Michigan finds success at the net front, ties Wisconsin, 4-4

MADISON — In Friday’s game, the No. 10 Michigan hockey team made it clear that it needed to do a better job protecting its net front, as many of Wisconsin’s goals that led to the Wolverines’ loss were in the crease. So on Saturday, Michigan wanted to ensure that didn’t happen again. 

While the Wolverines were able to translate its shortcomings into production at the Badgers’ net front, Wisconsin found similar success. In a chaotic matchup between the Wolverines (14-10-2 overall, 8-7-1 Big Ten) and the Badgers (11-12-3, 6-9-1), the back-and-forth overtime affair led to a 4-4 tie, with Michigan taking the shootout win and the extra conference point.

In true Wolverines fashion, they came out swinging in the first period, getting a quick lead over Wisconsin. Three minutes in, freshman defenseman Will Felicio took a shot from the blue line that deflected off the Badgers netminder William Gramme’s pads. Sophomore forward William Whitelaw tried his hand at scoring off the deflection with no success, so junior forward Kienan Draper got the puck in on the third try from the net front. With Gramme focused on Whitelaw, Draper found the space to pot the puck.

Wisconsin retaliated about halfway through the period from a faceoff in its offensive zone. After winning the faceoff and passing around the perimeter, Badgers forward Tyson Dyck shot the puck down the slot and tied the game at one. 

Only a minute later, Michigan regained its lead. After junior forward T.J. Hughes won the draw, sophomore forward Garrett Schifsky was there to pick up the puck. He passed it from the left face-off dot to junior defenseman Tyler Duke on the blue line, and Duke sent the puck flying into the boards. The puck bounced directly off the boards to Hughes’ stick, who sunk it at the net front. 

Michigan continued its dominance at the net front and its adaptability off bounces and deflections with a goal from junior defenseman Luca Fantilli. Senior forward Mark Estapa rifled the puck into the crease, where Fantilli ripped the puck top-shelf and gave the Wolverines a two-goal lead. 

However, any dominance or momentum Michigan had going into the second period up two goals diminished as the Badgers tied the game at three. Wisconsin forward Quinn Finley scored on a long-stretching pass and a breakaway. And a few minutes later, Badger forward Christian Fitzgerald capitalized in the crease. 

In the third period, sophomore forward Evan Werner broke a nearly 20-minute stalemate between the Wolverines and Wisconsin with a fourth net-front goal. While it wasn’t exactly his shot that landed the puck in the net but rather a deflection off a Badger’s skate, Werner’s field position at the net front got the puck there, giving Michigan a one-goal lead. 

The Wolverines then spent the next eight minutes protecting the net front, blocking Wisconsin shots and clogging the slot. But eventually, the Wolverines failed to block the Badgers any longer, as Wisconsin defenseman Ben Dexheimer broke through, tying the game at four and sending it to overtime. 

Typically, Michigan is able to quickly put away teams in overtime, having done so six of seven overtime games this season. But with neither team able to score in overtime, a shootout took place for the extra Big Ten point. And after a long scoring drought, freshman forward Michael Hage was the lone skater to score in the shootout — sinking the puck at the net front.

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