Michigan
1-0-0
Bowling Green
0-1-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Michigan | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
Michigan Opens Season Strong with Five-Goal Triumph Over Bowling Green
10/2/2026 11:05:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Michael Hage tallied a pair of goals and added an assist for a three-point performance.
» Jayden Perron matched Hage with three points off a goal and two helpers.
» Landon DuPont made his collegiate debut, notching two assists.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The second-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team looked every bit the part of a top national contender as it rolled to a 7-2 victory over Bowling Green on Friday (Oct. 2) at Yost Ice Arena in the season opener.
Picking up where it left off last season as the nation's most productive offense, Michigan (1-0-0) opened the scoring when J.P. Hurlbert, one of just three freshmen forwards in the lineup, sneaked behind the defense to dent the twine at 5:01 in the first period. The lone assist went to sophomore blueliner Henry Mews, who collected a loose puck and dished a pass up the ice to a streaking Hurlbert after another newcomer, Nic Sima, created the opportunity by lifting the opposing skater's stick and freeing up the disc for Mews.
Hurlbert, a first-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in this summer's NHL Draft, found his balance as he slowed while approaching the net before jamming a shot through the five-hole to give U-M a 1-0 lead.
Bowling Green (0-1-0) tied it with a power-play goal at 7:24 off a clever redirection from the slot.
After one period, the teams headed to their locker rooms with the game knotted at one. U-M's consistent pressure was reflected in a wide 15-5 advantage in shots on goal.
Sophomore pivot Cole McKinney slammed home a shot from the net-front area at 4:30 of the second period to earn the Wolverines a 2-1 lead. Senior alternate captain Nick Moldenhauer collected the primary assist while freshman Landon DuPont notched the secondary to record his first collegiate point.
Seventeen seconds after Michigan's power play was activated for a second time, Michael Hage buried a strike from the left flank at 6:44 to slide the Wolverines ahead 3-1. Senior Jayden Perron set up the snipe to record the first assist while Mews collected the secondary for his second helper in as many periods.
Perron joined the goal-scoring party with a tally of his own at 12:19 that bumped the score to 4-1. DuPont and Hage assisted on the marker.
Through two periods of non-conference action, Michigan had built a 4-1 lead and held a 32-13 advantage in shots on goal. U-M also used a strong second-period resurgence to seize a 27-23 lead in the faceoff dot.
Skating in his first game as captain, Garrett Schifsky tallied Michigan's fifth goal of the contest while playing four-on-four. Freshman defenseman Cam Reid and sophomore Drew Schock assisted on the close-range marker that made it a 5-1 game just 1:31 into the final frame.
With momentum on Michigan's side, the home team extended the lead to 6-1 at 10:45 when the puck dribbled across the goal line after ricocheting off Hage's leg while he was being taken to the ice. The center had been crouched near the far post to position himself for a pass when a defender noticed and attempted to take him out of the play just a moment too late.
The Falcons netted their second goal at 13:11 to trim the deficit to 6-2.
Sophomore winger Malcolm Spence found paydirt by crashing the net to capitalize on a loose puck and make it a 7-2 game. Schifsky secured the assist on Spence's first of the season.
When the final buzzer rang, U-M celebrated the victory with its goaltender. Jack Ivankovic backstopped the Wolverines to a comfortable season-opening win by making 29 saves on 31 shots faced from a persistent Falcons attack.
Michigan finished the evening with a 42-31 advantage in shots on goal and a 40-34 edge in the faceoff dot as it started with a comfortable victory for the second consecutive season.
On Saturday (Oct. 3), the home-and-home series shifts south to the Slater Family Ice Arena in Bowling Green, Ohio, as the Wolverines will venture down to BGSU's home rink for the first time since February 2012. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m., and the game will be streamed live on Midco Sports Plus.
