Ohio State Hockey: Buckeyes Sweep Michigan, Take over First Place in CCHA

Maybe it's the new silver helmets this season, complete with the classic red, white and black stripes down the middle.

Six straight wins and a road sweep of arch-rival Michigan later, 14th-ranked Ohio State is 10-3-1 overall and 7-2-1 in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, where the Buckeyes currently reside in first place.

OSU goaltender Cal Heeter keyed Friday night's 2-1 win at UM's Yost Arena with 29 saves. Darik Angeli scored both goals for the Buckeyes, including the game-winner with just under 12 minutes remaining in regulation to break a 1-1 tie.

Mac Bennett had the only goal for seventh-ranked Michigan, while Shawn Hunwick took the loss despite 31 saves.

The Buckeyes then outlasted the host Wolverines 6-5 on Saturday to complete the two-step sweep.

Alex Lippincott and Ryan Dzingel each tallied two goals and two assists for the visitors, while Chris Crane scored one goal and set up two others.

Heeter finished with 26 saves to improve to 9-1-1 on the season and made Lipincott's goal early in the third period stand up as the game-winner when Michigan's Alex Guptill connected with 1:40 left.

“A game like that reminds you of the late ‘80s, wide-open, high scoring,” said second-year Ohio State coach Mark Osiecki to uscho.com. “It was a very interesting game.”

Guptill scored twice for the Wolverines, while Mike Chiasson had a goal and two assists, and Hunwick (7-4-2) made 31 saves.

Three of OSU's goals came on the power play, while Michigan struck twice with the man advantage. That was one night after the two teams went a combined 0-for-9 while skating a man up.

OSU's nine-game unbeaten streak began on Oct. 17 with a 2-2 tie against Alaska Fairbanks. Since then, the Buckeyes have posted a win against UAF, followed by sweeps of Alabama-Huntsville, Northern Michigan and now, Michigan. Next up is Lake Superior State on Dec. 2-3 in Columbus, where the Buckeyes are 4-1-1 so far this season.

If they keep up this kind of success, maybe they'll soon be adding Buckeye decals to the hockey helmets at OSU along with the football ones.