University of Michigan Athletics

» Goaltender Cameron Korpi stopped every shot that he saw in relief.

» Michigan ended the contest with a slim 31-30 lead in the faceoff circle.

» The loss marked U-M’s largest margin of defeat to the Gophers since 2006.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The sixth-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team dropped a lopsided 6-0 decision to No. 4 Minnesota on Friday night (Dec. 6) at 3M Arena at Mariucci in a top-10 Big Ten showdown.

The Gophers (14-2-1, 7-0-0 Big Ten) started hot and dominated the first five minutes of the game to skate out to a 9-1 lead in shots on goal through the first quarter of the frame.

Early pressure for Minnesota proved to be too much to handle at even strength, as Michigan (10-4-1, 4-1-0 Big Ten) was penalized at 8:29 for slashing to hand the first power play of the game to the Gophers with the home team leading 12-1 in shots on goal. The visiting penalty killers dismissed the chance to force play back to 5-on-5 with the game still scoreless.

The Gophers cashed in on their strong start with the first goal of the night at 12:31 with a rebound near the side of the crease following a strong rush. Less than one minute later, the home team doubled its lead and made it 2-0 with a snipe in transition at 13:26.

The momentum continued to be one-sided throughout the period, as Minnesota scored a third goal at 16:10. Michigan looked to conjure up a response as the Gophers’ lead in shots on goal ballooned to 20-2. Instead, Michigan returned to the locker room facing a three-goal deficit.

The tough start for the Wolverines carried over into the second period, as Minnesota got right back on track with a quick goal in transition to make it 4-0 less than one minute into the frame.

Michigan worked to funnel shots on goal as it attempted to chip away at the deficit. Nearing the halfway point of the game, Minnesota potted its fifth and sixth goals by crashing the net to finish off a pair at 9:52 and 10:55 that stretched their lead to 6-0.

Freshman goaltender Cameron Korpi entered the game to relieve Logan Stein, who finished two periods of play with 20 saves. Korpi prevented the Gophers from scoring in the final frame, stopping eight shots.

Minnesota ended the night with a 39-32 lead in shots on goal, while the Wolverines snuck ahead in the faceoff dot, 31-30. Neither side potted a power-play goal, as the penalty kill units went a combined 6-for-6.

On Saturday night (Dec. 7), the longtime foes will face off once again in Minneapolis. Puck drop is scheduled for 5 p.m. CST, and the contest will be streamed live on B1G+.