Michigan
8-9-6, 4-5-4-2B1G
Ohio State
13-5-4, 6-3-3-2B1G
Wolverines Suffer Late Loss at Hands of No. 4 Buckeyes, Split Weekend Series
1/12/2019 10:33:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Joseph Cecconi assisted on both U-M goals, his 14th and 15th of the year.
» Will Lockwood scored his eighth goal of the year, his second in as many games.
» Hayden Lavigne turned away 18 of 21 shots faced in the loss.
Site: Columbus, Ohio (Value City Arena)
Score: #4 Ohio State 4, Michigan 2
Records: Ohio State (13-5-4, 6-3-3-2 B1G), U-M (8-9-6, 4-5-4-2 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Thursday, Jan. 24Â -- vs. Penn State (Red Berenson Rink at Yost Ice Arena), 7:30 p.m.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The University of Michigan ice hockey team fell to the No. 4-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, 4-2, on Saturday night (Jan. 12) at Value City Arena to split their weekend Big Ten series.
"First and foremost, I thought we played hard this weekend," said head coach Mel Pearson. "We competed hard and kept one of the best teams in the country to 23 shots last night and 22 shots tonight. We played well defensively this weekend and got good goaltending. It came down to a few simple breaks."
Michigan tested the Buckeye goaltender several times early in the first period after killing off an early slashing call just 1:12 into the game. The Wolverines went on its first power play halfway through the first period, but could not convert on several good looks.
Junior goaltender Hayden Lavigne was tested less than a minute into the second frame when OSU's leading scorer and captain Mason Jobst was sprung on a short breakaway. Lavigne read the streaking Buckeye and extended across the crease to deny him with the blocker. Minutes later on the other end of the ice, the Maize and Blue applied pressure including several close chances and a diving wraparound attempt from junior forward Nick Pastujov that was kicked away by Ohio State's goalie.
With 12 minutes left in the second period, it was the Buckeye captain once again testing Lavigne with a close-range slapshot. The Michigan goaltender came up big for the second time in as many tries with a shoulder save to deny the opportunity from in close. Shortly thereafter, the Wolverines would see two skaters sent off for successive hooking calls, giving the Buckeyes a 5-on-3 power play for almost a minute and a half. After several big stops by Lavigne, OSU opened up the scoring with a one-time shot from below the dot that beat Lavigne's glove 10:30 into the period. The Ohio State lead would not last long as U-M tied the game at 1 for the second night in a row.
As sophomore defenseman Quinn Hughes carried the puck into the OSU end minutes later, four Buckeyes convened on him. Calmly stickhandling through traffic toward the slot, Hughes dished the puck toward the dot where a gliding Lockwood was waiting to hammer home a one-timer. He picked the corner of a yawning cage for his eighth goal of the season to tie the game at with five minutes left in the second period.
The score remained tied at 1 until freshman forward Jimmy Lambert picked up a rebound from a shot by classmate Garrett Van Wyhe and beat the Buckeye goalie short-side with a wrist shot for his first collegiate goal with a bit over 11 minutes left in the period to put the Wolverines up, 2-1. Just 28 seconds later, Ohio State tied the game at 2 when an OSU defenseman held the puck in at the blue line, walked into the slot, and ripped a shot top shelf to beat a sliding Lavigne.
With 6:57 left in regulation, the Buckeyes took a 3-2 lead with a wrist shot off a toe drag from the slot that snuck over Lavigne's shoulder. Down a goal with two minutes left, U-M pulled Lavigne for an extra attacker. The Maize and Blue had several Grade-A chances as the Buckeyes sprawled around the crease to keep the puck out of the net, but could not find an equalizer. With 24 seconds remaining, Ohio State found open ice to carry the puck into the U-M zone and flipped the puck into an empty net to ice the game.
The Wolverines will have an off-week before returning to conference action on Thursday, Jan. 24, when they will host Penn State at Red Berenson Rink at Yost Ice Arena, with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. The teams then will meet on Saturday, Jan. 26, in New York City at Madison Square Garden for the annual B1G Super Saturday. Puck drop from the Big Apple is scheduled for 7 p.m.
