No. 8 Ohio State earns split in weekend set with No. 6 Michigan

Ohio State junior forward Joe Dunlap (21) skates to the bench following a goal during then-No. 12 Ohio State’s 5-0 win over then-No. 14 Michigan State in Columbus on Jan. 7. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor

The No. 8 Ohio State men’s ice hockey team traveled to Ann Arbor, Michigan, this weekend and came away with a series split against No. 6 Michigan.

The Buckeyes (15-8-1, 8-6-0 Big Ten) dominated game one Friday night 7-2, while the Wolverines (13-8-1, 5-7-0 Big Ten) took Saturday’s contest 4-2 to salvage their 100th hockey anniversary celebration weekend.

Friday

In game one of the series, the Buckeyes overwhelmed the Wolverines 7-2 behind a balanced offensive attack featuring six Buckeyes scoring at least one goal.

The bulk of the scoring avalanche for Ohio State came in the second period after an even first period score at 1-1, with five of seven Buckeye goals coming in that frame.

Junior forward Travis Treloar tied for a team-high three points — two goals and an assist — as senior forward Tate Singleton had three assists.

The Buckeyes dominated time of possession, outshooting the Wolverines 52-21 and committing only eight penalties for 19 minutes, as opposed to 11 penalties for 33 minutes for Michigan.

Sophomore Michigan forward Dylan Duke scored in the first and second periods for its only goals of the night, while four other Wolverines chipped in an assist.

Sophomore goaltender Jakub Dobeš saved 19 shots while only giving up two goals.

While Michigan junior goaltender Erik Portillo had a rough night in front of the net with seven surrendered goals, he recorded 45 saves, nearly equaling his season high of 46 set on Nov. 4, 2022, against Penn State.

The Buckeyes held the Wolverines to 1-for-8 on power play opportunities, solidifying their positioning as the No. 1 team in the Big Ten in penalty-killing percentage.

Saturday

Michigan flipped the script in game two Saturday evening, defeating Ohio State 4-2, snapping a six-game winning streak for the Buckeyes.

Junior forward Jacob Truscott had a three-point performance for the Wolverines that included one goal and two assists. Additionally, sophomore forward Mackie Samoskevich recorded a goal and an assist, with freshman forward Adam Fantilli adding two assists.

The Buckeyes’ first goal of the evening came from sophomore forward Cam Thiesing just 18 seconds into the contest unassisted.

However, Ohio State’s lead was short-lived, as Michigan scored two goals to close out the first period, tacking on another in the second.

Sophomore defenseman Mason Lohrei tried to spark a rally for Ohio State in the final period with a goal at the 11-minute mark, but the comeback attempt was stymied by a goal from Wolverine freshman forward Rugter McGroarty at the 3:56 mark to put the game on ice.

Michigan limited Ohio State’s offensive opportunities, as the Buckeyes outshot the Wolverines 39-27.

Michigan shot an efficient 4-of-27.

The two teams combined for eight penalties Saturday, with five coming in the first period. In the third period, Michigan was the only team to convert on a power play.

Portillo saved 37 shots on the evening for Michigan, while Dobeš only saved 22.

Ohio State travels to Madison, Wisconsin, to meet the Badgers at Kohl Center for a two-game series Friday and Saturday. Both games start at 8 p.m. and will be televised on Bally Sports Great Lakes.