Michigan State University
Ohio State
Spartans Top Buckeyes, 4-1
1/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
EAST LANSING - In the first of two games against Ohio State this weekend, the Michigan State hockey team got off to a good start on Friday night, defeating the Buckeyes, 4-1, in front a crowd of 6,333 at Munn Ice Arena. Brent Darnell (goal, two assists), Matt Berry (goal, assist) and Mackenzie MacEachern (goal, assist) all had multiple points for the Spartans (8-11-2, 2-3-2-2), while goaltender Jake Hildebrand made 33 saves.
Berry and Darnell broke the stalemate with goals in the second period, but OSU's David Gust cut the Spartan advantage to 2-1 just over two minutes into the third.
MacEachern reestablished the two-goal Spartan lead with a power-play marker at 6:14 of the third period. Ryan Keller sealed the win with a goal in the final minute.
"Overall, I thought it was a pretty good start to the weekend. It was nice to see four pucks go in the net and also win special teams," MSU head coach Tom Anastos said.
Berry gave MSU a 1-0 lead with a wrap-around goal 1:35 into the second period.
Berry took possession of the puck behind the net and quickly wrapped around the left post and tucked it into the net for his eighth of the season.
Darnell upped the lead to 2-0 when he scored his fourth goal in the last seven games at the 14:08 mark of the middle stanza.
Ebbing won the draw cleanly back to Darnell, who was positioned at the top of the circle. Darnell wasted no time and wristed the puck past OSU goaltender Christian Frey before he could react.
"He found a seam and it's not easy to get shots through. It was a nice play," Anastos said.
Ohio State eventually made it a one-goal game when Gust put home a pass from Nick Oddo past Hildebrand from the top of the crease 2:46 into the third period.
The one-goal game lasted less than four minutes as MacEachern made it 3-1 with a power play goal at 6:14.
The Spartans worked the puck around down low and after a shot by Berry bounced off the post, MacEachern banged at it and put it into the net for his sixth goal of the season.
"That was a big goal for us," Anastos said.
Keller put the game away with his third goal of the season with 48 seconds to play.
MSU killed all four Ohio State power plays in the game, the last of which was in the final six minutes of the third period.
"I thought we picked up some momentum when we killed that penalty," said Anastos. "The penalty killers did a good job tonight."
The two teams will meet again on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Munn Ice Arena.
"We looked at tonight as three periods of a six period weekend. We have a little intermission now until period four on Saturday night," Anastos said.
