Wolverine Spirit: The Dynamic World of Michigan Athletics

Promotions

Jan. 5

• Men’s Health Awareness Game — Complimentary shaker bottles sponsored by Michigan Medicine for the first 1,000 attendees.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The ninth-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team will resume play on Friday (Jan. 3) when facing off against No. 13 Ohio State outdoors at Wrigley Field during the Frozen Confines at 4 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network. The teams will face each other again on Sunday (Jan. 5) at Yost Ice Arena for a 5 p.m. match on B1G+.

Notes

• This represents the third occasion that Michigan and Ohio State have competed outdoors. The teams initially met at the 2012 Frozen Diamond Faceoff in Cleveland, where they played in front of 25,865 spectators at Progressive Field. Michigan triumphed, winning 4-1, with Shawn Hunwick achieving 31 saves while Chris Brown led the offense with a goal and two assists. Two seasons earlier, the teams contested at First Energy Stadium during the 2023 Faceoff on the Lake, with OSU claiming a 4-2 victory where Gavin Brindley and Eric Ciccolini found the net, while Erik Portillo made 30 saves.

• The Frozen Confines signifies Michigan’s 10th-ever outdoor game, the highest number for any collegiate program. The Wolverines hold a record of 4-4-1 in outdoor competitions.

• Michigan has a historic record of 96-51-16 against Ohio State across 163 encounters. The Wolverines are currently on a five-game winning streak against the Buckeyes, with the last defeat occurring during the Faceoff on the Lake in February 2023.

• Ohio State holds an overall record of 13-4-1, ranked No. 13 in the latest USCHO national poll and has a 6-2 record in the Big Ten, placing them fourth with 16 points across eight games. The Buckeyes have secured victories in their last four matches, including sweeps against Penn State and Notre Dame at Value City Arena.

• Michigan finished the first semester with an 11-6-1 record, having started strongly with a 10-3-1 mark through November. The Wolverines faced three consecutive losses, including two against Minnesota and one against Wisconsin, before concluding with an overtime victory against the Badgers. Michigan currently ranks fifth in the B1G standings with 13 points from eight games and is placed ninth nationally.

• Freshman Michael Hage leads the squad in points with 18, composed of 10 goals and eight assists across 15 games. He ranks second in the nation for goals per game behind Boston College’s Ryan Leonard and in rookie scoring behind BC’s James Hagens. Garrett Schifsky, Evan Werner, and T.J. Hughes follow closely with 13 points each.

• Logan Stein and Cameron Korpi have shared goaltending responsibilities. Korpi has a record of 5-1-1 with a goals-against average of 2.59 and a .904 save percentage. Stein has a 6-4 record, holding a 3.07 GAA and an .893 save percentage.

• Michigan’s power play has successfully converted 21 percent of the time, ranking 24th in the nation, while its penalty kill ranks 20th at 83.1 percent. Ohio State’s power play sits at 40th with 17.2 percent efficacy, while their penalty kill ranks 17th at 84.3 percent.

• Ohio State averages 3.22 goals per game, boasting the sixth-best defense, restricting opponents to an average of 1.94 gpg. Conversely, Michigan’s offense averages 3.00 gpg while the defense allows 2.89 gpg.