Michigan goes scoreless in shootout, ties Ohio State in Columbus
Michigan hockey took its seven-game win streak into Columbus on Thursday night as the Wolverines and Buckeyes met in a rivalry showdown. Michigan (12-8) entered the game with a four-point advantage in the Big Ten standings over Ohio State (10-9-1).
The distance between the two teams shrunk, though, as Michigan and Ohio State tied. The Buckeyes won the shootout, giving them the extra point for the Big Ten standings.
It was a terribly slow start for Michigan, as the Wolverines recorded just one shot through the game's first 10 minutes. Luckily for Michigan, Ohio State struggled to get anything going in the offensive zone, either.
Star freshman Adam Fantilli scored the first goal of the game with 1:46 left to play in the first period. It was Fantilli's 19th goal of the season, and the freshman is well on his way to a likely Hobey Baker Award, which is given to the nation's best college hockey player.
Just 28 seconds later, Ohio State answered with a goal of its own. Tate Singleton beat Erik Portillo to tie things up at one goal apiece.
The second period featured much more scoring. The older brother of Adam Fantilli, Luca scored Michigan's second goal, as the freshman gave Michigan a one-goal lead just over two minutes into the second period.
Speedster Jackson Hallum then took advantage of his exit out of the penalty box, as he beat Ohio State's goaltender, giving the Wolverines a 3-1 lead. Hallum is arguably the fastest skater on Michigan's team, and his speed was certainly needed for the goal in the second period.
The Buckeyes scored two consecutive goals to tie things up at three early on in the third period.
With eight minutes to play in the third period, Ohio State was outshooting Michigan, 33-13. It's not the shots that matter, though, and Michigan remained in the game despite being outshot by 20.
Neither team could tally a fourth goal in regulation, and the game went into overtime. Ohio State committed a penalty with 1:28 to play in the third period, but Michigan couldn't capitalize.
Neither team scored in overtime, either, and the game would be decided in a shootout.
The Buckeyes scored on their first shot attempt, and shots from Michigan's Mackie Samoskevich, Adam Fantilli and Frank Nazar III were all stopped.
Michigan will look to right the ship on Saturday in Cleveland as the two teams compete in the Faceoff On The Lake. The game will take place at First Energy Stadium, the home of the Cleveland Browns. It will begin at 4 p.m. and it will air on Big Ten Network.
---
Discuss this article with our community on our premium message boards
Not a subscriber to Maize & Blue Review? Sign up today to gain access to all the latest Michigan intel M&BR has to offer
Follow our staff on Twitter: @JoshHenschke, @Berry_Seth14, @TrevorMcCue, @DennisFithian, @BrockHeilig, @JimScarcelli, @lucasreimink, @JaredHalus
Subscribe to our podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify
Check out Maize & Blue Review's video content on YouTube
Follow Maize & Blue Review on social media: Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram