The state of Michigan has two additional likely NCAA squads, with Michigan Tech (24-0-4) and Western Michigan (23-14-1) putting themselves in place for at-large berths. Sunday when the field is revealed on ESPNU. Michigan and the rest of the Big Ten’s NCAA contenders - near-certain at-large picks Minnesota, Ohio State and Penn State - will find out their paths to the Frozen Four (slated for Tampa, Florida, on April 6-8) at 6:30 p.m. Minnesota challenged the goal on a missed offsides call, but officials ruled it a good goal. But the Wolverines weren’t done about three minutes later, freshman defenseman Seamus Casey tied it with a blast from near the blue line that worked its way through a crowd and just missed the stick of McGroarty. Rhett Pitlick deked his way through a pair of Michigan defenders, then sniped the puck past Michigan goalie Erik Portillo 1:57 into the third period to give the Golden Gophers a 3-2 lead. Michigan was then able to kill off the penalty to head into the third with a tie. As Minnesota celebrated, the referees waved off the score and announced a tripping penalty on Michigan star defenseman Luke Hughes. Portillo slid backward, unmooring the net just as a Gopher picked up the rebound and fired it in. Matthew Knies, driving to the net, was tripped and slammed into Portillo in the crease. The Golden Gophers almost made it 3-2 just 24 seconds later. He missed it, but Cooley didn’t, sliding it in for a 2-2 game with 10:49 remaining in the period. teammate at the World Juniors last winter, Portillo dove to break up the pass. As Snuggerud slid the puck to Cooley, his U.S. ![]() The Winnipeg Jets' 2022 first-round pick then swept the puck into the net before Close could even get to the opposite of the net, for a 2-1 lead with 16:14 remaining in the second.īut Michigan’s lead lasted just five minutes as Jimmy Snuggerud picked up a loose puck and drove into Michigan’s zone with Cooley on his left side for a two-on-none. The freshman dropped the puck off to defenseman Keaton Pehrson, who fired a shot that went wide on the right side, hit the boards and bounced to the left side of the net where McGroarty was waiting. About 30 seconds after McGroarty’s goal, Michigan again had the puck in Minnesota’s zone after a faceoff win by Fantilli, the other Hobey Baker finalist playing Saturday. 9 gave the Wolverines command of the game. Freshman Rutger McGroarty swooped in and banged the puck past Close on Michigan’s eighth shot. Erickson fired a one-timer, but Close was on it, stopping the shot but allowing a rebound out in front. Just over three minutes in, freshman Gavin Brindley carried the puck behind the net, then fired to a waiting Ethan Erickson in the left circle. Michigan had to wait until the second period to even the match. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. After drawing their attention, he slid the puck to Lamb, who held it for half a second before firing a wrist shot for the score. 3 overall pick in the NHL draft last summer and one of two Hobey Baker Award finalists playing at Mariucci on Saturday night, hauled in a loose puck at center ice and drove into the offensive zone on the right side, blowing by a pair of Michigan defensemen. Minnesota opened the scoring with a snipe from Brody Lamb past Portillo on the left side. Michigan goalie Erik Portillo, the Most Outstanding Player of the Big Ten tournament last season, had 22 saves against the Gophers in 2023. Michigan's Adam Fantilli, the freshman who scored a tournament-record seven goals in just three games before going goal-less in Saturday's final, was named the Most Outstanding Player, while Minnesota goalie Justen Close was named the Most Outstanding Goaltender despite allowing four goals on 31 shots faced on Saturday. 1 seed, with Quinnipiac, which lost to Michigan in the regional final last season, and Denver, which beat Michigan in the Frozen Four, also potential top seeds. The 16-team field will be announced Sunday night on ESPNU. Sophomore Dylan Duke scored off his backhand with 8:14 remaining in the third period to give Michigan its second straight Big Ten tournament title and virtually assure the Wolverines (24-11-3) of a No. ![]() Saturday’s matchup was much tighter, with the teams trading the lead several times, but the Wolverines prevailed again. ![]() Last season, the Wolverines dominated for 58 minutes. ![]() If the Big Ten ever returns its hockey tournament to a single-site format, as it was for the beginning of the conference, Michigan hockey might have a suggestion: 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis.įor the second consecutive season, the second-seeded Wolverines went into the den of top-seeded Minnesota and came away with a 4-3 victory to claim the Big Ten title and the conference’s automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.
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