Michigan
16-14-4, 11-10-3-2
Minnesota
14-13-7, 9-8-7-4
Michigan Bests No. 18 Minnesota, Earns Home Ice for B1G Quarterfinals
2/29/2020 9:19:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Strauss Mann stopped 27 of 28 shots faced to earn his 16th win of the year.
» Minnesota native Jack Becker opened the scoring in the second period.
» Nick Granowicz scored the game-winning goal early in the final frame.
» Michigan will host Michigan State in a Big Ten Tournament first-round series (March 5-7).
Site: Minneapolis, Minn. (3M Arena at Mariucci)
Score: Michigan 2, #18 Minnesota 1
Records: U-M (16-14-4, 11-10-3-2 B1G), Minnesota (14-13-7, 9-8-7-4 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Friday, March 6 -- vs. Michigan State (Yost Ice Arena), 7 p.m.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Strauss Mann made 27 saves while Jack Becker and Nick Granowicz scored to guide the University of Michigan ice hockey team past No. 18 Minnesota, 2-1, in the regular-season finale. With the win over the Golden Gophers, the Wolverines (16-14-4, 11-10-3-2 B1G) secured home ice for next week's Big Ten Tournament first round.
No. 3-seeded Michigan will host No. 6 seed Michigan State in a best-of-three series March 6-8 -- Friday, Saturday and Sunday (if necessary) -- at Yost Ice Arena. Tickets will go on sale Monday (March 2).
There was nervous energy coursing through Mariucci Arena in the game's opening minutes but no serious scoring threats from either side until Michigan received the game's first power-play opportunity at 8:13. After several excellent chances were turned away, Nick Pastujov was cross-checked into the post of the Minnesota net as he scrambled to bury a loose puck in the crease. An official review determined it was a minor penalty, and the Wolverines began an abbreviated 5-on-3.
After both power-play chances were unsuccessful, U-M continued to carry the play and ended the period with an 11-6 lead in shots on goal.
Jack Becker, one of two Minnesota natives on the Michigan roster, opened up the scoring with a rocket of a one-timer 10:02 into the second period. Luke Martin loaded up with a drive from the right point with Emil Öhrwall getting the rebound and sending the puck into the slot for Becker to finish.
It was not long until Minnesota responded, as a pesky Gopher forecheck won the puck deep in the U-M end several shifts later and buried a second-chance opportunity from the net-front area just 3:33 after Becker tallied for the Wolverines to knot the score at 1.
A bit over two minutes into the final frame, Granowicz pulled Michigan back ahead by one with a quick backdoor wrist shot to cap off a flurry of pressure around Jack LaFontaine. Jake Slaker and defenseman Jack Summers picked up assists on Granowicz's seventh goal of the year after Slaker skated around the net to draw defensive coverage and send a pass toward a patiently waiting Granowicz.
With three crucial points in the tightly packed Big Ten standings and the possibility of home ice on the line, the Golden Gophers pressed hard to find an equalizer. With LaFontaine at the bench for an extra skater, Mann stood tall between the pipes for Michigan as the final seconds ticked off the clock to ice a 2-1 U-M win.
The Big Ten Tournament will last three weeks and feature a best-of-three first round, two semifinal games hosted by the highest remaining seeds, and a championship game on March 21 at the campus site of the higher seed.
