The 12th-ranked Michigan Wolverines made quite a statement on opening night.
Paced by six different multiple-point scorers and seven different players finding the back of the net, Michigan upended No. 15 Arizona State, 8-1, to kick of its COVID-altered 2020-21 campaign.
Highly-touted Michigan freshman defenseman Owen Power notched a goal and two assists in his debut, while winger Kent Johnson registered four assists and Matty Beniers scored twice to pace the Wolverine offense.
Power gets his first career goal on the power play with an assist from Blanks. 8-0 Michigan!#GoBlue 〽️ pic.twitter.com/svq9MRdRPk
— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) November 14, 2020
Michigan struck twice in the first, four times in the second and twice more in the third before Arizona State’s Ryan O’Reilly broke the shutout for Michigan netminder Strauss Mann (15 saves) with 2:26 remaining.
The Wolverine power play was a big part of the attack, scoring three times in four attempts. Arizona State, conversely, was 1-for-7 with the man advantage.
The two teams complete their series on Sunday at 7:00 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on Big Ten Network.
Wisconsin 5, No. 20 Notre Dame 3
Dylan Holloway broke a 3-3 tie with 9:27 remaining in regulation and Ryder Donovan added an insurance tally less than two minutes later as Wisconsin completed a two-game sweep of No. 20 Notre Dame to open the Big Ten slate.
With a down-ice wrap-around, Holloway snipes top corner for a Badger 4-3 lead!
Assist by @InamotoTyler @NBCSports pic.twitter.com/ml6LWmzWIL
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) November 15, 2020
The Badgers spoiled a five-star performance of senior Colin Theisen who registered all three goals for the Irish for his first career hat trick.
Wisconsin jumped to a 2-0 lead on goals by Harvard transfer Ty Pelton-Byce and Donovan before Theisen scored twice in 100 seconds late in the second to even things.
Brock Caufield helped Wisconsin regain the lead with 39 seconds left in the middle frame only to watch Theisen work his magic again at 7:57 of the third.
Goaltender Robbie Beydoun, the graduate transfer from Michigan Tech, made 29 saves to earn his second win of the weekend.
