Michigan
12-7-1, 6-4-0
Ohio State
14-5-1, 7-3-0
Michigan Scores Three Straight to Beat Ohio State in OT
1/5/2025 8:03:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» T.J. Hughes joined the Century Club by notching his 100th point. He later added #101 & #102.
» Jackson Hallum ended the night with a game-winning goal in overtime on an odd-man rush.
» Evan Werner scored a game-tying goal while leading the Wolverines with five shots on goal.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A pair of longtime rivals headed indoors on Sunday (Jan. 5) to face off at Yost Ice Arena following a hard-fought battle at Wrigley Field in Chicago just two days prior. This time, the ninth-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team came back from a two-goal deficit for the first time since March to knock off 13th-ranked Ohio State 3-2 in overtime.
Alternate captain T.J. Hughes, who assisted on the game-winning goal for his third point of the night, made history earlier in the contest by becoming the newest member of the program's Century Club with his 100th career point in his 100th collegiate game. He later added his 101st and 102nd points with the second and third legs of his three-assist playmaker.
The visitors won the opening faceoff for the extra session but grew impatient, giving U-M an opportunity to claim the puck and counterattack. Hughes moved the puck to Ethan Edwards, and the junior broke in toward the crease from the left flank to draw the goaltender's attention away from a streaking Jackson Hallum on the right side of the zone. Once the keeper committed, Edwards glided a pass over to Hallum's wheelhouse, and the junior buried the game-winner into the center of the net to send Yost into a frenzy and end the weekend on a high note just 20 seconds into overtime.
Veteran goaltender Logan Stein started in net for the Wolverines and provided a solid foundation for the team to build upon. Stein stopped 30 shots out of 32 from a proficient, hard-working Buckeye group, including several stellar stops.
An early chance on the power play was doled out to the home team when William Whitelaw was dragged down just 1:59 into the contest. The Wolverines spent long stretches in the offensive zone but failed to capitalize before play returned to full strength.
A penalty on Edwards returned the favor at 6:09, and OSU started its first power play. For the third straight time dating back to the outdoor game in Chicago, the Buckeye power-play unit converted against Michigan's penalty killers, and Ohio State took a 1-0 lead at 7:29.
The visitors doubled their lead several minutes later by potting a goal off a turnover after Michigan initially stymied the chance in transition. After the puck was sent back into the slot by a defenseman, Ohio State flipped it into the top of the net to go up 2-0.
Michigan's penalty killers returned to the ice at 13:46 when Hunter Hady was nabbed for tripping as he attempted to disrupt a Buckeye puck carrier. The group regained its composure following the early lapse and dismissed the opportunity to ensure the deficit didn't grow.
Philippe Lapointe came painfully close to scoring for the Maize and Blue with two minutes remaining in the frame. The veteran forward stood his ground near the right post and showed off his blade to receive a perfect cross-crease pass that he struck soundly, but the puck hit the post squarely and bounced away with no joy for the Wolverines.
Michigan trailed 2-0 on the scoreboard after the first, and OSU also led 10-6 in shots on goal.
The Wolverines came out for the second period with tenacity and continued to search for an icebreaker. They embarked on the team's second power play of the night at 7:25 when Evan Werner was dumped in the corner. Once deployed, the unit never left the Ohio State zone. After piling pressure on OSU's four original killers for over a minute, Werner took full advantage of the opportunity and halved the deficit for U-M with a one-timed blast from the left flank at 8:46. Michael Hage and Hughes notched the assists on Werner's power-play tally, granting Hughes access to the prestigious Century Club with his 100th point as a Wolverine.
After 40 minutes, Michigan still trailed 2-1 despite putting together a far stronger period than their first. OSU still held narrow leads in both shots on goal (22-20) and faceoffs (22-19).
For the second period in a row, U-M came out from the intermission on fire. This time, the push lasted over three minutes until it culminated in a game-tying goal off the stick of Whitelaw. The sophomore's strike capped off a stretch where the Buckeyes were hard-pressed to escape their end, let alone gain possession. U-M used the pressure to earn an offensive zone faceoff to the left of the opposing goaltender. Immediately after Hughes did his job to tie up the draw, Whitelaw took one stride toward the cage, gathered the puck, and buried a shot on the near side at 3:15 to tie it up.
Michigan's power-play unit returned to the ice with 8:20 remaining after freshman forward Christian Humphreys drew a hooking call on the OSU captain, but the ensuing two minutes were a bit disjointed, and the team failed to notch a go-ahead goal before play returned to 5x5.
A great chance to pull ahead with 1:07 remaining came and went when Werner was robbed by a dazzling glove save in transition, forcing the sophomore to look skyward. Neither side could churn up a game-winning goal before the buzzer sounded to end regulation, so the teams retreated to their benches in preparation for overtime.
The Wolverines won 11 of 19 faceoffs in the third period to close out regulation with the faceoff battle tied at 29 wins apiece. U-M also pulled ahead in shots on goal (35-32).
Next week, the Wolverines will head down to South Bend for a pair of games against Notre Dame on Friday and Saturday (Jan. 10-11). Puck drop for the first game is set for 7 p.m., while the rematch on Saturday is due to start at 6 p.m. Both contests will be streamed live on Peacock.
