Michigan
25-7-1, 16-6-1
Minnesota
11-19-2, 7-13-1
Michigan Struggles to Score in Series-Opening Loss to Minnesota
2/26/2026 9:36:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» U-M outshot the Gophers 39-15.
» Adam Valentini opened the scoring early to give the Wolverines a 1-0 lead after one period.
» T.J. Hughes notched his 17th goal of the season.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- An early start to the final series of the season did not bode well for the second-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team on Thursday night (Feb. 26), as the Wolverines suffered a 4-2 loss at the hands of Minnesota at Yost Ice Arena.
Freshman netminder Jack Ivankovic shouldered the loss between the pipes during a contest in which he did not face many shots on goal. He finished the evening with just 11 saves.
Michigan (25-7-1, 16-6-1 Big Ten) received the first power play of the night at the six-minute mark when a Gopher was penalized for slashing in the neutral zone. Both power-play units prodded the penalty killers and threatened the cage in Minnesota's zone for an extended period, but it took nearly the entire two-minute window to capitalize.
With seven seconds remaining in the advantage, Adam Valentini skated to the top of the blue paint in anticipation of a shot from the point. Sophomore blueliner Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen saw the same opportunity and obliged by zipping a shot from the left of the Big Ten logo inside the blue line for Valentini to redirect past the goaltender and give Michigan a 1-0 lead at 7:53. Junior defenseman Ben Robertson earned the secondary assist by feeding Rhéaume-Mullen in an advantageous position as Valentini became the seventh Wolverine to score 10+ goals this season.
It took nearly 14 minutes for Minnesota (11-19-2, 7-13-1 Big Ten) to generate its first shot on goal. When it arrived, Ivankovic pushed the attempt aside with his stick to spark a rush in the other direction.
In addition to a 1-0 lead on the scoreboard, Michigan owned a 9-2 advantage in shots on goal, and the pressure did not stop there. The Gophers finished the first frame with 10 shot blocks compared with just two for the Wolverines, who possessed the puck for the vast majority of the opening 20 minutes.
Minnesota received its first opportunity with an extra skater at 4:33 when a U-M forward was sent off for interference following a bang-bang collision. The penalty kill was up to the task, dismissing the chance to maintain its lead.
Back at even strength, the Golden Gophers netted a goal in transition to tie the game at 8:02 after a forward broke in behind the defense on the left flank and buried a firm shot into the far side of the net to make it 1-1.
Much like Michigan in the first period, Minnesota dominated the vast majority of the middle frame outside of the final minute when the Wolverines ramped up the pressure and nearly scored on two grade-A chances.
The game remained tied after 40 minutes of action. Michigan clung to a 19-11 lead in shots on goal, while Minnesota used a strong second-period effort to inch ahead (20-18) in faceoffs.
The visitors embarked on a second power-play chance 1:18 into the third period. Just over one minute later, the Gophers converted to take a 2-1 lead after getting behind Michigan's defenders for a second time.
Minnesota scored another goal in succession at 3:55 to make it a 3-1 game.
Valentini nearly notched his second goal of the night while the goaltender was sprawled outside of his net, offering up a yawning cage, but the youngster's attempt ricocheted off the side of the net and away from trouble.
On the ensuing shift, T.J. Hughes went to the hard area in front of the net to finish off a high-effort shift from close quarters and cut the deficit to 3-2 at 8:43. Forwards Michael Hage and Jayden Perron picked up assists on the captain's 17th marker of the campaign.
Searching for a game-tying goal, U-M peppered the net from all angles as the disparity in shots on goal continued to grow. With 2:24 remaining in regulation, Michigan called its timeout.
The Wolverines pulled Ivankovic to send six skaters out for the offensive-zone faceoff, but Minnesota won possession and buried a shot into the empty net from center ice at 18:26.
Michigan dropped the 4-2 decision to start the weekend on a sour note despite finishing the evening with a massive 39-15 disparity in shots on goal. Each side finished the contest with an even 31 faceoff wins, but U-M ceded a trio of third-period goals to suffer the defeat.
On Friday night (Feb. 27), Michigan will close out the regular season against Minnesota before spending the final week of the regular season preparing for the postseason with an exhibition. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m., and the contest will be broadcast on Big Ten Network, with the program's annual Senior Night celebration taking place after the conclusion of the game.
