Spartans split with the Wolverines after a tough loss on Friday
The long awaited first hockey series with rival Michigan was finally here. The first game was Friday in Ann Arbor, where the Spartans fell 3-2 in overtime.
MSU outshot Michigan 37-32 and the Wolverines never led until the OT game winner, as Michigan twice came back from one goal deficits in regulation.
Karsen Dorwart started the scoring for MSU just over two minutes into the game and MSU would gain a 15-7 shot advantage in the first period. Michigan State was unable to get another one past Wolverine goaltender Logan Stein, however, and went into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead.
Michigan tied it up on a power play goal by Will Horcoff midway through the second period and the teams went into the second break tied 1-1.
Joey Larson, on an assist from Dorwart and David Gucciardi, put MSU back up 2-1 with 11:25 to go but Michigan came back and tied it with a score from T.J. Hughes.
Michigan held a 13-10 shot advantage in the third period and the Spartans didn’t get a shot off in overtime. It only took one minute of the OT and two shots from Michigan to end it. Garrett Schifsky’s game winner ended MSU’s nine game unbeaten streak and moved the Spartans into second place in the Big Ten – one point behind Minnesota, who defeated Notre Dame on Friday.
When the teams faced off Saturday in East Lansing, it would be just the second game at Munn since December 1. MSU would also be without captain Red Savage, who took a big hit last night and was ruled out for tonight’s game
It didn’t start well for the Spartans as Tiernan Shoudy was called for cross checking just 1:29 into the game. Michigan State had to face UM’s power play, tied with Minnesota for best in the conference at 28%, which hurt them last night. It wouldn’t strike again this time though as Michigan only mustered one shot with the man advantage, which came off a face off win just four seconds left in the power play.
Michigan State had their first chance shortly after getting back to even strength as Charlie Stramel took it the length of the ice but couldn’t get a shot off. MSU would take advantage of their next chance though when they had the chance to go on the power play. Michigan was penalized for tripping at 5:28 and it took MSU only eight seconds to convert. The Spartans won the faceoff and Matt Basgaal fired from the point and got it past Stein.
After that, the puck stayed mostly in the UM zone until tensions boiled over at 7:46. Shane Vansaghi from MSU and Luca Fantilli from Michigan were apparently blamed for it and were sent to the penalty box. Neither team mounted much of an attack in the four on four situation and, at the halfway mark of period 1, there were only 5 shots total.
Michigan would have a good chance after it got back to five on five but a Hunter Hady pass went through the crease and didn’t get redirected to the net.
Vansaghi would find himself back in the penalty box for hooking at 12:24 but, again, Michigan couldn’t take advantage. Tommi Mannisto had a great chance coming out of the power play and Shoudy had another one on the rebound but Stein turned both of them away.
MSU would go back on the man advantage at 14:40 and immediately generate a chance but Stein came through again with a leg save on Stramel. Later, an Isaac Howard blast from the point couldn’t get through and Michigan would eventually kill the penalty.
The Spartans would continue to keep the pressure on though and Charlie Stramel would poke one past Stein for a 2-0 MSU cushion going into the first intermission.
Robert Killips | Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The second period started four on four after Tanner Kelly and Josh Eernisse got into it and were called for roughing at the very end of the first period. The four on four period passed and then Michigan was able to put some pressure on the Spartans around the three minute mark, forcing Augustine to make some saves. Michigan would close the shot disparity to just 14-12 before being penalized for interference and giving MSU their third power play opportunity.
The Spartans would take advantage of the man advantage again when Vansaghi tipped in a blast from Joey Larson to put MSU up 3-0.
Michigan would have a chance to get back in it when Shoudy went back to the box for checking from behind. The Wolverines were able to get their power play set up in the first minute of the man advantage this time but Augustine turned them away. The second minute, however, went nowhere for UM as Isaac Howard and Stramel were able to generate a two on one. Michigan’s defenseman concentrated on Howard, so he passed to Stramel who put it past Stein for the shorthanded goal to put the Spartans up 4-0.
MSU would later have a 5 on 3 for about 30 seconds. They couldn’t convert that, or the ensuing one man advantage, but the damage was done in the second period. Despite some increased pressure from Michigan which resulted in just a 26-24 shot advantage for the Spartans, MSU went into the second break with a huge four goal cushion.
Owen West was called for hitting from behind with 9:21 to go in the third period, giving Michigan another power play chance. Evan Werner got a good look late in the advantage but Augustine was able to deflect it into the netting. MSU went on to kill another penalty, and almost totally subdued what had been a big advantage for Michigan this season.
Michigan would go on the power play once more and T.J. Hughes would direct an Evan Werner shot past Augustine to ruin the shutout.
It got a little ugly from there, unfortunately, as Michigan’s Jacob Truscott got a five minute major for direct contact to the head of Charlie Stramel. Maxim Strbak retaliated and got a 10 minute major. All of this was with less than a minute to go, however. It finally ended with a 5 on 3 MSU advantage and a 4-1 MSU win.
The teams continued pushing and shoving before finally deciding to get into the handshake line.
After three one goal games and a tie in their last five games, it had to be great for the Spartans to score a convincing win against their rival, especially after dropping a tough one last night.
To add to the good news, Minnesota fell to Notre Dame in overtime tonight and that, coupled with MSU’s win, puts the Spartans back in first place by a point leading into next weekend’s huge series against the Gophers at Munn.
The Spartans reconvene with Michigan on February 7 at Munn and February 8 in Detroit.
In other weekend action, MSU’s #6 ranked women’s gymnastics team defeated Michigan on Friday night. The meet was held in the Breslin Center in front of over 6000 fans. MSU scored their season high in points with 197.500 to Michigan’s 196.975.
Also on Friday at the indoor tennis center, #23 Men’s Tennis took down #7 Kentucky in their spring opener.