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BOSTON — Saturday wasn’t the No. 11 Michigan hockey team’s first overtime experience this season. Three weeks ago, the Wolverines went the distance against Arizona State, but failed to convert in the extra period and walked away with a tie in hand.
But as Michigan proved in several ways this weekend, it’s not that team anymore.
The Wolverines came into Saturday’s overtime against No. 5 Boston University having already beaten the Terries the day before. They also had reason to feel confident on offense, with five goals already on the board in regulation.
“Overtime is always exciting,” junior forward Josh Eernisse said. “I think it favors our team, we have a lot of speed.”
And as overtime hockey often is, Saturday’s extra period was fast-paced and chaotic. Right off the bat, BU got a breakaway opportunity, but junior forward T.J. Hughes was able to recover and stamp out the attack.
After the teams traded several more shots, Hughes got one of the better looks of the period yet, making a move around a Terriers defender in the slot but ultimately coming up empty. As with most chances in the overtime, though, Hughes’ failed attack led directly to an equally promising counterattack for BU — a never-ending, hectic back and forth.
With two minutes left, following that trend, a missed shot from the Terriers took a big ricochet off of Michigan freshman goaltender Cameron Korpi. The puck went from the Wolverines’ crease into the neutral zone, and then into their offensive zone along the right wall. And sophomore forward Garrett Schifsky turned on the jets.
Schifsky streaked down the right side, leaving BU defenseman Sascha Boumedienne behind and getting to the puck just as he crossed into the offensive zone. As Schifsky skated closer and closer to the goal, Terriers goaltender Mathieu Caron was forced to turn to face him, leaving the middle of the net virtually uncovered.
Junior forward Jackson Hallum, already with two goals in the game, used his speed to get to the perfect spot in the slot to offset Schifsky’s position. Schifsky found him, and Hallum did the rest, tapping the puck in for a game-winner and a hat trick. After a period of nonstop energy, the Michigan bench immediately rushed onto the ice to join Hallum and Schifsky in celebration.
“The bench energy was great tonight, so that makes (overtime) even better,” Eernisse said. “When all the guys are up, everybody’s rolling, there was just a great feeling on the bench. I think everybody knew that we were gonna come out with that one.”
The final goal for Hallum meant more than a game-winner or a first-career hat trick, though. After a season-ending injury last year, Saturday represents more than just a return to form — it’s a new peak.
“He’s had a long road to get to this spot,” Wolverines coach Brandon Naurato said of Hallum. “It started last November, and he deserves it.”
Whether through Hughes, Schifsky, Hallum — or any other Wolverines — speed, energy, and excitement were all prevalent throughout Saturday’s overtime. A fast-paced, frenetic game had an overtime period to match, and Michigan thrived in that chaos.
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