Michigan
14-5-0, 7-4-0
Ohio State
9-6-0, 5-4-0
Michigan Scores Twice in 25-Second Span to Upend No. 17 Ohio State
12/10/2021 11:03:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Michael Pastujov continued his excellent play with a goal, an assist, and a team-leading four shots on goal.
» Erik Portillo tied a career-high with 36 saves to earn his 14th win of the season.
» With the win, Coach Mel Pearson earned his 200th career victory as a Division I head coach.
Site: Columbus, Ohio (Value City Arena)
Score: #3 Michigan 5, #17 Ohio State 2
Records: U-M (14-5-0, 7-2-0-2 B1G), OSU (9-6-0, 5-4-0-0 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Dec. 11 -- at #17 Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio), 8 p.m.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A strong third period for the Wolverines, including a pair of goals over a 25-second span, made all the difference on Friday night (Dec. 10), as the third-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team knocked off No. 17 Ohio State Buckeyes 5-2 at Value City Arena.
Erik Portillo had a feisty night between the pipes for Michigan, standing tall while tying a career-high by turning aside 36 of the 38 shots that he faced.
Ohio State started the night with a minor penalty for elbowing just 1:07 into the game. U-M took the opportunity in stride, set up possession in the opposing zone, and capitalized on the early power play to take a 1-0 lead when Nick Blankenburg finished off a backdoor chance in close to the blue paint at 1:53 of the opening frame. Matty Beniers picked up the secondary assist for getting the puck down low to Michael Pastujov below the dot; Pastujov collected the primary helper by calmly threading a pass through the crease, along the goal line, right to Blankenburg.
Halfway through the period, roles were reversed as the Wolverines were assessed a penalty for charging and the Buckeyes were able to convert for a power-play goal near the crease. Portillo had pushed aside the initial shot, but the rebound popped right out to a Buckeye's tape and he made no mistake in burying the puck to tie the game at one goal apiece.
The teams were tied at 1 after 20 minutes. An even period of play had seen each side put 10 shots on goal while scoring a lone tally with the man advantage.
Nolan Moyle, along with linemates Garrett Van Wyhe and Jay Keranen, helped Michigan regain the lead with a powerful opening shift to kick off the second period. The unit set up shop in the OSU end, cycling the puck with help from an active defensive pair. Van Wyhe shrugged off a pair of Buckeyes below the goal line before bouncing a pass off the boards to Blankenburg at the point. He shot the puck as soon as he got it to create a rebound chance off the goalie's pads. His classmate, Moyle, was perfectly positioned near the front of the net to swoop in and pound the loose puck home to regain Michigan's one-goal lead. Blankenburg and Van Wyhe assisted on the Moyle goal that came 37 seconds into the middle frame.
A turning point in the game came when Keranen was assessed a five-minute major penalty following a review by the referees at 9:19 of the second period. Refusing to let the play derail their team's night, the Michigan penalty kill unit turned in a stellar performance to dismiss Ohio State's extended chance with the man advantage to keep Michigan in front 2-1.
After 40 minutes of action, U-M held a 2-1 lead despite trailing 22-16 in shots on goal.
The Buckeyes came out of the gates for the third period with gusto, carrying play in search of a game-tying goal. Eventually, they broke through the U-M defense to sneak a shot past Portillo and tie the contest, 2-2, with 13:09 to play.
Michigan never wavered, and the team's senior leadership shined through as the period wore on.
Coming off of his first career hat trick last weekend against Minnesota, Pastujov continued his strong play with a massive go-ahead goal with 4:57 left in regulation. The senior had started the rush for the Wolverines by digging out a puck at the half wall in the U-M zone. Pastujov collected the puck, broke out of the zone, and then sent it across center ice to his linemate, Luke Morgan. He carried into the OSU end, staying even with Pastujov as the pair dashed down the ice. Bearing down on the Ohio State cage, Morgan sent a low-angle shot on net to create a rebound for Pastujov, in place to finish off the opportunity and put Michigan ahead 3-2. Beniers picked up the secondary assist on Pastujov's goal, which ultimately turned out to be the game-winner.
Six days after the Wolverines scored twice in less than half a minute against Minnesota for the team's fastest pair of goals this season, they outdid themselves by two seconds.
Twenty-five seconds after Pastujov's goal, Brendan Brisson finished off a massive momentum swing for Michigan by burying the team's fourth goal and earning the first two-goal lead of the night. Linemate Mark Estapa headmanned the rush, dumping the puck into the Buckeye zone before chasing it behind the net and hooking up Brisson, who pounded away near the post until he saw the puck cross the line. Estapa picked up his second career assist on Brisson's tally.
While the opposing net was empty in favor of an extra attacker, Van Wyhe was rewarded with an empty-net goal to cap off a strong game with 47 seconds left to play. Moyle and Luke Hughes, who looked cerebral all night long, collected assists on the final goal of the game.
Saturday night (Dec. 11), the traditional rivals will return to Value City Arena in Columbus to finish off the series and close out the first half of the season. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
