Michigan
22-12-1, 18-9-1
Ohio State
14-15-5, 12-12-4
U-M Loses Wild Regular-Season Finale at Ohio State
2/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team dropped its regular-season finale by a 6-5 score to Ohio State on Saturday (Feb. 24) in Value City Arena. U-M had leads of 3-1 and 4-2 in the second period before surrendering three straight goals to OSU. Michigan tied the game at 5-5 with five minutes left in regulation; however, OSU's Mathieu Beaudoin scored the game-winner with 1:30 remaining.
Despite the loss, the Maize and Blue finished in second place in the CCHA with 37 points. Third-place Miami (36 points) could have jumped past U-M, but the RedHawks lost at Northern Michigan tonight. As a result of its finish in the standings, U-M will receive a first round bye (March 2-4) in the CCHA Tournament; Michigan will then host a best-of-three quarterfinal series March 9-11 in Yost Ice Arena.
The Wolverines had the offensive momentum to start the game as they registered six shots in the opening five minutes. U-M earned a power play at 4:05 but did not tally a shot.
Michigan took a 1-0 lead on Kevin Porter's (Northville, Mich.) partial breakaway at 13:40. Mark Mitera (Livonia, Mich.) scooped up the puck near the U-M goal and passed it T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.) in the neutral zone. Hensick quickly relayed the puck ahead to Porter, who skated untouched past the OSU defense and fired a shot past Joe Palmer's blocker. The tally ended Porter's eight-game goal drought.
The Buckeyes tied the game at 1-1 at 16:12 on their first shot of the game. Mathieu Beaudoin's attempt from the slot was blocked in front, but he followed it up and gained control of the puck in the lower left circle. Beaudoin mustered a low backhand shot that snuck through Billy Sauer's (Walworth, N.Y.) legs for the tally.
The Wolverines gained a 2-1 lead at 1:47 of the second when Travis Turnbull (Chesterfield, Mo.) tapped in a rebound in the crease. From the right circle, Brandon Naurato (Livonia, Mich.) sent a wrist shot on goal. Palmer made the first save and appeared to have puck in his stomach, but the disc dropped beside him and Turnbull beat his defender for the easy goal.
The Maize and Blue took a 3-1 lead by capitalizing on a five-on-three power play at 6:53. Mitera fired a shot from above the left circle and Naurato redirected the puck past the goaltender.
Ohio State cut the U-M lead in half to 3-2 at 8:29 on a Jason DeSantis wrist shot from the right circle that beat Sauer high glove-side.
Michigan answered back with its nation's-leading 14th shorthanded goal of the season at 9:20 to make it 4-2. Following a big right pad save by Sauer, the Wolverines cleared the zone and created a two-on-one with Chad Kolarik (Abington, Pa.) and Danny Fardig (Ann Arbor, Mich.). Kolarik carried the puck down the right wing, flipping it across the slot for Fardig to send over Palmer.
The Buckeyes rallied to tie the game at 4-4 with two goals 20 seconds apart at 17:55 and 18:15. Matt Waddell scored the first goal while skating through the lower left circle. Kenny Bernard scored into an open net when Andrew Schembri drew Sauer to the left of the goal before passing back to the right.
Tyson Strachan continued the Ohio State barrage at 3:01 of the third period. The power-play marker put OSU on top (5-4) for the first time in the game. Strachan's point shot went over Sauer's right shoulder and nicked the bottom of the crossbar.
Overlapping penalties in the middle of penalty gave the Wolverines a power play for nearly 90 seconds. U-M swarmed the slot, but OSU's penalty killers thwarted each chance.
Tim Miller (Davisburg, Mich.) tied the game at 5-5 when he scored from behind OSU's net with 5:06 left. Miller received a pass from Chris Summers (Milan, Mich.) and banked the puck off of Palmer's back for the goal. The goal came seconds after Michigan failed on a power play.
Beaudoin scored the game-winning goal with 1:30 to play on a slap shot from the high slot. Michigan's defense missed out on clearing a loose puck in its own zone, which resulted in a chance for Beaudoin.
Michigan's next game will be on Friday, March 9, when U-M hosts game one of a CCHA Tournament quarterfinal series at Yost Ice Arena. The opponent will be determined after the first-round series (March 2-4).
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
