Michigan Defeats ASU in Penultimate Regular-Season Game

Friday, February 23

Ann Arbor, Mich.

7:30 PM

Michigan

17-13-3

Arizona State

8-20-5

Arizona State

MICHIGAN

Photo by: MiPhotos

Michigan Defeats ASU in Penultimate Regular-Season Game

2/23/2018 11:21:00 PM | Ice Hockey

Box Score PDF Boxscore

By: TJ Garske

» James Sanchez scored back-to-back goals in a 3:04 span in the first period.
» Hayden Lavigne made 30 saves to earn his fourth straight win.
» Joseph Cecconi and Quinn Hughes led U-M with +4 ratings.

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Red Berenson Rink at Yost Ice Arena)
Score: #13 Michigan 5, Arizona State 3
Records: U-M (17-13-3), ASU (8-20-5)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 24 -- vs. Arizona State (Red Berenson Rink at Yost Ice Arena), 7:30 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 13-ranked University of Michigan hockey team defeated Arizona State by a score of 5-3 on Red Berenson Rink at Yost Ice Arena Friday night (Feb. 23). The Wolverines increased their unbeaten streak to five games with the win, taking five of their last seven.

Arizona State jumped out to a fast start when its leading goal scorer, freshman forward Johnny Walker, found the back of the Wolverine net just 51 seconds into the game. Walker received a pass from Brett Gruber and shelved the puck giving the Sun Devils an early 1-0 lead.

Michigan was not behind for very long, as sophomore forward James Sanchez scored just over four minutes into the contest to bring the teams even. Junior forward Cooper Marody took a breakout pass from junior defenseman Nicholas Boka and Marody carried the puck all the way up the ice into the Arizona State zone. Seeing Sanchez had slipped behind the Sun Devils' defense, Marody threw the puck across the goalmouth to a wide-open Sanchez for his second goal of the year.

Sanchez was not done and scored again three minutes later to give the Maize and Blue its first lead of the night. Freshman forward Josh Norris was able to tip sophomore forward Jake Slaker's shot on net, creating a juicy rebound in front of the Arizona State net. Sanchez pounced on it and slid it past the sprawling goaltender's arm for a 2-1 lead.

Michigan continued the pressure in the first period and was rewarded with another goal when freshman forward Michael Pastujov scored with 5:23 left in the opening frame. His sophomore brother, Nick Pastujov, knocked the puck out of a scrum to freshman forward Jack Becker, who brought the puck up the left wing into the Sun Devils' zone. Becker took a backhand shot that was stopped, but the rebound bounced right to Michael who was able to tap it in for his fourth goal this season.

Four minutes into the second period, ASU netminder Joey Daccord skated out to play the puck up the ice to an open teammate, but the pass was intercepted by sophomore forward Adam Winborg. He quickly tried to put the puck on net but Daccord made a diving save to protect the yawning cage.

With just under two minutes left in the second frame, Slaker was sent off for goaltender interference. On the ensuing power play, Arizona State's Walker collected his second goal of the contest by going bar-down over Lavigne's shoulder with 1:25 left in the period.

Pressure mounted late in the game as Arizona State went on a 5-on-3 advantage following two Michigan penalties with less than four minutes to play. After the Wolverines killed off their first penalty, the Sun Devils' Brett Gruber struck to bring the game within one. Shortly thereafter, with Daccord off for an extra attacker, freshman forward Dakota Raabe received the puck in the neutral zone before he skated inside the blue line and iced the game with an empty-net goal.

Michigan will conclude its regular season schedule Saturday night (Feb 24) with its second tilt against the Sun Devils. Puck drop at Yost Ice Arena is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. with Senior Night festivities taking place following the game. With their Big Ten slate wrapped up, the Wolverines have already clinched home-ice advantage for the first round of the Big Ten tournament and will return to action at Yost Ice Arena next Friday evening (March 2).