Michael Hage and the Michigan Wolverines won the Big 10 Championship with a 7-3 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes and now await the selection show to know who they'll face in the first round of the national championship later this week.
While the Montreal Canadiens were taking on the New York Islanders in an important game in the playoff race, Michael Hage and his Michigan Wolverines were taking on the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big 10 Championship game. Just like the Habs, the Wolverines came out on the right side of a 7-3 win.
Down 3-2 in the second frame, the Wolverines went on to score five unanswered goals to win the game and the championship. Hage had a quiet night with a single assist on a Will Horcoff goal in the second frame. T.J. stole the show with a goal and a pair of assists in the win. The undrafted 24-year-old center is wrapping up his NCAA career, and teams could come knocking for him. He leads all Wolverines players in points this season with 53, two ahead of Hage and has scored four game-winning goals.
What’s next for Hage and the Wolverines after this win? As champions of the Big 10, they are automatically part of the 16 teams that will compete for the national championship at the Frozen Four. They’ll know who they’ll take on Sunday afternoon when the selection show airs at 3:00 PM on ESPNU.
The tournament will kick off with the regionals next week, from March 26-28, and the Wolverines will be the top seed for the first time since 2022. The second round will be held from March 27 to March 29, and the top four teams will then head to Vegas for the semifinals. Those will be played on April 9, and the Championship game is set for April 11.
So far, only the six conference champions know that they’ll be in the tournament: the Bentley Falcons, the Michigan State Spartans, the Dartmouth Big Green, the Merrimack Warriors, the Denver Pioneers, and, of course, the Wolverines.
It’s been 19 years since the Wolverines last won the Frozen Four in 2007, and there’s no doubt that Hage would like to add a national championship to his resume before making his highly anticipated and likely pro debut.
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