Michigan Crushes Ohio State 8–1 to Secure Historic 100th Victory in Storied Rivalry

Fourteen Wolverines Score as No. 2 Michigan Completes Weekend Sweep; Ivankovic Stops 38 in Dominant Milestone Win

ANN ARBOR, Mich. | The rivalry reached a new milestone on Saturday night as the No. 2-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team delivered a commanding 8–1 victory over Ohio State at Yost Ice Arena, securing the program’s 100th all-time win against the Buckeyes. The Wolverines (13–3, 6–2 Big Ten) erupted offensively—fourteen players recorded points—while freshman goaltender Jack Ivankovic turned in a career-best 38-save performance to anchor a decisive sweep of their Big Ten rivals.

With the win, Michigan extended its historic series lead over Ohio State (5–7, 1–5 Big Ten) to 100–53–16 through 169 meetings, reinforcing its dominance in one of college hockey’s most tradition-rich rivalries.

FIRST PERIOD: MICHIGAN ATTACKS FIRES EARLY AND OFTEN

Senior winger Josh Eernisse opened the scoring at 9:01, redirecting a point shot from freshman defenseman Asher Barnett, with Garrett Schifsky adding the secondary assist. Moments later, senior forward Kienan Draper doubled the lead with a high short-side finish off assists from Eernisse and Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen.

Freshman center Cole McKinney drew a slashing penalty at 15:14, and Michigan capitalized immediately. Aidan Park hammered home a one-timer from the left circle, assisted by Jayden Perron and McKinney, pushing the Wolverines to a commanding 3–0 lead after the opening frame. Michigan won the faceoff battle (12–5) and held a slight 10–8 shots advantage.

SECOND PERIOD: HAGE AND HORCOFF PUSH LEAD TO FIVE

Sophomore standout Michael Hage extended the margin to 4–0 at 3:33, burying a rebound created by linemates Nick Moldenhauer and Will Horcoff. Horcoff struck again at 7:22, finishing a breakaway after a brilliant no-look stretch pass from Moldenhauer—his second assist of the night. Barnett also notched a secondary helper.

Despite Ohio State generating extended pressure late in the period—including a 5-on-3 power play—the Wolverines’ penalty kill held firm, anchored by Ivankovic’s composed net-front work. Michigan carried a 5–0 advantage into the final intermission, even as OSU outshot U-M 24–19 through two periods.

THIRD PERIOD: HUGHES, VALENTINI CLOSE OUT STATEMENT WIN

Michigan killed off both penalties to start the third, including a key right-post deflection by Ivankovic that preserved the shutout to that point.

T.J. Hughes made it 6–0 at 4:20 following a neutral-zone takeaway by Moldenhauer, who recorded his career-high third point of the night. Hughes added another at 9:43, tapping in a netfront feed from Adam Valentini, with Schifsky providing the secondary assist.

The Wolverines converted one final power play at 2:23 when Valentini buried a cross-crease pass from Horcoff. Junior defenseman Ben Robertson, the national assists leader at his position, added the secondary helper.

Ohio State broke the shutout in the final minute with a power-play goal, closing the score at 8–1.

A RIVALRY MILESTONE SIX DECADES IN THE MAKING

The emphatic victory marks Michigan’s 100th all-time win over the Buckeyes—a rivalry that began on Feb. 8, 1964, when the Wolverines delivered a staggering 21–0 win in Columbus. Sixty years later, Michigan celebrated another historic moment with a dominant, seven-goal statement victory.

KEY PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS

• Jack Ivankovic: Career-high 38 saves on 39 shots (13th win of the season)
• Fourteen Wolverines recorded points in the win
• T.J. Hughes: Two goals
• Horcoff, Moldenhauer, and Valentini combine for multiple multi-point nights
• Michigan 100th all-time win vs Ohio State

Michigan hits the road to close its non-conference slate with a two-game series at Harvard on Friday and Saturday (Nov. 28–29) at the Bright-Landry Center in Cambridge, Mass. Both matchups are set for 7 p.m. ET and will stream live on ESPN+.

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-- By Lakisha Brown

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