Michigan
2-1-0
Arizona State
1-2-0
Schifsky's Hat Trick Leads Michigan to Dominant Win Over Arizona State
10/11/2024 10:23:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Garrett Schifsky netted a trio of goals that included two shorthanded tallies.
» Logan Stein starred in net to earn the win, making 35 saves on 36 shots faced.
» Mark Estapa recorded one assist while winning 15 of 21 faceoffs.
TEMPE, Ariz. -- The 10th-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team knocked off Arizona State 4-1 on Friday night (Oct. 11) to kick off a weekend of non-conference play inside Mullett Ice Arena. Garrett Schifsky starred for U-M with his first career hat trick.
Netminder Logan Stein shined with 35 saves on the 36 shots he faced for his first victory in maize and blue.
The teams played an even first period until Schifsky broke through between the hash marks to open the scoring for the visitors off a strike with 1:42 left. Josh Eernisse collected the lone assist on Schifsky's marker after he took advantage of a lackadaisical clearing attempt around the boards to intercept the puck at the half-wall and fired a pass out to Schifsky for a one-timer from space.
After 20 minutes of play, Michigan carried a one-goal lead into the dressing room. The Wolverines had assembled a narrow 13-12 edge in shots on goal as well as a 13-11 advantage in the faceoff dot.
In the first minute of the second period, Schifsky got loose once again to net a shorthanded goal and make it 2-0 just 47 seconds into the period. Jackson Hallum earned the only assist on Schifsky's third goal of the young season. The quick tally gave him a third career two-goal game in his 44th collegiate game.
An ASU penalty at 1:24 brought an early end to the home team's advantage and ushered in a brief session of four-on-four play before U-M embarked on its first power play of the weekend.
Michigan's special teams added a power-play goal at 3:27 to make it 3-0. Michael Hage redirected a shot from T.J. Hughes to net the team's second power-play goal of the year. Former Sun Devil Tim Lovell notched the secondary assist on Hage's tally to earn his first point in a Michigan sweater.
With one period left to play, Michigan's three-goal lead remained intact thanks to 40 minutes of strong defensive play and goaltending. U-M maintained a 24-21 lead in shots on goal, but the sides were even in the faceoff dot with 23 wins apiece.
Arizona State dented the twine on the power play with 5:32 remaining in the third period to make it 3-1 and end Michigan's perfect start on the penalty kill.
The Sun Devils pulled their goalie with two minutes left in the game in search of a deficit-halving goal. The ASU power play got another opportunity with 1:52 remaining when Hallum was sent off for hooking while defending against the extra attacker.
Despite playing two skaters down, Schifsky buried an empty-net goal with 80 seconds left in the series opener to make it 4-1. Mark Estapa picked up his first point of the season by notching an assist on Schifsky's hat trick-clinching goal.
The final buzzer saw the Wolverines move to 2-1 on the season with the three-goal win, their second straight game that resulted in a victory by a score of 4-1. ASU added a flurry of shots in the final frame to pull ahead by game's end, 36-33. Michigan continued its strong play in the faceoff department by ending the night with a 34-29 advantage.
On Saturday night (Oct. 12), the Wolverines will look to finish off their series with the Sun Devils on a high note. Puck drop is set for 5 p.m. MST, and the game will be streamed live on NCHC.tv.
