Michigan Looks to Build B1G Point Total in Weekend Series at Wisconsin

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- With five weekends remaining in the regular season every point is pivotal for the No. 10-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team (14-9-1, 8-6-0 Big Ten) in the Big Ten standings. The Wolverines head to Wisconsin (10-12-2, 5-9-0 Big Ten) for a set of games, with both programs tied for fourth in the standings with 14 points apiece. The teams face off on Friday (Jan. 24) at 7 p.m. CST and again on Saturday (Jan. 25) at 7:30 p.m. CST. Friday's game will be streamed live on B1G+, while Saturday's matchup will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.

Notes

• The Wolverines remain at No. 10 in the latest USCHO poll after splitting last weekend with then-No. 1 ranked Michigan State. Michigan is 14-9-1 overall and is in a tie for fourth place in the Big Ten standings with 10 conference games remaining.

• Michigan moved up one spot to No. 11 in the Pairwise Rankings. The Wolverines have the toughest schedule in the NCAA, with a 63.9 percent cumulative opposition ranking; U-M is the only team in the nation over 60 percent.

• Michigan defeated MSU 3-2 in overtime last Friday (Jan. 17) with Garrett Schifsky scoring the game-winning goal with assists to T.J. Hughes and Jacob Truscott. Hughes finished the night with two points, while Logan Stein stopped 35 shots as Michigan went 1-for-2 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill.

• Michigan is 13-14-3 all-time when playing the No. 1-ranked team in the nation (polls began in 1995).

• The Wolverines are 5-0-1 in overtime games this season, including Schifsky's winner last Friday. Jackson Hallum has two OT winners, while Michael Hage and Evan Werner each have one.

• Michigan boasts a 90-68-14 record all-time against Wisconsin. The teams split in December at Yost Ice Arena with the Badgers taking a 4-0 game on Friday before the Wolverines earned a 3-2 overtime win on Saturday.

• Wisconsin enters the weekend receiving votes in the national poll with a 10-12-2 record. Last weekend, the Badgers went 1-0-1 against LIU at the Kohl Center, where the team has posted a 4-6-2 mark this season. Quinn Finley leads the offense with 33 points, followed by Ryland Mosley and Gavin Morrissey with 27 points each. Tommy Scarfone has started in net in 19 of the team's 24 games and has a 2.28 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.

• Hage leads the Wolverines in scoring with 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 21 games. Hughes follows with 23 points including a team-high 14 assists, with Werner's 18 next on the list. Ethan Edwards leads the defensemen in points with 14, one more than Jacob Truscott, the team's leader in blocked shots.