet again next weekend with a game at Yost Ice Arena on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 7:05 p.m. The game will be televised live on FOX Sports Net Detroit.

GAME SUMMARY

Goals By Period	1	2	3	F
Michigan	1	2	3	6
Ohio State	0	3	1	4

1st period
1, MICH, Geoff Koch 7 (Josh Blackburn) 15:12 (sh).

2nd period
2, OSU, Miguel Lafleche 3 (Jaisen Freeman, Mike McCormick) 01:14 (pp).
3, MICH, Geoff Koch 8 (Mike Comrie, Andy Hilbert) 04:36 (pp).
4, MICH, Jed Ortmeyer 5 (Mark Kosick, Josh Langfeld) 05:28 (pp).
5, OSU, Ryan Smith 2 (Rob Gubala, Louie Colsant) 05:58.
6, OSU, Eric Meloche 12 (Ray Aho) 11:38 (pp).

3rd period
7, MICH, Andy Hilbert 11 (Sean Peach, Mike Comrie) 00:49.
8, MICH, Josh Langfeld 6 (Mark Mink, Sean Peach) 06:59 (pp).
9, MICH, Andy Hilbert 12 (Mike Cammalleri, Jeff Jillson) 10:54 (pp).
10, OSU, Nick Ganga 12 (Andre Signoretti, Ryan Jestadt) 18:39 (pp).

Shots on goal: MICH 27; OSU 34. Power plays: MICH 4 of 11; OSU 3 of 12. Penalties: MICH 21 (53 min); OSU 21 (61 min). Goalies: MICH, Josh Blackburn (60:00 minutes, 34 shots-30 saves); OSU, Ray Aho (58:09, 27-21) , Empty Net (01:51, 0-0). Referee: Brent Rutherford. Assistant Referees: Tim Katrinak; Dave Kronenberg. Attendance: 17,343. Time: 3:02.