Michigan is riding high after sweeping Denver and taking its place as the No. 1 team in the country, but the Wolverines now face another battle in No. 5 Western Michigan. Meanwhile, Minnesota made some noise in its home opener taking down No. 3 North Dakota with a flurry of third-period goals.
Another Challenge for Top-Ranked Wolverines
Two of the most dominant teams during non-conference play square off at Yost Arena on Friday night when new No. 1 Michigan welcomes No. 5 Western Michigan (7 p.m. ET on B1G+). Both teams have started the year undefeated in commanding fashion: the Wolverines lead the nation with 36 goals scored (six per game), and the Broncos are first in scoring margin, beating their opponents by an average of 4.75 goals per game thus far (Michigan is second). Michigan’s offensive onslaught has been led by the nation’s top goal scorer Jayden Perron (nine) and playmaker Michael Hage (11 assists). Western Michigan is scoring over five goals per game, fueled by a lineup that includes nine different players with multiple goals.
On Friday night though, it could be goaltending that makes the difference. Denver transfer Quentin Miller is off to a fantastic start as a Bronco, stopping 83 of 85 shots over four games and ranking second in the country in save percentage (.976) and goals against average (0.50). In the opposite crease stands reigning Big Ten First Star of the Week Jack Ivankovic, who is looking to stay hot for the Wolverines. In last weekend’s sweep of Denver, the Mike Richter Award semifinalist allowed just one goal on Friday with 27 saves, but really came up huge on Saturday when he made 33 saves, including eight in a nearly four-minute span, and fended off two 5-on-3 power plays.
After Friday’s tilt, No. 6 Wisconsin will visit Western Michigan for an exhibition matchup on Saturday.
Four-Goal Third Period Pushes Gophers Past North Dakota
Brett Larson earned his first win as the Minnesota head coach in emphatic fashion, as the Golden Gophers knocked off No. 3 North Dakota 5-3 in front of a raucous 3M Arena crowd for their home opener.
Minnesota and North Dakota exchanged goals in the first two periods and entered the third period tied at one. Just 2:02 into the third, Evan Murr found Christian Humphreys on the back post to give the Gophers the lead. That ignited a nearly three-minute stretch where they scored two more times to take a commanding 4-1 lead, capped off by Humphreys scoring again on the power play.
Luca Di Pasquo made 21 saves in goal to preserve the statement win. Both teams will hit the ice again on Friday night with Minnesota looking for the series sweep. More from Minneapolis.
The Final Tune-Up
The rest of the Big Ten take the ice this weekend, including several showdowns with ranked opponents, as teams prepare for the beginning of the conference season next week.
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After splitting its first four contests on the road, Ohio State welcomes early-season surprise, No. 13 Augustana, to Columbus for its first home games of the season.
Check out the schedule for the weekend and start of Big Ten play next week.