Michigan
12-5-0, 5-4-0
Minnesota
10-7-0, 6-3-0
No. 11 Minnesota Hands Michigan Loss in Series Opener at Yost
12/3/2021 9:39:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Thomas Bordeleau scored Michigan's lone goal in the third period to prevent a shutout.
» Ethan Edwards assisted on Bordeleau's tally for a point in his second straight game.
» Noah West made his debut in goal for U-M and turned in a scoreless third period.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Red Berenson Rink at Yost Ice Arena)
Score: #11 Minnesota 5, #3 Michigan 1
Records: U-M (12-5-0, 5-4-0 B1G), UMN (10-7-0, 6-3-0 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Nov. 28 -- vs. Minnesota (Yost Ice Arena), 7 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- All eyes were on Yost Ice Arena on Friday night (Dec. 3), but the home fans went home unfulfilled as the No. 3-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team fell 5-1 to 11th-ranked Minnesota.
Netminder Erik Portillo turned aside 17 shots but allowed five goals before being by Noah West, who made his debut for the Maize & Blue in the third period and stopped all eight shots he faced.
The Wolverines were outplayed in the opening period, ceding two goals to Minnesota over the span of 1:55 in the middle of the frame before giving up another late tally with 19 seconds left.
U-M received the game's first power-play opportunity 5:25 into the second period. Each unit set up in the Minnesota end and passed the puck from station to station, but failed to dent the twine.
There was a wild sequence in front of the Michigan cage following a breakaway with nine minutes left to play, as Steve Holtz rushed back to nix a rebound attempt after Portillo turned aside the initial shot from a streaking Gopher forward.
Moments later, the Wolverines capped off an offensive-zone chance when Dylan Duke buried a rebound off the end board. After the Golden Gophers used their timeout to challenge the goal for being offsides, the officials underwent a video review and determined another forward had been offside, thereby taking the goal off the board and the wind out of Michigan's sails.
Less than a minute later, Minnesota finished off a loose puck near the crease to take a 4-0 lead.
With 3:42 left to play in the second period, U-M embarked on the team's second power play of the period. For the second time, the Wolverines were unable to capitalize.
Minnesota scored its fifth goal with 1:29 left to play in the second period, and after 40 minutes, U-M trailed the Gophers by five.
Thomas Bordeleau broke the ice for the Wolverines 1:33 into the final period with a nifty deflection goal from the netfront area off of a point shot from Ethan Edwards. Michael Pastujov also picked up an assist on the ice-breaking goal. Edwards' point was in his second in as many games.
In search of a second goal with time winding down, Brendan Brisson fired a one-timer from the right circle that bounced off the far post and into the corner.
As time expired, Minnesota put the finishing touches on a resounding 5-1 win to slide past U-M and into first place in the Big Ten standings. The Wolverines claimed a slim 31-30 advantage in shots on goal, but an 0-for-5 night on the power play stunted the team's momentum at several critical points.
In the loss, Owen Power's eight-game point streak was snapped. Over the prior eight contests, Power had one goal and 14 assists for 15 points.
On Saturday night (Dec. 4), the Gophers and Wolverines will meet back at Yost Ice Arena to finish off the first series of the year between the preseason picks for Nos. 1 and 2 in the conference, respectively. Puck drop for the contest is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network with Ben Holden and Fred Pletsch on the call.
