Buckeyes Drop Game One at No. 2 Michigan, 5-2

Friday, November 21

Ann Arbor, Mich.

7 p.m.

Ohio State

5-6-0, 1-4-0

Michigan

12-3-0, 5-2-0

Ohio St.

Michigan

Buckeyes Drop Game One at No. 2 Michigan, 5-2

11/21/2025 9:42:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score

Eberly makes 40 saves for Ohio State, with penalty kill 6-for-6

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State men's hockey team lost the series opener at No. 2 Michigan, 5-2, Friday in Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich. The teams were tied at one after the first and two after the second. The Wolverines tallied the goal-ahead goal midway through the third and added two more scores for the 5-2 final.

Ohio State is now 5-6 on the year (1-4 B1G) and the Wolverines are 12-3 overall and 5-2 in the league. The teams will wrap up the series at 7 p.m. Saturday, with the game on B1G+ and Ohio State Radio.

The Short Story
Buckeye Felix Caron's power play goal opened the scoring midway through the first, with the Wolverines, who outshot Ohio State 16-5 in the first, answering at 17:13 for a 1-1 game at intermission. Jake Dunlap put Ohio State ahead early in the second but the Wolverines again drew even and the teams went into the lockerrooms tied at two. Shots were 14-10 in favor of the home team in the second.

Michigan took its first lead of the game at 10:56 of the third and extended the lead to two at 17:58. An empty net tally with 16 seconds left ended the scoring. Shots were 15-7 in favor of Michigan in the third and UM ended ahead, 45-22, for the game. Buckeye goalie Kristoffer Eberly had a career-high tying 40 saves in the contest. The Buckeyes were 6-for-6 on the penalty kill, allowing just five goals on the six chances combined, and 1-for-3 on the power play in the game.

How it Happened

On the first power play of the game, Buckeye Felix Caron scored from the faceoff circle off a pass from Broten Sabo. Jake Karabela had the second assist, his team-best ninth helper of the year.
Michigan's Malcolm Spence tied the game at one at 17:13, scoring from the high slot.
The Wolverines outshot the Buckeyes, 15-6, in the opening 20 minutes.
A highlight reel goal put Ohio State back ahead, 2-1, at 3:01 of the second. Jake Dunlap carried the puck into the zone and Adam Eisele picked it up near the left wall. His backhand pass found Ryan Gordon in front and he set up Dunlap back across the crease where he finished the play with the Wolverines unable to recover.
A long shot by Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen got through at 11:16 to knot the score at two.
The teams combined for 24 shots in the middle period, with Michigan ahead, 14-10.
At 10:56 of the third T.J. Hughes broke the tie and put the Wolverines ahead for the first time, one-timing a pass that came from behind the net.
A redirect by Josh Eernisse gave Michigan a two-goal cushion at 17:58.
With the teams skating 4-on-4 late, the Buckeyes pulled their goalie and Luca Fantilli found the back of the net for a 5-2 game at 19:44.
Michigan had the lead in shots, 15-7, in the third.
Ohio State was outshot, 45-22, in the game. Kristoffer Eberly made a career-high tying 40 saves in 59:45. Michigan goalie Jack Ivankovic had 20 stops.
The Buckeyes blocked 17 Wolverine shot attempts, led by Bryce Ingles and William Smith with three each.
Ohio State was 6-for-6 on the penalty kill in the contest, allowing just five shots on net. The Buckeye power play was 1-for-3.

Buckeye This and That

The loss was the Buckeyes' first this season by more than one goal.
Caron and Karabela share the team lead with 10 points each.
Karabela has a team-best nine assists and is on a five-game point streak (1g, 6a, 7p).
Caron shares the team goal lead with five and is first with three power play scores.
Eberly had his third career game with 40 saves, also set Jan. 26 and Jan. 27, 2024 at Penn State. He has a 2.40 goals-against average and .916 save percentage on the year.
The Buckeyes are 41-for-48 (.854) on the penalty kill this season. The power play is 8-for-39 (.205). The squad has a power play goal in six of the last seven games.
Michigan's 45 shots were a Buckeye opponent season high and marked the first time this year Ohio State allowed 40 or more shots.