Michigan
11-6-1, 3-5-0
Wisconsin
7-9-0, 1-7-0
Pair of Estapa Goals Lead Michigan to Win Over Wisconsin, Series Split
12/3/2022 9:16:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Mark Estapa had his first career multi-goal game, scoring twice -- including the team's first short-handed tally of the year.
» Rutger McGroarty scored the other two goals as he extended his scoring streak to three games.
» In the game's final two periods, Michigan dominated UW in shots on goal (29-11).
MADISON, Wis. -- A pair of underclassmen each scored twice to lead the fifth-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team to a 4-2 win over Wisconsin on Saturday night (Dec. 3) at the Kohl Center to earn a critical three points in the Big Ten standings.
Junior Erik Portillo returned to form between the pipes, as he provided a bevy of critical saves to keep the visitors in the game early on. The Swede stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced to record his 10th win of the season and 45th of his career.
Wisconsin (7-9-0, 1-7 Big Ten) opened the scoring 5:56 into the contest when a shot from the blue line snuck through a crowded netfront area to put the home team up 1-0. Michigan challenged for goaltender interference, as Portillo was contacted prior to the puck crossing the line, but the call on the ice stood.
For the third straight game, freshman forward Rutger McGroarty notched a beautiful goal with a precise strike. This time, his missile came at 6:32 from above the left dot after a cross-ice pass was threaded across the offensive zone in transition by Luke Hughes to tie the game at 1. Hughes put in the bulk of the legwork by collecting the loose puck in Michigan's zone and leading the breakout down the ice before finding McGroarty through a host of players.
The teams traded penalties, including an extra 10-minute misconduct on Mark Estapa after the sophomore forward was assessed an elbowing call on a nondescript play in the corner. Right before the end of the first period, a Wisconsin skater was given a five-minute major penalty for hitting from behind to grant an extended power play to the Wolverines when play resumed.
Opening up the second period of a tied game with a fresh sheet of ice and a one-skater advantage, Michigan (11-6-1, 3-5 Big Ten) failed to hit their stride before being tagged with a minor penalty for too many men to even things up for two minutes.
Wisconsin took a 2-1 lead 8:06 into the second stanza after burying a goal in transition.
Estapa was penalized for interference with 10:45 left in the second period. Just as he exited the box following another successful penalty kill, the Wolverine offense was heading north toward the UW net. Estapa collected a feed from Jackson Hallum before dancing into the slot and quickly flipping a clean backhand inside the top of the net to take advantage of the speed built up on the rush. Nick Granowicz earned a secondary assist on the game-tying goal at 11:26.
A second bench-minor penalty with 5:26 left put the Badgers on another two-minute advantage. Once again, U-M's penalty killers were up to the task again as the Wisconsin power play dropped to 0-for-6 on the night.
Michigan's power play was reactivated with 2:56 left in the second period, but the team's woes of late with the extra skater continued to hinder the visitors and the advantage was dismissed.
The numbers showed a dominant middle period for the Wolverines, as they outshot the Badgers 17-5 and owned the faceoff circle to the tune of a 14-9 edge, but the game remained tied at two goals apiece after 40 minutes.
U-M continued to hold the momentum as it opened the third period with five of the first six shots. Still, they failed to connect for a critical third goal.
With Michigan en route to killing off a seventh Wisconsin power play, captain Nolan Moyle applied pressure deep in the UW zone below the goal line. The pressure paid off when it forced a turnover into the slot. A forechecking Estapa skated into the loose puck, making a quick move to his forehand before potting his second goal to pull Michigan ahead 3-2 with 6:42 left in regulation.
The unassisted tally, Estapa's second of the game, was U-M's first shorthanded goal of the season. It also marked a first for the sophomore forward, as he entered the night without ever recording a two-goal game.
As Wisconsin's crease sat vacant and the Badgers searched for a game-tying goal with an extra skater on the ice, McGroarty sent a spinning shot under pressure from the U-M blue line that found the back of the net to extend the team's lead to 4-2 and put the game out of reach. T.J. Hughes notched the lone assist to finish the weekend with a trio of helpers.
Michigan put the finishing touches on the win by dominating in shots on goal 37-21 and hanging on to win the faceoff battle 32-31. With the victory in hand, U-M moved into a tie for fifth place with Notre Dame with two games in hand on the four teams above them in the conference table.
Next Friday and Saturday (Dec. 9-10), Michigan plays a home-and-home series against in-state rival Michigan State. Friday's game will take place at East Lansing's Munn Ice Arena before the series shifts back to Yost Ice Arena on Saturday. Puck drop for both games is set for 6:30 p.m., and the contests will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
