Michigan
13-12-3, 8-8-2-1
Wisconsin
10-17-1, 5-14-1-1
Michigan Finishes Sweep of Badgers Behind Solid Offensive Showing
2/8/2020 11:46:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Defenseman Jack Summers had a goal and an assist, his first two-point outing of the season.
» Five different Wolverines scored goals in the game.
» Strauss Mann stopped 39 shots and ranks fifth in the nation in save percentage at .932.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Yost Ice Arena)
Score: Michigan 5, Wisconsin 3
Records: U-M (13-12-3, 8-8-2 B1G), Wisconsin (10-17-1, 5-14-1 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Feb. 14 -- at No. 19 Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.), 6 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Another strong offensive performance from the University of Michigan ice hockey team resulted in a 5-3 victory over Wisconsin on Saturday night at Yost Ice Arena. The win earned the Wolverines a sweep of the visiting Badgers.
Michigan welcomed Johnny Beecher back to the lineup after serving a one-game suspension, while the U-M offense continued to be a nightmare for the Wisconsin netminders as all of its goals came via different Wolverines.
Keaton Pehrson got things rolling early on. The freshman defenseman led a rush of Wolverines toward the Wisconsin goal but ultimately took matters into his own hands. Pehrson entered the Badger zone and ripped a shot on net, but Daniel Lebedeff knocked the puck out of the air with his shoulder. Pehrson recognized that the Wisconsin netminder lost sight of the puck and swooped in and poked the lying puck between Lebedeff's legs to give Michigan a 1-0 lead at the 5:49 mark. It marked Pehrson's first career goal and seventh point of the season. Eric Ciccolini and Nick Pastujov were credited with the assists.
Later in the first period, the Jake Slaker-Jimmy Lambert-Nick Granowicz line continued its dominance after a 10-point outing last night, adding the line's sixth of the weekend. Lambert led the charge for the Wolverines and was patient with the puck when entering the offensive zone. Seeing that Slaker was wide open on the far side, Lambert hit Slaker with a tape-to-tape pass and Slaker took care of the rest by wristing it past the sprawling Lebedeff. The Maize and Blue extended its lead to 2-0 with 2:41 remaining in the first period.
Strauss Mann was flawless in the first until Michigan was whistled for boarding with 1:05 remaining in the opening period. A Michigan turnover in a critical area of the ice gave a Wisconsin skater a wide-open look on the Michigan frame, and the following shot was wristed past the blocker of Mann. Michigan's lead was cut to one, 2-1, with the power-play goal with less than six seconds showing on the clock.
Coming out of the first intermission, the Wolverines wasted little time and scored their third of the night. After receiving the puck from Lambert, Jack Summers immediately took a shot from the high point and it found its way past Lebedeff. Summers collected his third goal of the season at 1:43 to make it a 3-1 game with Lambert and Granowicz awarded the assists.
Midway through the second, Slaker rushed toward a loose puck sitting off the top of the circle in the Wisconsin zone which forced to Lebedeff to leave his net and pursue it as well. It became a foot race between the two, but Lebedeff got there first and defused the situation for the Badgers. Being a game of quick transitions, Sean Dhooghe headed the other way with the puck for Wisconsin and managed to create a breakaway opportunity. He was not able to get a clean shot due to the backcheck by Pehrson and failed to put on the brakes causing him to slam into Mann to earn a charging penalty.
At 4:37 into the third frame, Jacob Hayhurst scored off a feed from Beecher to push Michigan's lead to 4-1.
The Badgers responded with a goal of their own four minutes later. With 1:59 remaining, Lebedeff headed to the bench in favor of an extra skater, and Wisconsin's K'Andre Miller snapped the puck from the high point and past Mann to make it a 4-3 game with 1:03 remaining.
Wisconsin desperately tried to find the equalizer, but Garrett Van Wyhe shot the puck from far outside the Wisconsin zone and it found the back of the open net to seal the deal for the Maize and Blue.
The sweep of the Badgers was Michigan's second sweep of the season at Yost Ice Arena; the first came Oct. 18-19 against Lake Superior State.
Michigan will head to East Lansing for a showdown against Michigan State on Friday (Feb. 14) at Munn Ice Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Netowrk.
