Michigan
Wisconsin
Michigan Beats Wisconsin in OT to Close First Half
12/14/2024 10:28:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Garrett Schifsky scored one goal and added an assist while leading Michigan with eight shots on goal.
» Michael Hage scored the game-winning goal in overtime, his fourth GWG of the year.
» Cameron Korpi made 26 saves on the 28 shots that he faced from the Wisconsin offense.
Records: U-M (11-6-1, 5-3), UW (7-10-1, 5-7)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- For the fourth time this season, freshman forward Michael Hage notched a game-winning goal to lead the eighth-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team past the Wisconsin Badgers 3-2 in overtime on Saturday night (Dec. 14) at Yost Ice Arena.
U-M built up a two-goal lead before the visitors scored two in the third period to force the extra session.
In the extra session, it took Michigan just 1:21 for Hage to play the hero as he broke in on the cage and found a bit of space to sneak a shot past the goalie. Garrett Schifsky and Ethan Edwards assisted on Hage's holiday send-off.
Freshman netminder Cameron Korpi had a terrific game, stopping 26 of the 27 shots he faced, as Michigan improved to 11-6-1 overall (5-3-0 Big Ten).
The Badgers (7-10-1, 5-7-0 Big Ten) embarked upon the first power play of the night at 2:22 when T.J. Hughes was tagged with a minor penalty for cross-checking. The penalty killers for Michigan were up to the challenge and dismissed the advantage to keep UW off the board.
Later in the period, the Wolverines were granted an opportunity on the power play at 7:11 when Ethan Edwards was taken down by a forechecker while picking up speed in the defensive zone. U-M strung together several dangerous scoring chances, including a flurry of four shots in succession, but none found the back of the net.
After one period, the game remained scoreless despite Michigan's 14-6 lead in shots on goal.
Just 19 seconds into the second frame, a post-whistle scrum near the Michigan crease resulted in another power play for the Wolverines when a Badger was sent off for slashing. U-M threatened but failed to capitalize, as they saw a second power play go by the wayside.
The special teams see-saw swung the other way at 9:42 when the Badgers started their second power play of the evening. The defensive battle continued as Michigan's penalty-kill unit imposed its will to deny UW until play went back to 5-on-5.
On the ensuing faceoff, taking place in the Michigan offensive zone, Hughes won a faceoff back to the right point for blueliner Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen. The freshman prepped the puck on his blade before finding a shooting lane and quickly firing a shot on goal that found the back of the net to open the scoring at 12:26. By netting his first career tally, Rhéaume-Mullen ended Michigan's lengthy scoreless streak that had spanned more than 11 periods.
Schifsky got back to his scoring ways with 27 seconds left in the period when he broke out for an abbreviated breakaway and beat the Badger goaltender on his glove side with a rocket that made it 2-0 Michigan. Junior forward Josh Eernisse earned the lone assist on Schifsky's seventh marker of the season.
Before the period ended, the Badgers received a third power play when Hughes was whistled for another infraction. Once again, U-M was up to the task and denied Wisconsin's advantage.
The Wolverines carried a two-goal lead up the stairs to the locker room for the second intermission and clung to a 22-20 edge in shots on goal while trailing 20-17 in the faceoff dot.
Wisconsin halved the deficit and made it 2-1 at 3:34 of the final frame when they took advantage of a defensive-zone turnover by the Wolverines to walk in and score top-shelf.
U-M began to carry the play once again before the Badgers threaded a long shot through traffic that found its way into the back of the net to tie the game at 2-2 with 11:02 left in regulation.
The game remained tied after 60 minutes of play. When the buzzer rang for the end of regulation, Michigan led 35-27 in shots on goal but continued to search for a third goal.
Tonight's contest marked the culmination of the first half for Michigan. Following a 19-day break, the Wolverines will resume play at a neutral site, Wrigley Field, against Ohio State for a special outdoor game in Chicago on Jan. 3.
