Michigan hockey handles OSU, 7-3, advances to Big Ten Final

On3 imageby:Chris Balas03/11/23

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Michigan hockey will play in the Big Ten Tournament championship game for the second straight season, looking to repeat its title. The Wolverines scored three quick goals in the first period and never looked back, beating Ohio State 7-3 at Yost Ice Arena.

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Interim coach Brandon Naurato’s team will play the winner of Saturday night’s Minnesota vs. Michigan State game in Minneapolis in the title game. The Wolverines will play at Minnesota, the Big Ten regular season champion, if the Golden Gophers win; they’ll host the Spartans with an MSU victory.

Michigan got on the board first only 24 seconds into the game on a Gavin Brindley goal. The Wolverines broke out 3-on-2 and Brindley buried a wrist shot from the right side.

Ohio State answered next but had a goal erased on an offside review. It didn’t take long for Michigan to pad the lead, defenseman Seamus Casey scoring from the right side between OSU goalie Jakob Dobes’ pads to make it 2-0.

A Mackie Samoskevich redirection made it 3-0 at 9:33, and the Wolverines were rolling.

The Wolverines outshot the Wolverines 14-11 in the first period, Michigan goaltender Erik Portillo shutting the Buckeyes out through one.

Ohio State scored first in the second to cut it to 3-1, but U-M answered with a huge goal to make it 4-1 after 2. Frosh phenom Adam Fantilli scored on a quick wrist shot, his 26th goal of the year, for a pivotal goal to keep Michigan comfortably ahead.

OSU pulled within two again a minute and a half into the third period to make it interesting again. Once again, Michigan responded with the critical answer. Frank Nazar won the draw right of Dobes and Jackson Hallum beat the screened goalie short side with a wrist shot at 13:40.

Desperate to get back in it, OSU pulled Dobes and scored 6-on-5 at 15:34 to pull within two again. Fantilli, however, responded with an empty net goal, and Rutger McGoarty added the extra point to ice the victory and prompt the “Just like football!” chant from the Children of Yost student section.

Michigan outshot OSU 45-38 and took the fight to the Buckeyes from the outset. Already a lock for the NCAA Tournament and quite possibly a No. 1 seed, the Wolverines will look to secure the automatic bid with a win next week.

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