Michigan Hockey: Icers Crack “Nuts” in Overtime

Posted at 11:30pm — 11/29/2013

Michigan Hockey: Icers Crack “Nuts” in Overtime

From MGoBlue:
Nine different Wolverines registered a point as the University of Michigan ice hockey team (No. 3 USA Today, No. 3 USCHO.com) defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes, 4-3, in overtime Friday (Nov. 29) behind sophomore forward Andrew Copp’s (Ann Arbor, Mich.) breakaway game-winner in the Wolverines’ first-ever Big Ten Conference matchup.

Freshman goaltender Zach Nagelvoort (Holland, Mich.) made 32 saves in the contest to earn his sixth win of the season, while freshman forward JT Compher (Northbrook, Ill.) and junior forward Alex Guptill (New Market, Ontario) registered their third and fourth multi-point games of the season, respectively, tallying one goal and one assist each. Both players extended their team-best point streaks to four games.

Late in the five-minute overtime period, Copp won a faceoff in the neutral zone back to freshman defenseman Nolan De Jong (Victoria, British Columbia), who slid the puck to his senior partner Mac Bennett (Narragansett, R.I.). Bennett found Copp in stride at the far blue line as he split the OSU defense and walked in on Davis, netting the game-winner on a snapshot that beat the Buckeye goalie at 3:38, once again on the glove side. The goal was Copp’s eighth of the season and his 13th point, both team highs. The sophomore captain has now registered a point in three straight games.

Just 2:51 into the first period, junior forward Travis Lynch (White Lake, Mich.) recorded U-M’s first goal in Big Ten play to put the Wolverines up 1-0. Freshman Alex Kile (Troy, Mich.) and freshman Evan Allen (Sterling Heights, Mich.) assisted Lynch on the goal, a shot from low in the zone that slid under the padding of OSU goaltender Logan Davis and into the net.

Ohio State answered with a power-play tally, when junior forward Ryan Dzingel put one home with just over four minutes remaining in the first period to tie the game at one.

Both teams opened the second period with fast and physical play, and a scuffle between Compher and OSU forward Alex Szczechura led to a Maize and Blue power play after Szczechura took a checking-from-behind penalty. Compher took advantage of the OSU penalty, burying a rebound off a shot from senior forward Luke Moffatt (Paradise Valley, Ariz.) to give the Wolverines a 2-1 lead 6:41 into the second period.

Michigan had a chance to extend its lead midway through the period when freshman forward Allen was taken down from behind and barreled into the goaltender. A hooking penalty was called and U-M elected to take the penalty shot. Allen tried to beat Davis five-hole on the resulting attempt, but the Buckeye netminder made a stick save and the score remained 2-1.

Following the penalty shot, OSU forward Max McCormick tied the game on a power-play goal with 5:34 remaining in the second to even the score at two goals apiece.

With only 16.2 seconds remaining in the period, Compher won a faceoff cleanly in the OSU zone, putting the puck right in Guptill’s wheelhouse. The junior forward put the Wolverines back in the lead, ripping a quick wrist shot to the top-right corner over Davis’ glove hand, making the score 3-2 as the two sides headed to the locker room.

Nagelvoort and Davis combined to make 17 third-period saves in a crucial final frame, but only the Buckeyes were able to find the back of the net. Forward Anthony Greco buried a pass from Tanner Fritz with just 3:13 left in regulation to knot the game at three, and the contest headed to overtime.

U-M will return to action on Monday (Dec. 2), when the Wolverines head to Columbus, Ohio, for a rematch with the Buckeyes on their home ice. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Come to the message board and give us your thoughts, agree or disagree.

Just a reminder you must be a member to participate on the Message Board. Here is the link for the registration page for those people interested in becoming a GBMWolverine member of our message board. GBMWolverine Register.

Please comment on our GBMWolverine Message Board about this article and read what others comment. Make note that our message board has changed so make sure you change your favorite/bookmark as well for the direct link.

You can contact us at our e-mail address: GBMWolverine

Follow us on Twitter:
@ErocWolverine
@GBMWolverine
@Mike Fitzpatrick
@YostMeister

Written by GBMWolverine Staff

Go Blue — Wear Maize!