MSU Loses OT Heartbreaker at NMU

Dec. 5, 2009

Marquette, Mich. - A fluky game-winner off the skate of a Spartan defenseman was the deciding goal in a 3-2 overtime loss for No. 11 Michigan State at Northern Michigan on Saturday evening, giving the teams a split of their CCHA series on the weekend. Drew Palmisano made 30 saves, and Corey Tropp had a late equalizing tally after MSU entered the final period trailing 2-1. Dustin Gazley also scored for MSU, which is now 10-6-2 on the season and 7-3-2 in CCHA contests.

Box Score

At the 11:36 mark the Spartans went on a full two minutes of a man advantage, thanks to a goaltender interference call against Mark Olver and a subsequent unsportsmanlike conduct infraction called against Kyle Follmer. MSU did a good job of moving the puck, but the combination of a couple big saves by Stewart and a goal-line blocks by defenseman Erik Gustafson while Stewart was out of position kept the Spartans off the board. With NMU feeding off an energized jump from the penalty kill, TJ Miller gave the Wildcats their first goal of the weekend at the 14:16 mark of the first period. He was fed the puck by Ray Kaunisto to the top of the left circle, and his shot found its way through traffic and past a screened Palmisano.

The Spartans got an equalizer midway through the second, with its offense buzzing in the offensive zone. Tim Buttery had the puck and got it to Daultan Leveille on the right side, and Leveille fed Gazely, who was moving left-to-right across the hash marks. Gazley held it for the shot he wanted, and beat Stewart blocker-side.

MSU took consecutive penalties, but managed to kill off the nearly four minutes of man-advantage time it afforded the homestanding Wildcats. However, on the ensuing play after the second penalty expired, a neutral-zone turnover sent Matt Butcher in on a breakaway; he beat Palmisano five-hole for his second goal of the year and a 2-1 Northern Michigan lead.

With the Spartans trailing and just over six minutes to go in regulation, Corey Tropp came up with the equalizing tally, a goal scored almost at the same time as his game-winner the night before. He was fed by Krug in the neutral zone and he barreled across the blueline alone; with the D to his left, he waited for Stewart to challenge the shot, and threw a laser netward that beat Stewart and tied the game. The teams headed to overtime, and the unfortunate own-goal at the end put a tarnish on an otherwise solid outing by Palmisano.

Michigan State is back in action next weekend with a home-and-home series with Bowling Green.