Michigan
16-6-1
UMass
10-6-2
Michigan Takes Down No. 10 UMass, Completes Sweep of Defending Champs
1/9/2022 7:22:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Matty Beniers and Brendan Brisson each scored once and added an assist for two-point games.
» Kent Johnson assisted on Michigan's first two goals for his ninth multi-point game of the year.
» Erik Portillo made 28 saves to earn his 16th win of the season.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Yost Ice Arena)
Score: #6 Michigan 4, #10 Massachusetts 2
Records: U-M (16-6-1), UMass (10-6-2)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Jan. 14 -- vs. Penn State (Yost Ice Arena), 7:30 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A line of skilled sophomore forwards drove the home side's offensive effort as the sixth-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team jumped out to a 3-0 lead before finishing off 10th-ranked Massachusetts by a 4-2 score to secure the series sweep on Sunday (Jan. 9) at Yost Ice Arena.
Erik Portillo secured his 16th win of the season by turning aside 28 of the 30 UMass shots he faced.
Reversing the script from Saturday's game, UMass came out of the gates with pressure, putting an early shot on net that tested Portillo up high in the opening minute.
Michigan received the game's first power play at 5:10 when the Minutemen were assessed a minor penalty for kneeing. The first unit on the ice moved the puck around the zone with ease but their best chance, a netfront deflection of a one-timer from the top of the circle, missed the left post by less than a foot. Despite the close call, U-M was unsuccessful on its first attempt.
Tables were turned shortly thereafter, when UMass received a power play of its own halfway through the opening frame, but the Wolverines were able to kill it off and keep the game scoreless.
The period was marked by excellent passing and a number of near-misses in the UMass end as the Wolverines consistently dazzled the crowd, but the team failed to get one past the goal line of Minuteman netminder Matt Murray for more than 19 minutes.
With 56.5 seconds left on the clock, Brendan Brisson notched the opening goal for the second consecutive night when he found a loose puck in the slot amidst a netfront scrum and quickly wristed a shot to the top corner of the net. Matty Beniers and Kent Johnson picked up assists on Brisson's goal as the Johnson-Beniers-Brisson line continued to produce for Michigan.
Before the end of the first period, U-M took a penalty for roughing. UMass failed to convert in the short time before the buzzer sounded, but 1:44 carried over to the middle frame.
After 20 minutes, the Wolverines held a 1-0 lead that was fueled by a 14-8 advantage in shots on goal.
When play resumed in the second period, Michigan's penalty kill finished off the UMass chance to move to 5-for-5 on the weekend against the defending champions' power play.
Two and a half minutes into the second stanza, it was Brisson using a slick behind-the-back pass to set up Beniers for a one-time bomb from the slot that doubled the Michigan lead. Johnson picked up the secondary helper for his second point on as many goals as the highly-skilled line continued to produce grade-A chances and goals for the Wolverines.
Brisson was given a penalty for roughing at 8:54, but Portillo made a series of critical saves to aid the penalty-killers in dismissing yet another UMass power play. As Brisson was exiting the box, Johnny Beecher dashed across the blue line with the puck and was hauled down by a pair of Minutemen en route to the net. His effort was rewarded when U-M was put on the power play for the third time of the game, still searching for the first man-advantage goal of the series.
The Wolverines failed to capitalize despite continuing to put pressure on the opposing end of the ice, and the teams returned to even strength with each side at 0-for-3 with the extra attacker.
Michigan's pressure continued with the teams playing at five per side, and Michigan tallied its third goal of the game with 2:59 remaining in the second period. Captain Nick Blankenburg put a smart shot on net from the right circle while Dylan Duke moved into position at the top of the crease. After Murray pushed aside the initial attempt from Blanks, Duke hammered his first rebound chance off the goalie's pads before burying his second try into the upper framework of the net. Blankenburg and Luke Hughes notched assists on Duke's third goal as a Wolverine.
With 20 minutes left to play, Michigan ascended the stairs to the dressing room with a 3-0 lead and a 30-18 advantage in shots on goal. U-M also was more competitive in the faceoff dot than they'd been on Saturday, holding a narrow 20-19 lead after two.
Several minutes into the final period, Johnson circled behind the UMass net and scooped the puck up onto his blade to attempt Mike Legg's famous "Michigan" move. It was a worthy effort, but Murray proved up to the task, making a shoulder save to keep the puck from finding the top corner of the net. Following a subsequent flurry of chances, Michigan led 38-20 in shots on goal.
UMass got on the board with 6:10 left in the game when their captain created a turnover in the neutral zone, dashed down the ice toward Portillo, and snapped a shot far-side to make it 3-1.
Undeterred, the Michigan offense continued to apply pressure in the Minutemen zone, funneling shots toward the blue paint and eclipsing Saturday's shot total with five minutes left.
With 2:11 remaining and the UMass net vacant, Beecher chased a free puck into the slot following an inconclusive draw. The junior collected it and sent a straight shot down the ice and into the net to reclaim Michigan's three-goal lead and secure an empty-net goal for the second straight night. Nolan Moyle picked up the lone assist on Beecher's marker to put U-M up 4-1.
The Minutemen added another tally with 23 seconds left to bump the final score to 4-2, but the Wolverines put the finishing touches on a sweep before mobbing Portillo in celebration of two important, non-conference wins.
The win was an excellent showing by the Wolverines, outshooting UMass 46-30 despite failing to capitalize on the power play in either contest.
On Friday and Saturday (Jan. 14-15), the Michigan homestand continues it returns to Big Ten play welcoming Penn State to Yost. Friday's contest will begin at 7:30 p.m., while Saturday's finale is scheduled for a 7 p.m. puck drop. Both games will be streamed live on B1G+ and will air locally on CW50.
