Michigan
22-14-3
North Dakota
26-12-2
Michigan Stuns North Dakota With Third-Period Barrage in Regional Semifinal
3/29/2024 11:59:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Dylan Duke led the way offensively with a pair of goals, including his seventh game winner of the season.
» Freshman Garrett Schifsky added two assists in addition to a team-high five shots on goal.
» T.J. Hughes scored a go-ahead goal and notched an assist for a two-point performance.
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Alternate captain Dylan Duke potted a pair of goals to lead the 10th-ranked and third-seeded University of Michigan ice hockey team past the fifth-ranked, second-seeded University of North Dakota by a 4-3 score in the 2024 NCAA Regional semifinal on Friday evening (March 29) at Centene Family Ice Center.
The Fighting Hawks (26-12-2)Â entered the evening with an unblemished 20-0 record this season when leading after two periods, but that statistic and their season came to an abrupt end at the hands of the Wolverines in suburban St. Louis.
Playing near his hometown of O'Fallon, Missouri, veteran goaltender Jake Barczewski was greeted with a roar when his name was called during on-ice introductions. The veteran netminder made 24 saves to backstop the Wolverines to come-from-behind NCAA tournament victory.
Only two penalties were called all game, and both occurred in the first few minutes. North Dakota took the first infraction of the game at 3:14, an interference call in the neutral zone. Just over halfway through the lone Michigan power play of the night, Gavin Brindley was tagged with a penalty of his own, this time for hooking, to bring an end to the advantage.
While skating four players per side, UND quickly capitalized off of a defensive breakdown by the Wolverines to net the first goal of the game and take a 1-0 lead at 4:46. Shortly thereafter, Michigan killed off North Dakota's ensuing power play, and the teams would play 5x5 for the rest of the contest.
Michigan (22-14-3) came out for the second period with the vigor that had been missing in the opening frame. After sustaining possession in the offensive zone for over a minute, defenseman Steven Holtz funneled the puck toward the net from the top of the zone. As the puck worked its way through the slot, Mark Estapa added to its momentum and put a shot on goal. Despite Estapa's attempt being pushed toward the corner, Frank Nazar III was perfectly positioned near the goal line to deposit the rebound from below the left dot and make it 1-1 at 1:37.
Later in the middle period, North Dakota struck back at 8:18 to retake a 2-1 lead with a redirection goal from the top of the blue paint off a shot from the right point.
Michigan searched for an equalizing goal throughout the period of the long change as the sides battled fiercely up and down the ice, but the Wolverines failed to generate a second goal before the buzzer sounded for the end of the second period.Â
For the second period in a row, Michigan came out of the locker room on a tear in search of a tally. This time, it took only 50 seconds for the Wolverines to net a game-tying goal. Dylan Duke drove to the net before sending a changeup toward the netminder. With Garrett Schifsky providing pressure, the puck trickled across the goal line with 19:10 left in regulation and Duke earned his 23rd goal of the campaign.
Not willing to let go of momentum, Michigan earned its first lead of the contest less than two minutes later when T.J. Hughes pounded a rebound into the back of the net to make it 3-2 at 2:23. Schifsky and Tyler Duke recorded the assists on Hughes' 19th goal of the season.
Capitalizing on the tilted ice, Michigan doubled its lead with its 30th shot of the night at 11:56 of the final frame after Schifsky stole the puck in the defensive zone by picking off a pass and immediately turning up the ice with his linemates. Hughes collected the puck near the U-M blue line and made a stretch pass across the ice to Dylan Duke. The veteran skated in on net before forcing a shot through to make it 4-2.
North Dakota halved the deficit with 5:28 remaining in regulation after another rebound goal was forced through traffic to make it 4-3 and set up for a high-stakes finish.
Late in the game with Michigan clinging to a one-goal lead and Wolverines sacrificing their bodies left and right to get in shooting lanes, a critical block by Tyler Duke stymied one of NoDak's best chances to tie the game with 1:15 left. When the final buzzer sounded, an exhilarated group of Wolverines poured off the bench to celebrate the victory with their goaltender, Barczewski, the local product.
U-M put the finishing touches on a hard-fought 4-3 win by outshooting North Dakota, 30-27. The Wolverines also pulled out a 32-29 edge in the faceoff dot thanks to contributions from every skater on the ice. Neither side converted on their one abbreviated power play, but Michigan's strong third period effort earned them a spot in Sunday's Regional Final.
With the win, Michigan finds itself on a collision course with top-seed Michigan State, who knocked off Western Michigan University in overtime to win the first semifinal earlier in the day. For the first time in 343 all-time meetings between the Mitten State rivals, Michigan and MSU will face off in the NCAA tournament on Sunday (March 31). Puck drop for the Regional Final is set for 5:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
