Michigan Wins the Big Ten Hockey Tournament

Photo by Paul Barnick

BOX SCORE

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Top-ranked Michigan set a Big Ten Tournament record for most goals in a championship game in posting a 7-3 win over No. 19/19-ranked Ohio State Saturday night before a sold-out crowd of 5,800 at Yost Ice Arena. The Wolverines have now won three Big Ten Tournament titles in five years and a conference-high four overall.

Hosting a Big Ten final for the first time, No. 2 seed Michigan (29-7-1) broke open a 3-3 tie in the third period with four unanswered goals. T.J. Hughes, who was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, scored the game-winner with 11:41 left in regulation and assisted on Jayden Perron’s weaving power play tally a minute, 25 seconds later. Seven different scorers lit the lamp for Michigan, which receives the conference’s automatic berth into next week’s NCAA Tournament. The 16-team field will be revealed tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

No. 5 seed Ohio State (14-21-2), the lowest seed to ever advance to the final, led on two occasions during its second-straight trip to the championship game. The Buckeyes placed forward Jake Karabela and defenseman William Smith on the all-tournament team, who were joined by four Michigan players — Hughes, Perron, defenseman Luca Fantilli and goaltender Jack Ivankovic.

All-TOURNAMENT TEAM:
F – T.J. Hughes, Michigan
F – Jayden Perron, Michigan
F – Jake Karabela, Ohio State
D – Luca Fantilli, Michigan
D – William Smith, Ohio State
G – Jack Ivankovic, Michigan

MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER:
T.J. Hughes, F, Michigan