MADISON — It was a back and forth affair between Michigan and Wisconsin in the second matchup of the series. The Wolverines couldn’t cement their lead against the Badgers until later in the second period.
No. 4 Michigan (21-7-1, 12-6-0 Big Ten) trailed Wisconsin ( 8-17-3, 5-12-1 Big Ten) for the first three minutes, but ultimately found its groove and left Madison with a 6-2 win.
Freshman forward Ethan Edwards was the one to change the momentum. Guiding the puck to the right wing and spinning around a Wisconsin defensemen, he ripped a shot into the upper left netting, giving theWolverines a 1-0 lead.
“I felt good out there in the first shift,” Edwards said. “I carried that momentum throughout the first period. I got my feet going and had a shooter mentality. I had a lot of shots and luckily that one went in.”
Edwards continued to trouble the Badger goaltender, shooting the puck four times by the end of the first period, and 10 by the end of the game. By the 11th minute, Michigan established its way back into the game, tying Wisconsin in shots.
Michigan entered the second period with the lead, but it didn’t last. Less than two minutes into the period, Wisconsin defensemen Jesper Peltonen hit the one timer, tying the game 1-1.
The Badgers looked to capitalize on the Wolverines missed chances. Junior forward Johnny Beecher’s shot was blocked and Wisconsin responded on the other end. Driving up the center of the ice and striking from far out, it gained its first lead of the weekend.
“We went down in the game,” senior forward Jimmy Lambert said. “Having the ability to stick with it, come back and play solid defensively is what we do every night. We went down in the second period but we made a quick comeback.”
But Michigan gave it back through sophomore forward Philippe Lapointe’s goal, tying it 2-2. Within the first 4 minutes of the period, neither team could keep a lead and the war continued.
The Wolverines received their next goal through Lambert. Skating off the left wing towards the center, he drove the puck off the right post and in — his second goal of the season. The lead was back in Michigan’s control.
“It’s a never say die attitude,” Michigan coach Mel Pearson said. “Things were shifting in the second period. We’ve got talented finishers. If we kept working and played the right way, we knew we would get our opportunities.”
And its goal-scoring spree didn’t stop there.
Bordeleau found sophomore forward Brendan Brisson who turned, shot and watched the puck bounce in. The Wolverines had three goals in eight minutes, and a two goal advantage heading into the second break up 4-2.
Michigan tested the Badger goaltender earlier in the final period, earning three shots on goal in the first two minutes. Michigan played to secure its lead but couldn’t find another goal. Whether it was Brisson’s one timer blocked, freshman defenseman Luke Hughes beaming a shot wide or senior forward Garrett Van Wyhe finding the goaltender’s left glove, nothing would go in.
That was until Hughes went one-on-one and drilled it past the goaltender’s grasp for his side’s fifth goal. Earning four penalties in the four period, the Wolverine’s aggression looked to hinder them from scoring more and locking their lead.
“The penalties put us on our heels,” Pearson said. “If they score there, it gives them all the momentum. Once we killed the penalties I thought we were in good shape.”
Estapa and Bordeleau headed to the box at the same time for tripping and persisting in misconduct, respectively. Bordeleau sat for ten minutes, only to be joined by Estapa again for roughing. After killing off the penalties, Michigan managed the puck without giving Wisconsin many looks on goal.
Looking to cap off their win with another goal on the power play, the Wolverines found their final point through senior defenseman Nick Blankenburg. After a scramble in front of the net, Blankenberg got his stick on a loose puck and silenced the Badgers crowd one last time.
A battle that looked to go either way in the beginning, Michigan headed back to Ann Arbor with its seventh sweep of the season and third victory over Wisconsin.
“There was a lot of time when we didn’t have that energy in the locker room,” Pearson said. “The second goal was a huge goal and took the fans out of it again. It gave us a spark.”