Michigan
13-12-7, 9-8-5-2B1G
Ohio State
19-8-5, 12-6-4-3B1G
Wolverines Play to Tie With No. 6 Buckeyes on Senior Night
2/23/2019 10:45:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Nolan Moyle scored his third goal of the weekend and seventh of the season.
» Nick Blankenburg scored his second career goal.
» Senior captain Joseph Cecconi scored his third goal of the season on Senior Night.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Red Berenson Rink at Yost Ice Arena)
Score: Michigan 3, #6 Ohio State 3 (2OT, L)
Records: U-M (13-12-7, 9-8-5-2 B1G), OSU (19-8-5, 12-6-4-3 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Friday, March 1 -- at Wisconsin (Madison, Wisc.), 8 p.m. CST
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan ice hockey team skated to a 3-3 tie against No. 6 Ohio State on Saturday night (Feb. 23) on Red Berenson Rink at Yost Ice Arena. The Wolverines were unable to complete the sweep of the Buckeyes, as OSU claimed the extra point thanks to Mason Jobst finding the back of the net in the three-on-three period of OT.
"We know that we can play with anyone and that if we play our game and all buy into that, there's no reason that we can't win the Big Ten and continue our season and go onto the national tournament and make a run there", said freshman defenseman Nick Blankenburg.
The Wolverines looked as if they were going to get on the board first when sophomore defenseman Quinn Hughes ripped a shot from atop the left faceoff circle that struck the crossbar and appeared to have crossed the goal line before the referee waved it off, keeping the game scoreless.
Michigan went on a long five-minute penalty kill after they were whistled for kneeing midway through the opening period. U-M was just about to complete the penalty kill when Ohio State's Freddy Gerard found Carson Meyer in the slot, where he was able to beat freshman goalie Strauss Mann over his shoulder on the blocker side at 11:44 of the first period.
Michigan responded and tied the game at one apiece when junior forward Will Lockwood collected the puck in the neutral zone and skated into OSU territory. He sent a cross-ice pass to freshman defenseman Nick Blankenburg in the slot and he deked from left-to-right to tuck the puck in behind the netminder at the 15:47 mark.
Neither team could put their team ahead the rest of the opening period and the Wolverines entered the first intermission knotted at 1.
The Buckeyes score two goals within the first 10 minutes of the second period. Freddy Gerard scored at the 2:53 mark when his shot from the point beat Mann over his glove side. OSU then capitalized on a power-play opportunity when John Witala redirected a Matt Miller pass into the net, increasing the lead to 3-1 at the 7:57 mark of the second period.
The Wolverines cut into the Ohio State lead when Hughes fired a shot on net that deflected off of the OSU netminder. Junior forward Nick Pastujov gathered the rebound and sailed a pass across the crease to a wide-open senior captain Joseph Cecconi who buried it home for his third goal of the season, bringing the score to 3-2 at the 11:08 mark.
OSU nearly extended its lead just four minutes into the third period when it had a shot hit the post and ricochet away. The Buckeyes had multiple rebound attempts, but Mann and the Wolverines defense came up big and were able to freeze the puck, keeping the game at 3-2.
Freshman forward Nolan Moyle scored his third goal of the weekend and tied the game at 3 at the 9:35 mark of the final period. Moyle's first shot on net was deflected behind the net, where he collected his own rebound before he sent a pass in front of the net that bounced off an OSU defender and into the net.
As the horn sounded after 60 minutes of play, the game was deadlocked at 3 and the game went to overtime -- the Wolverines' eighth of the season.
The extra five minutes of five-on-five hockey did not produce a winner, so the game ended in a tie. The teams then played three-on-three to decide which team would pick up the extra Big Ten point.
As time expired in the five-on-five segment of OT, the Buckeyes were called for tripping which gave the Maize and Blue a four-on-three advantage to start the next OT period. U-M was called for a tripping penalty following the opening faceoff which brought the teams back to three-on-three play.
As the OSU penalty expired, Mason Jobst was released from the penalty box and he went on an immediate breakaway when he received a pass in the neutral zone behind the U-M defense. Jobst capitalized on the breakaway and netted the point-clinching goal for OSU.
Michigan's three seniors, captain Cecconi, alternate captain Nicholas Boka and Brendan Warren, as well as manager Mathieu Bashi, were honored following the game in the annual Senior Night ceremony. The trio has combined for 136 points (33 goals, 103 assists) over their Wolverine careers. They have gone 72-55-18 overall with a 40-21-9 record at Yost Ice Arena while making two NCAA tournament appearances, one Frozen Four trip, one Big Ten championship, one GLI championship, and three "Iron D's."
The Wolverines will head to Madison, Wisconsin for their final weekend series of the regular season, when they battle Wisconsin on March. 1-2. Both games against the Badgers are scheduled for 8 p.m. CST.
