End Of Days

Ohio State 5 - Michigan 3

For this program, for the team and for Red Berenson this game and every game for the rest of the season was more important than any other on the schedule this year. The Minnesota series pushed them to the edge of the postseason, but there was still a chance this team could rise to the occasion and pull off the improbable run.

Instead, tonight was a microcosm of everything that has plagued this program for the past three seasons.

Michigan scored the first goal on the road against an 8-16-2 team. The Wolverines owned zone time and looked like they would cruise; then everything came unraveled.

Steve Racine continued the unsettling trend of playing well enough to win the starting job, before losing it the next week and Racine's rebound control was to blame early allowing senior Matt Johnson to cash in on two goals giving the Buckeyes life.

There was a shred of hope that Zach Hyman would once again save this team when he took the puck end-to-end and tied the game, but it was short lived. Blueline turnovers cost this team again and again, giving the putrid Buckeye offense 4 goals before Tyler Motte scored with the net empty. There would not be a second, as Ohio State scored the EN goal and beat Michigan for the first time since 2011.

With that, Michigan's at-large chances are most likely gone. They'll need to gain 8 spots just to be on the bubble and there just aren't enough games, leaving the autobid as the only viable option.

Up Next: Ohio State, Sunday at Yost