» Cameron Korpi exhibited exceptional form from Friday, saving 35 of the 36 shots directed his way.» The penalty kill squad for Michigan concluded the night successfully with a 5-for-6 performance against a skilled Minnesota team.» This marks the first occasion since the 1942-43 season that U-M has been shut out in back-to-back games. MINNEAPOLIS, […]
» Cameron Korpi exhibited exceptional form from Friday, saving 35 of the 36 shots directed his way.
» The penalty kill squad for Michigan concluded the night successfully with a 5-for-6 performance against a skilled Minnesota team.
» This marks the first occasion since the 1942-43 season that U-M has been shut out in back-to-back games.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The sixth-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team faced a strong defensive effort, resulting in another scoreless night as they fell 2-0 to fourth-ranked Minnesota on Saturday evening (Dec. 7) at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
After stepping in as a relief goalie the previous night and stopping every shot he encountered in the final period, freshman goaltender Cameron Korpi began the game as the starting goalie. He excelled for the Wolverines, amassing 35 saves from 36 shots taken by the potent Minnesota offense, setting a new personal best in saves despite suffering the defeat.
The spotlight shone early on special teams when the Golden Gophers were penalized for tripping less than a minute into the game. Michigan’s power-play team maintained a strong offensive presence but couldn’t capitalize with an early goal before returning to even strength.
Michigan (10-5-1, 4-2-0 Big Ten) aimed to turn around the narrative from Friday, starting the game forcefully. The Wolverines commanded the play for the first six minutes, tallying eight shots on goal against just one from Minnesota. Additionally, they demonstrated excellent control in faceoffs, winning seven out of the initial ten draws.
At 12:54, the Gophers (15-2-1, 8-0-0 Big Ten) commenced their first power play following a media timeout. Senior defenseman Ethan Edwards received a minor penalty for elbowing, providing an opportunity for Minnesota and triggering the penalty-kill unit for Michigan.
A fracas post-whistle at 14:13 led to an extended stoppage as penalties were handed out to two Wolverines and one Gopher. Following a review, U-M blueliner Tyler Duke faced an upgraded penalty, receiving a five-minute major and game misconduct.
The home team began a prolonged stretch of power-play time with a two-man advantage, but U-M successfully alleviated the initial danger to a single-skater disadvantage. Korpi emerged as the standout penalty killer, maintaining the scoreless tie until the Gophers netted a goal at 17:08 on the power play, slipping one through traffic from the point.
After the first period, Minnesota utilized its special teams opportunities to lead 1-0 and outshot Michigan 16-11. The Wolverines concluded the period with an 11-7 faceoff advantage, effectively mitigating the effects of a series of first-period penalties.
The Gophers’ power play resumed at 1:54 when Hunter Hady was penalized for slashing while defending in the Michigan zone. The penalty killing unit limited Minnesota to just two shots before returning to full strength with the deficit intact.
Approaching the midpoint, Kienan Draper unleashed a dangerous shot after entering the offensive zone on the left side, but the attempt was thwarted by a swift leg save.
Shortly after, Christian Humphreys was taken down, stopping a breakaway for the Gophers, leading to a power play for U-M at 16:39 when Nick Moldenhauer was hit into the boards.
Michigan could not convert during the power play, and the teams reverted to 5-on-5 play two minutes later.
After a more subdued second period, Minnesota held on to its 1-0 lead and held a 24-17 advantage in shots on goal. U-M maintained a slight edge of 20-19 in faceoffs but was still seeking its first goal of the weekend.
The Gophers’ power-play unit took the ice for their fifth chance following Mark Estapa‘s holding penalty at 7:11 of the third period. A late shot struck the post, but the U-M penalty killers managed to keep the one-goal margin.
Korpi remained a highlight for the Wolverines, making an amazing glove save with just over three minutes left in regulation to hold the deficit at one while Michigan sought an equalizer.
On the other end, in the final two minutes, Michigan generated one of its finest scoring opportunities of the night but could not capitalize on several close-range shots.
With the Wolverines’ net empty in favor of an extra skater, the Gophers iced the puck with 45.2 seconds remaining, allowing head coach Brandon Naurato to call a timeout and strategize.
Minnesota secured an empty-net goal with 11.5 seconds left to finalize the score at 2-0. After the goal, Evan Werner received a major penalty for cross-checking, forcing the Wolverines to finish the game short-handed.
Minnesota concluded the night with a 37-22 advantage in shots on goal and a 33-27 lead in faceoffs. Korpi’s 35-save performance marked the most remarkable outing of his early career, boosting his season save percentage to .912 after this high-pressure weekend.
The second consecutive shutout defeat signifies the first time Michigan has faced back-to-back shutouts since the conclusion of the 1942-43 season when they were blanked in four successive games.
Next weekend, Michigan hosts Wisconsin at Yost Ice Arena for a two-game series on Friday and Saturday (Dec. 13-14) as they wrap up the first half of the season.
