Michigan
7-6, 5-6-0-1-0B1G
Ohio State
4-8-1, 4-7-0-0-1B1G
Moyle's Two-Goal Game Paces Wolverines to Win Over Buckeyes
1/15/2021 10:14:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Nolan Moyle scored Michigan's first and last goals to lead the Wolverines offense.
» Thomas Bordeleau and Nick Blankenburg each recorded two assists.
» Erik Portillo stopped 19 shots to earn a win in his first Michigan start.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Yost Ice Arena)
Score: #9 Michigan 4, Ohio State 2
Records: U-M (7-6-0, 5-6-0-1 B1G), OSU (4-8-1, 4-7-0-0)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Jan. 16 -- vs. Ohio State (Yost Ice Arena), 7 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Nolan Moyle scored a pair of goals and freshman netminder Erik Portillo made 19 saves in his first collegiate start as the University of Michigan ice hockey team knocked off Ohio State, 4-2, on Friday night (Jan. 15) at Yost Ice Arena.
Moyle's two-tally night was his first since Feb. 22, 2019, which also came against the Buckeyes.
At the 10-minute mark of the first period, U-M took a minor penalty for holding. After a phenomenal effort from Philippe Lapointe and the rest of Michigan's penalty-kill unit, the Wolverines returned to full strength. Coming out of the media timeout, it was Portillo coming up big with a stop on an abbreviated breakaway chance.
Michigan (7-6-0, 5-6-0-1 Big Ten) received its first opportunity on the man-advantage with 6:34 remaining in the opening period after an OSU holding penalty, but the Wolverines were unable to capitalize on several dangerous looks on the power play.
It was Moyle converting off a blocked dump-in at the Michigan blue line at 6:47 of the middle frame, giving U-M a 1-0 lead. The junior forward collected the puck in the neutral zone before gliding into the OSU zone on a two-on-one break from the left flank. Rather than make a contested pass across the slot, Moyle dialed up a short-side wrist shot that beat the scarlet-clad netminder's blocker to put the Wolverines on the board first. Thomas Bordeleau picked up the lone assist.
The Buckeyes took a slashing penalty with 11:16 remaining in the second period, but U-M's power-play unit could to convert for a second time. After two periods, the Wolverines led in shots on goal, 21-14, and faceoffs, 20-9, to maintain a one-goal lead after 40 minutes.
Ohio State (4-8-1, 4-7-0-0) struck next while on the power play just 3:51 into the third period. Michigan had two seconds remaining on the penalty kill when the Buckeyes buried the puck into the net to tie the game at 1. Michigan challenged the goal for offsides and after a video review, the officials said the call on the ice stood as called.
Michigan regained the lead 10:51 into the final frame when Brendan Brisson buried a feed from Bordeleau, going bar-down from in tight to reclaim a lead for U-M at 2-1. Alternate captain Nick Blankenburg made a gorgeous entry chip off the boards to spark the play. Bordeleau scooped it up in stride, skated in below the dot and made a crisp pass across to Brisson for the conversion.
Minutes later, at 13:13 of the third, it was Eric Ciccolini joining the scoring party with a goal from the in front of the net after Blankenburg put the puck on goal to spark another offensive chance. Johnny Beecher also picked up an assist on the goal after touching the puck before Ciccolini sent it to the back of the net to make it a 3-1 U-M lead.
After Michigan took a penalty with 3:24 remaining in the contest, OSU pulled their goaltender in favor of a six-on-four advantage. After more than a minute of pressure from the Buckeye attack, it was Moyle who buried the empty-net goal for his second tally of the game. Matty Beniers' hard work to carry the puck in deep and set up the chance earned him an assist on the goal.
With 11 seconds remaining in the game, the Buckeyes scored an goal thanks to the extra attacker and a man-advantage after a late Michigan penalty to make the final score 4-2. The three points put Michigan into fourth place in the Big Ten standings with 14 points, while Ohio State sits in fifth place at 13 points.
The Wolverines and Buckeyes will face off again Saturday (Jan. 16) at Yost Ice Arena to complete the two-game set. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
