Michigan is a brutal word for Ohio State fans, particularly ice hockey fans. The OSU ice hockey team lost twice this weekend, both losses to Michigan teams. Friday night, the Buckeyes fell 2-1 to Michigan State, then Sunday afternoon at the Ohio Expo Center, in front of 1,625 fans, OSU slipped again, this time in sudden death 3-2, to the University of Michigan.The Wolverines, 3rd in the CCHA (7-3-1), lead the all time series(18-41-7) against the Buckeyes, 9th in the CCHA (5-5–1). The first period went back and forth with neither team scoring. OSU dominated the ice, outshooting Michigan, 20-10, but couldn’t get one in the net.The Wolverines were the first to draw blood in the second period when, right wing Bill Muckalt, swept one past OSU goaltender Jeff Maund. Muckalt, Michigan’s leading scorer, is ranked 3rd nationally with 18 season points. The Buckeyes quickly retaliated within two minutes with sophomore Eric Meloche’s clean sweep into the net to tie up the game . With the intensity growing, and only 5 seconds left in the period, OSU senior Dan Cousineau, scored off of an assist by junior Chris Richards, giving the Buckeyes the lead 2-1 at the end of the second period. The Wolverines returned to the ice out for revenge, and recieved it at 3:49 in the third period when UM junior, Dale Rominski put one through the pipes to tie the game at 2. Both defenses did their jobs for the remainder of the period, holding the game at 2, forcing a sudden death overtime.Although, OSU goaltender Jeff Maund deflected 3 Wolverine attempts, with less than 2 minutes left in overtime UM freshman Geoff Koch scored with a quick-wristed shot, giving Michigan the game.”I came off the bench, saw the opportunity and just drove to the net,” Koch said. Even though the Buckeyes lost, OSU head coach John Markell was not disappointed in the team’s effort against the 3rd placed team.”If we play this way for the rest of the season, we’ll be a lot further ahead than we are behind,” Markell said. “They (Michigan) were scrambling for their lives, but came up big in the end. That’s just hockey. We have a tough road ahead of us, if we play the way we played today we’ll be okay.”The Buckeyes travel to Michigan next weekend to take on the No. 1 Northern Michigan in a two game series.