Buckeyes Fall to No. 1 Wolverines, 6-4

Friday, January 30

Columbus, Ohio

6:30 p.m.

Ohio State

8-14-1, 4-9-0

Michigan

21-4-0, 12-3-0

Michigan

Ohio State

Buckeyes Fall to No. 1 Wolverines, 6-4

1/30/2026 10:17:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score Photo Gallery

Teams close series at 5 p.m. Saturday

COLUMBUS, Ohio – In a back and forth game, the Ohio State men's hockey team fell to No. 1 Michigan, 6-4, Friday in the Schottenstein Center in front of 7,659 fans. The teams were tied at one after the first and deadlocked at four following the second. Two power play goals in the third lifted the Wolverines to the win.

The Buckeyes (8-14-1, 4-9 B1G) and Wolverines (21-4, 12-3 B1G) end the weekend and regular season series at 5 p.m. Saturday in Columbus. Fans are encouraged to wear scarlet and there will be a scarlet THE towel giveaway for the first 1,500 fans.

The Short Story
Michigan opened the scoring in the first minute and a Davis Burnside goal for the Buckeyes at 18:46 tied the game through 20 minutes. In the second, Michigan again scored early, but back-to-back Ohio State tallies, at 2:26 from Max Montes on the power play and at 7:20 from James Hong, put the Buckeyes in the lead, 3-2. The Wolverines tied the game less than two minutes later. Buckeye freshman Jake Karabela broke the tie at 14:51 but a Michigan goal with 41 seconds left in the period knotted the score at four. In the third, Michigan went ahead at 5:34 and pushed the lead to 6-4 at 17:17, with both goals on the power play by T.J. Hughes.

The Buckeyes outshot the Wolverines, 34-24, in the contest. Ohio State was 1-for-3 on the power play and Michigan was 2-for-5.

Montes, who marked career game 100, led the Buckeyes with three points, on a goal and two assists, and William Smith had two helpers, while Burnside notched a goal and an assist to move his career point total to 99.

How it Happened

Michigan's Will Horcoff opened the scoring 58 seconds into the contest.
Buckeye Davis Burnside tied the game at 18:46, with his shot from the side going off a Wolverine defender's stick and in. James Hong and Max Montes assisted on the tally.
The Buckeyes had the edge in shots, 11-10, in the first period.
Adam Valentini put Michigan ahead 2-1 25 seconds into the second, when a shot off the faceoff deflected up and in.
Ohio State notched the next two. On the power play, Max Montes drove around his defender and put a shot five-hole at 2:26. William Smith started the play and had the assist on the goal.
James Hong gave the Buckeyes a 3-2 lead at 7:20. A Montes shot hit off the post and Hong was there for the rebound, with Burnside also assisting.
The Wolverines tied the game at 9:01 on Asher Barnett's goal after a Buckeye turnover in their defensive zone.
Jake Karabela broke the tie at 14:51, getting to a loose puck in front and scoring while falling, assisted by Riley Thompson and Smith.
A late Michigan goal from Jayden Perron sent the teams into the lockerroom tied at four.
Ohio State outshot Michigan, 15-7, in the middle stanza.
In the third, T.J. Hughes' power play goal at 5:34 put Michigan ahead 5-4 and he added a second tally with the extra man at 17:17 for a 6-4 advantage.
The Buckeyes put eight shots on net in the third, Michigan seven. Ohio State pulled its goalie for the extra attacker following the second Wolverine score, with a UM penalty putting Ohio State on a 6-on-4 advantage, but could get no closer. An Ohio State penalty with 24 seconds remaining helped seal the win for the visitors.
For the game, Ohio State led in shots, 34-24. Buckeye freshman Sam Hillebrandt made 18 saves in 57:45.
The Buckeyes blocked 13 Michigan shot attempts, led by Nathan McBrayer, Bryce Ingles and Smith with two each.
Ohio State was 1-for-3 on the power play and 3-for-5 on the penalty kill.

Buckeye This and That

Jake Karabela leads the Buckeyes with 20 points, including six goals and a team-high 14 assists.
William Smith had his second career two-assist and two-point night and first since Feb. 23, 2024 at Michigan State.
The game was the first career three-point outing for Mas Montes after 11 two-point nights. It was his fifth game with two helpers. He is tied for third on the team with 17 points this season and leads the squad with 10 goals.
Davis Burnside is second on the team with 19 points, on nine goals and 10 assists. It was his 21st multiple-point outing as a Buckeye. He has 99 career points, with 46 goals and 53 assists.
James Hong now has five career two-point nights and he has a 3-4-7 line on the year.