Michigan
7-2-0, 2-1-0
Michigan State
4-4-1, 1-2-0
Beniers' Birthday Blasts Propel Michigan to Big Win Over MSU
11/5/2021 11:07:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Matty Beniers scored the game's first two goals while celebrating his 19th birthday.
» Luke Hughes tallied two goals of his own and added an assist for his first career three-point game.
» Kent Johnson collected three assists to pad his line to one goal, seven assists and eight points in three games vs. MSU.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Red Berenson Rink at Yost Ice Arena)
Score: #3 Michigan 7, Michigan State 2
Records: U-M (7-2-0, 2-0 B1G), MSU (4-4-1, 1-2 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Nov. 6 -- at Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.), 7:30 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Matty Beniers and a crowd of 5,800 celebrated his 19th birthday in style with a pair of goals in a Maize Out win Friday night (Nov. 5), as the University of Michigan ice hockey team knocked off Michigan State 7-2. Beniers' tallies opened the scoring at 3:36 and 10:58 of the opening frame.
Erik Portillo racked up 26 saves on 28 shots faced to earn his seventh win of the season.
Beniers' first goal came off of a blocker-side snipe from close quarters. Kent Johnson earned the primary assist after threading a pass to the slot that Beniers was able to accept in stride, while Owen Power collected the secondary assist.
Less than a minute after the icebreaker, senior forward Garrett Van Wyhe was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct to put Michigan's penalty kill to the test for five minutes.
With the PK unit up to the task, the Wolverines seized momentum by killing off the extended man-down situation. MSU followed up by taking a pair of penalties to give U-M 54 seconds of a 5-on-3 power play.
Not long after, Beniers potted his second goal of the game to convert with the two-skater advantage to give U-M a 2-0 lead. Waiting to strike in the right circle, Beniers settled into open space near the dot and readied himself for a one-time blast, with Johnson and Power once again picking up the helpers.
In the final minute of the opening period, the Spartans sustained pressure in the Michigan zone before a long shot from the point was guided through traffic and found the back of the net to cut the U-M lead to 2-1.
Brendan Brisson notched his team-leading seventh goal of the young season after receiving the puck below the Spartan defense, patiently waiting for the goaltender to sprawl out, and roofing the puck with a backhand shot to regain the two-goal lead with 5:30 left to play in the second period. Classmates Jacob Truscott and Thomas Bordeleau assisted on Brisson's crafty goal.
Less than two minutes later, Luke Hughes got on the board by stickhandling around a forechecker at the top of the right circle, carving in toward the slot in front of the net, and leaning into a wrist shot from close proximity that ripped past the netminder to add to Michigan's lead and make it 4-1. Truscott collected the primary assist for the second straight goal, while junior forward Johnny Beecher also contributed an assist in his season debut and return from injury.
Early in the third, MSU banged home a pinballing puck following a shot off the end board to cut the lead in half, 4-2.
A little more than seven minutes into the final frame, the Spartans were assessed a minor penalty. Eight seconds later, after Bordeleau won a faceoff in MSU's end to kickstart U-M's fifth power-play opportunity of the evening, Mackie Samoskevich converted with a laser of a wrist shot to give U-M a three-goal cushion. Hughes and Bordeleau picked up assists on the freshman's third career goal.
Hughes' ability to jump into and lead the rush was rewarded following an official review with 8:48 remaining. The referees had initially deemed play to have been dead because the MSU net came off its moorings before the puck crossed the goal line. Upon further review, a Spartan had slid into his goaltender, knocking the cage off-kilter while attempting to deny what was ultimately ruled to be a goal that Hughes had flipped toward the yawning cage. With Hughes' second goal of the night made official, U-M led 6-2.
Capping off his return to play, Beecher finished his night with a bang, a goal, and a massive smile as he secured the final marker of the evening with 1:45 left in regulation. Johnson looked cerebral as ever while walking out from behind the net to draw defenders toward his path and create space at the top of the crease for Beecher to pound home a one-timer. Beecher's strike cemented Michigan's win at 7-2. Nick Granowicz picked up the extra assist for getting the puck to Johnson and allowing him to work his magic.
Shots on goal ended up 35-28 in Michigan's favor. Faceoffs also played a large role in the contest, with the Wolverines notching three goals off draw wins.
On Saturday night (Nov. 6), the Wolverines and Spartans will be in East Lansing to finish off the home-and-home series at Munn Ice Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., and the contest will be streamed live on B1G+.
