Michigan
21-4-0, 12-3-0
Ohio State
8-14-1, 4-9-0
Michigan Overwhelms Ohio State to Open Rivalry Road Series With Win
1/30/2026 10:19:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» T.J. Hughes scored twice and added an assist for his fourth three-point game of the year.
» Forward Michael Hage finished the night with a game-high three assists.
» In total, six Wolverines finished the back-and-forth affair with multiple points.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Senior captain T.J. Hughes helped the No. 1-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team outlast Ohio State 6-4 on Friday night (Jan. 30) following an action-packed 60 minutes of hockey at the Schottenstein Center. The game featured four ties and five lead changes before Hughes' game-winner put U-M up for good.
Michigan (21-4-0, 12-3-0 Big Ten) got off to a great start when sophomore Will Horcoff opened the scoring less than a minute into the game. The team's leading goal scorer netted his 20th of the season by finishing off a rebound while crashing the net on the right flank. His linemate, sophomore Michael Hage, collected the primary assist after sending the initial shot off the goalie's pad following his rush up the left side of the ice. Former Buckeye Tyler Duke notched the secondary helper on Horcoff's tally that pulled the Wolverines ahead 1-0.
Reaching the 20-goal milestone in just his 25th game of the season, Horcoff joined an exclusive club as the 11th Wolverine to record a 20-goal season.
The first power-play opportunity of the night went to the Wolverines at 7:21 when Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen was taken down by a slash. U-M threatened with the extra skater, but the most dangerous chance belonged to OSU on a shorthanded breakaway that Stephen Peck turned aside before play returned to even strength.
Ohio State (8-14-1, 4-9-0 Big Ten) eventually found the back of the net with 1:14 remaining in the period when a Buckeye shot from the half wall was tipped into the top corner from the net-front area.
The game was tied at 1-1 through 20 minutes after the late equalizer from the home team. OSU maintained a slim 11-10 lead in shots on goal, while U-M surprised the Buckeyes to build a 10-7 advantage in the faceoff dot.
For the second period in a row, Michigan soared out to a quick start to net a goal in the first minute of action. This time, it was freshman forward Adam Valentini who redirected a shot from his classmate, Drew Schock, that beat the Ohio State netminder to reclaim a 2-1 lead just 25 seconds into the frame. Hage collected the secondary assist for his second helper of the evening.
Michigan's penalty killers were forced into action just 13 seconds after Valentini's go-ahead goal. Late in the advantage, OSU netted a game-tying goal when a shot attempt squeaked through the wickets and settled across the goal line at 2:26 amid oncoming pressure from the Buckeyes.
Ohio State pulled ahead 3-2 following a chaotic net-front sequence at 7:22 that saw a rebound settle near the left post before being forced across the goal line.
The Wolverines struck back at 9:01 to even things up once again with a goal from freshman defenseman Asher Barnett. The youngster stepped up into the top of the left circle to keep a chance alive before threading a shot through traffic as he worked his way toward the left faceoff dot.
Michigan continued to ride a wave of momentum following the goal, as a Buckeye penalty on the following shift put the visitors back on the power play. T.J. Hughes quickly slipped a crafty shot past the Ohio State goaltender to claim a 4-3 lead, but a challenge by the Buckeyes was deemed successful, so the goal was taken off the board due to goaltender interference.
OSU pulled ahead with 5:09 left by banging home a rebound from the top of the crease.
Once again, the Wolverines struck back with a stern response to tie the game at 4-4 with 42 seconds left in the period of the long change. Junior Jayden Perron showed off his individual skill by walking into the offensive zone before pulling the puck toward his body and snapping a shot past the netminder. Hughes and Duke picked up the assists on Perron's strike.
The teams headed to their locker rooms with the score tied at 4-4. The Buckeyes owned a 26-17 lead in shots on goal, while the Wolverines had broken out for a 26-15 advantage in the faceoff dot.
Back on the power play, Hughes showed off his well-rounded offensive game by collapsing in toward the blue paint and dropping to a knee to bury a loose puck in the low slot. The captain's tally put Michigan back in front by a 5-4 score at 5:34 of the final frame; Hage and Perron were credited with the assists as each continued their strong multi-point performances.
U-M settled into a strong defensive rhythm that carried the team through the vast majority of the third period until Ohio State was whistled for a holding penalty with 2:53 left in regulation, putting the nation's second-ranked power-play unit back on the ice in search of an insurance goal.
Ten seconds later, Hughes continued his exceptional evening by burying another power-play goal off a pair of assists from Horcoff and Perron, extending the lead to two goals. With the tally, Hughes secured his fourth three-point game of the season.
In total, six of the eight Wolverines who recorded points finished the contest with more than one.
Peck continued his undefeated collegiate start by setting a new career high with 30 saves on the 34 shots he faced from a persistent OSU attack.
Hughes used a three-point performance to move into a tie for 30th place on the program's all-time scoring list with legendary 1948 national champion, Wally Gacek. Through 141 games in maize and blue, Hughes has accrued 159 points off 60 goals and 99 assists.
On Saturday night (Jan. 31), the top-ranked Wolverines will finish off the regular-season series against the unranked Buckeyes. Puck drop is set for 5 p.m., and the game will be streamed live on B1G+.
