Michigan
8-6, 6-6-0-1-0
Ohio State
4-9-1, 4-8-0-0-1
Michigan Blanks OSU to Secure Series Sweep
1/16/2021 10:32:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Owen Power scored a power-play goal and added an assist to pace the U-M offense.
» Five different Wolverines found the back of the net to earn the team's first six-point sweep of the season.
» Strauss Mann moved into fifth place in program history with his ninth career shutout.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Yost Ice Arena)
Score: #9 Michigan 5, Ohio State 0
Records: U-M (8-6-0, 6-6-0-1 B1G), OSU (4-9-1, 4-8-0-0 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Thursday, Jan. 21 -- at Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.), 6:30 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Strauss Mann stopped all 30 shots he faced to backstop the University of Michigan ice hockey team to a 5-0 shutout win over Ohio State on Saturday night (Jan. 16) inside Yost Ice Arena. The win completed a series sweep for the Wolverines.
With the shutout, Mann's third of the season, the junior netminder moves into sole possession of fifth place in program history for shutouts with nine.
U-M jumped out to a 2-0 lead off early goals from Johnny Beecher and Owen Power and never looked back en route to a big win.
Beecher opened the scoring 2:23 into the game after collecting a loose puck in the neutral zone. The sophomore forward glided across the blue line on a breakaway before deking and depositing the puck between the OSU goaltender's legs for an unassisted marker, his fourth goal of the season.
After the Buckeyes took a minor penalty for boarding at 7:30 of the first period, the dangerous Michigan power-play unit took the ice for the first time.
After working the puck around the OSU zone, Power set up at the point and sent a pass to Nick Blankenburg on the left flank. He quickly surveyed his options and sent a soft pass back to Power, who wound up from the Big Ten logo inside the blue line and hammered home a power-play goal to put the Wolverines ahead, 2-0. Blankenburg and Matty Beniers picked up the assists on Power's blast.
After a quintet of drained Buckeyes were stuck on the ice following an icing call, the referees assessed an interference penalty to Michigan (8-6-0, 6-6-0-1 Big Ten) right off the ensuing faceoff with 5:31 left. Ohio State (4-9-1, 4-8-0-0 Big Ten) went on the power play but failed to capitalize as the Wolverines penalty-kill unit began its night by keeping OSU scoreless. With one period in the books, Michigan led, 2-0, while dominating in faceoffs (14-5) and leading in shots (16-10).
Ohio State was tagged with a cross-checking penalty at 7:19 of the second period. With 33 seconds remaining on the ensuing Michigan power play, Michael Pastujov scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season off of a deflection in front of the net. Cam York and Thomas Bordeleau collected assists on the third U-M goal, their second on the man-advantage.
Garrett Van Wyhe scored at 13:13 of the middle period to make it 4-0. Philippe Lapointe picked up his first career point with the primary assist, while Power added the secondary helper.
With Michigan comfortably ahead, Keaton Pehrson sent a shot from the point that Kent Johnson tipped in for a goal with 1:42 left in the second period. Beniers picked up his second assist of the evening.
After two periods, the Wolverines held a 5-0 lead and had expanded their gap in shots on goal to 29-16.
The third period featured an abundance of penalties as each side went back-and-forth on the power play. After neither squad's special teams could alter the score, the Wolverines secured the decisive win and the sweep. The final tally for shots was 37-30 in Michigan's favor, and it led in the faceoff dot for the second consecutive night (34-27).
With the win, U-M moves to 17 points and remains in fourth place in the Big Ten standings.
Next Thursday and Friday (Jan. 21-22), Michigan will be in South Bend, Ind., for a pair of 6:30 p.m. contests against Notre Dame. Both games will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network.
