Michigan State University
Michigan
Spartans Take Down No. 13 Michigan, 2-1
1/30/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
DETROIT -- In a tightly-contested game at Joe Louis Arena in front of a sell-out crowd of 20,027, the Michigan State hockey team defeated No. 13 Michigan, 2-1, on Friday night.
Matt DeBlouw's redirection of a Rhett Holland shot at 1:58 of the third period turned out to be the game-winner, and pushed Michigan State to a 4-3-2-2 Big Ten record (10-11-2 overall).
Holland drilled a shot from the right point that found its way through traffic toward DeBlouw, who was positioned at the top of the crease. DeBlouw was able to get his blade on the puck and redirect it past Michigan goalie Zach Nagelvoort.
"It was later in the shift and (Matt) Berry was in front of the net," DeBlouw said. "I saw Rhett look at me and I just tried to get my stick on it."
Michigan State head coach Tom Anastos was pleased with MSU's defensive effort against a strong Michigan offense.
"I thought we played real hard," MSU head coach Tom Anastos said. "Overall I thought it was a real strong effort. Defensively we were sound and made them earn every bit of space, and that's what we need to do."
Sophomore Villiam Haag scored the first goal of the game 3:09 into the first period.
Haag took the puck in the MSU zone off a Wolverine turnover and headed up ice with Joe Cox on a 2-on-1. Cox eventually feathered the puck perfectly over to Haag on the right side who tapped it into the upper corner for his fifth of the season.
"I just came skating (into the middle) and I just tried to get it out to (Cox)," Haag said. "To score you have to go to the net, so I was going and got an amazing pass that I just tipped in."
Dylan Larkin tied things up at the 16:08 mark when he scored on the power play for the Wolverines (15-8, 7-2).
A resilient Spartan defense held off the Wolverines -- who had a 12-9 shots on goal advantage in the second period -- until DeBlouw scored the game-winner in the third.
"We kept telling guys after we scored the go-ahead-goal, don't fall back, stay on the attack," Anastos said. "(Michigan) turned it up a notch and I thought we did a pretty good job at making their defense go back."
Jake Hildebrand made 13 of his 29 saves in the third period, including two on a Michigan power play with under four minutes to play in the game.
"I thought he was real steady," Anastos said. "I thought he was really good in tight and he looked really poised."
Michigan pulled Nagelvoort in the final minute and kept the pressure on the Spartans. But two big shot blocks by Thomas Ebbing helped keep the Wolverines from netting the tying goal.
The Spartans will take a week off before taking on Michigan outdoors in the Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field in Chicago on Saturday.
