4B — February 25, 2019
SportsMonday
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
If there was any doubt that these
two teams dislike each other, the
Michigan hockey team and Ohio
State put that doubt to rest on
Saturday night.
It took until the second overtime
period of the tightly-contested
slugfest to declare a winner.
When forward Mason Jobst
took a tripping penalty at the end
of the first overtime period, it
appeared as though the Wolverines
(13-12-7 overall, 9-8-5-2 Big Ten)
would receive a prime opportunity
to win on senior night and, more
importantly, come out of the
weekend with five points against
sixth-ranked Ohio State.
But seconds into the second
overtime period, junior forward
Will Lockwood took a tripping
penalty, himself — essentially
neutralizing the penalty call on
Jobst. A mental lapse by Michigan
resulted in a breakaway for Jobst
when he exited the penalty box.
He capitalized on the opportunity
finishing past Mann to give the
Buckeyes (19-8-5 overall, 12-6-4-3
Big Ten) the extra point in second
overtime, 4-3.
“We’re three-on-three, and I
just think we lost track of what was
going on,” said Michigan coach
Mel Pearson. “We’re pressing to
score and we’re not maybe in that
defensive mode. We lose track of
the time on the clock and the guy
jumps out behind us and they make
a good play, he gets that breakaway.
The wrong player you want on a
breakaway.”
After last night’s game, Pearson
assured that his team would
come out in the first period more
energized.
And
through
the
opening
minutes
on
Saturday,
the
Wolverines
were
locked
in,
entering
the
offensive
zone
frequently and creating chances.
That early offensive momentum
was halted, though, after a five-
minute penalty on senior forward
Brendan Warren for kneeing 7:32
left into the period.
After looking strong on the
penalty kill through the first four
minutes, it was Ohio State that
got on the board with 48 seconds
remaining on the man advantage.
Forward Carson Meyer received
the puck in the slot and fired a wrist
shot past freshman goaltender
Strauss Mann’s stick side –– giving
the Buckeyes a 1-0 lead.
Michigan’s offense picked up
where it left off after the penalty
kill.
Just
three
minutes
later,
junior forward Will Lockwood
sprinted up the right side of the
ice with freshman defenseman
Nick Blankenburg to his left.
As Lockwood entered into the
offensive zone, he played the puck
across to Blankenburg who was
entering the slot. With defenders
on his hip, Blankenburg faked
backhand, pulled the puck back
forehand and fired past goaltender
Tommy Nappier to tie the game at
one.
“I just tried opening up for
(Lockwood) and then the pass kind
of was to my feet,” Blankenburg
said. “It’s nice that he just got it to
me in the first place and then just
kind of went to my forehand and
had a little bit too much speed, so
I kind of ran into the goalie a bit
there. Then as he was sliding over,
his pad lifted up a little bit, so I just
slid the puck under there and it
went in.”
The Wolverines entered the
first
intermission
outshooting
Ohio State, 11-7. Early in the second
period
though,
the
Buckeyes
regained
the
lead.
Forward
Brendon Kearney held the puck at
the top of the right faceoff dot and
fired an innocent-looking wrist
shot. Mann was slow to react on
his glove-save attempt as the puck
found the back of the net, 2-1.
Ohio State added one more five
minutes later on the power play.
After a strong minute and a half on
the penalty kill for the Wolverines,
the Buckeyes finally got set up on
offense and took advantage quickly
as forward John Wiitala extended
the lead to 3-1 eight minutes into
the period.
“We were good on that major
until the last, just the last bit of it,”
Pearson said. “They get that goal
and then they get another one. Just
a little bit of a blown coverage on
it. We were good at times but poor
at times. We lost the special team
battle tonight, we lose the game.
Last night we won it, we win the
game. That’s how critical it is this
time of year.”
When play stopped halfway
through the second period, the
Wolverines were facing a two-
goal deficit with the momentum
teetering in favor of Ohio State.
They
emerged
from
the
stoppage of play on the power
play. And a minute into the man
advantage,
senior
defenseman
Joseph Cecconi cut the deficit in
half to 3-2 on an odd-angled shot
from the right side of Nappier on
a feed from junior forward Nick
Pastujov.
In
the
third
period,
the
freshmen continued their senior
night
weekend
heroics.
After
recording two goals in the third
period on Friday, freshman Nolan
Moyle found the back of the net
once more for another game-tying
goal. After having his initial shot
attempt saved, he collected the
rebound along the boards behind
the net. He played the puck back
into the crease, where it took a
deflection off a defender’s skate and
snuck past Nappier to tie the game
at three with 10:25 remaining.
Tempers flared once more with
5:55 left. Sophomore forward
Dakota Raabe was chasing the
puck along the boards in the
Wolverines’ offensive zone. He
took a hit from behind this sent
him crashing headfirst into the
boards and temporarily knocked
the
sophomore
unconscious
as he lay sprawled on the ice.
Defenseman Tommy Parran —
who delivered the hit — was given
a game misconduct, the second of
the game for the Buckeyes. Cecconi
was called for a two-minute
roughing minor as he came to the
defense of his teammate.
The Wolverines were unable to
capitalize on the ensuing power
play and went into overtime tied at
three goals apiece.
With neither team taking the
edge in the first overtime period,
each team picked up one point.
The game continued into a second
overtime to determine who would
earn the extra point.
And in the second overtime
period, Jobst clinched the victory
for Ohio State when the puck
found him as he exited the penalty
box. He finished past Mann on the
breakaway opportunity to seal the
game, 4-3.
“Tough points to give up,
especially when it’s so critical,”
Pearson said. “But tough play at
the end, we just have to make sure
we’re more aware of what’s going
on there but overall I can’t fault our
effort, guys worked hard, but we
just didn’t work smart.”
Right
after
Mason
Jobst’s
double-overtime
game-winner
sailed past Strauss Mann into
the back of the Michigan net, the
freshman goaltender knew that he
could’ve recognized sooner that
the Ohio State forward was going
to glide out of the penalty box.
“I have to take responsibility for
not slamming my stick and trying
to get our D’s attention,” Mann
said. “I wasn’t really expecting it
honestly.”
All it would’ve taken was a
few knocks on the ice with his
stick when the penalty clock was
running down, and one of the
Wolverines’ defenders would’ve
gotten into position. At the same
time though, that responsibility
doesn’t entirely fall on Mann —
any of the other three skaters
could have noted the impending
situation with the sixth-ranked
Buckeyes’ leading points man, but
none of them did.
“I know the other guys feel
responsibility there too, but we
just gotta know the clock,” said
freshman
defenseman
Nick
Blankenburg, who was also on the
ice. “And we shouldn’t let 26 have
a breakaway in overtime like that
in three-on-three, because he’s
debatably one of their best players,
so we have to be better on that
part,”
Playing smart — as Michigan
coach Mel Pearson noted Saturday
night and after Tuesday’s penalty-
ridden loss to Notre Dame — is
something, even this late in the
year that the Wolverines need to
do more consistently. In Friday’s
win, Michigan committed just four
penalties and killed every single
one — allowing a total of five shots
in that span.
And just one second after its
own power play ended, up 3-2 on
Ohio State, freshman defenseman
Jack Summers took advantage
with a game-sealing slapshot.
“You have to play smarter,”
Pearson said. “And the power play,
when we get the opportunity in
our game we have to do that. We
did that last night and we didn’t
tonight.”
Michigan was in prime position
to take a 4-on-3 advantage headed
into the second overtime of
Saturday after Jobst’s tripping
penalty, but junior forward Will
Lockwood
responded
with
his own tripping penalty and a
de-facto ejection two seconds into
the second extra frame.
Though the Buckeyes were
the more penalized team for the
weekend and had two players
thrown out of Saturday’s game, the
Wolverines couldn’t capitalize on
any of their power plays after their
first goal.
“We can’t get too high when
we score a goal or if Ohio State
gets a five-minute, we can’t get
too excited or get too angry,”
Blankenburg said. “We’ve just got
to stay at an even-level and just be
calm.
“I feel like when we get running
around or things start to not go our
way or we just kind of get a little
out of it a bit, then you can kind of
tell as a fan or a spectator when we
start running around a bit or not
sticking to our game.”
Lockwood’s penalty, if anything,
wasn’t the backbreaker. Neither
was not recognizing Jobst’s odd-
man rush out of the penalty box.
Each mistake, be it an emotional
one, a tactical one or a special team
one, built up to those lost points
Saturday.
I
t started as a trickle.
A handful of fans got
up from their seats and
headed towards the exits. Cas-
sius Winston
drained two
free throws
to push the
Spartans’ lead
to nine. That
trickle became
a steady
stream. Then
a river.
Jordan
Poole tried
to prevent it
from growing further, hitting a
pair of deep 3-pointers in the final
minute. But it wasn’t enough to
stem the tide of maize flowing out
of Crisler Center.
And that was that.
Michigan State 77, Michigan
70.
“Michigan State just had a
tremendous game plan, and they
played better than us,” said Mich-
igan coach John Beilein. “ … They
made us play poorly, and give
them all the credit in the world.”
Beilein’s postgame presser
continued in the same vein for 13
minutes. It was the personifica-
tion of a gut-punch — a party
brought to a quiet, deflating end.
Early Sunday morning, the line
to secure seating in the Maize
Rage started forming about the
same time most students were
falling asleep. Saturday, the seats
that made up the Michigan stu-
dent section had been draped
with the same t-shirts that rested
on all of Crisler Center’s 12,707
seats, ensuring a “Maize Out” for
Sunday.
It wasn’t just any Maize Out.
The shirts, which read “Shock
The World, Boys, Go Blue!”, were
a reference to Michigan’s 1989
team, which reunited to celebrate
the 30th anniversary of the Wol-
verines’ only national champion-
ship. Glen Rice, Sean Higgins,
Steve Fisher and others shared
memories, cracked jokes and were
honored during halftime, soaking
in the program’s finest achieve-
ment.
The party was about them, but
other guests were invited. The
1964 Wolverines, which made
Michigan’s first-ever Final Four,
were honored in the first half.
Later, the 1974 Wolverines — win-
ners of the Big Ten— were hon-
ored as well.
Last, but most importantly, the
current Wolverines had a game.
Not just any game, mind you.
Michigan vs. Michigan State. No.
7 vs. No. 10. Two teams that don’t
like each other one bit, separated
by 65 miles but tied atop the Big
Ten. For one afternoon, every star
in the college basketball universe
had somehow come into align-
ment.
It lived up to the hype.
The Spartans were without for-
ward Nick Ward and guard Josh-
ua Langford. The Wolverines had
a less-than-100 percent Charles
Matthews, who tweaked his ankle
in the first half. No matter. The
opening 20 minutes was left-hook
after left-hook, the decibels rising
with every possession.
One dizzying sequence saw 15
points in 109 seconds. Six baskets
and three 3-pointers, each hit by a
different player.
Michigan and Michigan State
both feasted off the building’s
energy. For Wolverine freshman
Ignas Brazdeikis, this took the
form of rocking Xavier Tillman
to sleep and nailing a 3-pointer in
his face, or beating Kenny Goins
down the baseline and exploding
for a dunk, pumping up the crowd
every chance he got. For Spartans
Goins and Matt McQuaid, this
meant quieting the crowd by hit-
ting five triples between them.
If you were introducing basket-
ball to someone, you could hardly
do better than a first half in
which both teams averaged over
1.2 points per possession. It was
20 minutes in which the sport
seemed to be on steroids.
Neither team had to sustain
such a torrid pace to win. But all
parties have to come to an end at
some point, and the partygoers
have to sober up in time to go to
work the next morning.
Michigan State did. Michigan
didn’t.
From the 15-minute mark until
Poole’s last gasp, the Wolverines
scored just nine points. Mean-
while, Winston finished with
27 points, eight assists and two
steals.
The Spartans never threw a
knockout blow. Winston contin-
ued to do his thing, Michigan’s
shots stopped falling and slowly
but surely, Michigan State sucked
the life out of Crisler Center.
“For 30 minutes,” Beilein said,
“it was a tremendous basketball
game.”
Now that the party’s over?
The blurry pictures are deleted
from phones, the hazy, potentially
embarrassing debauched memo-
ries forced to be forgotten. Braz-
deikis and junior center Jon Teske
speak with reporters and give
short, concise, monotone answers
about what went wrong.
Give the Spartans credit. Their
defense was great. We just didn’t
hit shots. We’ll bounce back. We’ll
learn from this one.
This is what a rivalry game
looks like on the losing side. The
rivalry gets stripped away. If
there’s any extra pain here, it’s not
on display.
In his two-minute opening
statement, Beilein doesn’t men-
tion the fact that Michigan and
Michigan State don’t exactly exist
on friendly terms. He admits
the Spartans outplayed his team
today, the same as if it were any
other opponent. Furthermore, the
Big Ten race is still on. As cliche
as it sounds, anything can indeed
happen. There’s work left to be
done.
“There’s so much more to our
season than beating Michigan
State,” Beilein said. “I know that
hurts some of our fans … (but)
everybody should be very happy
they went to something like that
for at least 30 minutes, and of
course, the Michigan State fans
for 40.”
Michigan State, of course,
doesn’t have to go to work just
yet. The Spartans can sleep in and
revel just a bit longer.
Tom Izzo is asked if this win,
under the circumstances, was one
of his team’s biggest. Michigan
State’s coach answers affirma-
tively.
“John and I talked before the
game, this could end up one of
the best rivalries,” Izzo said. “ …
There aren’t a lot of places where
two schools, in state, both ranked
in the top-10.”
Both teams have had their say.
Crisler Center, finally, settles.
The former Wolverine greats
will return home to their post-
basketball lives. Their past glo-
ries, brought back for a day, will
return to the past.
Cleaning crews pick up trash
and sweep away debris. They
leave a yellow foam finger, which,
for a while, stands alone in Sec-
tion 118. Eventually, that too is
gone.
The Maize Out is no more. The
shirts have been taken home by
those in attendance, and the seats’
normal blue color is visible again.
The Maize Rage, too, has dis-
appeared. The seats have been
pushed to the wall to make way
for six hoops, three on either side
of the court, for Michigan’s prac-
tices later this week.
After a supercharged weekend
of basketball, it’s time to return to
the office.
Shames can be reached at
jacosham@umich.edu or on
Twitter @Jacob_Shames.
When the party’s over
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Michigan fans left Crisler Center disappointed on Sunday after the Wolverines fell to the Spartans, 77-70, in a much-anticipated, top-10 rivalry matchup.
JACOB
SHAMES
Different weekend, same result
Wolverines beat Buckeyes on Friday, fall in double-overtime on Saturday as Ohio State clinches Big Ten title at Yost
JORGE CAZARES
Daily Sports Writer
ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily
Junior forward Will Lockwood was penalized in the second overtime on Saturday, handing Ohio State a critical advantage.
RIAN RATNAVALE
Daily Sports Writer