Saturday, February 8
Minneapolis, Minn.
6 P.M. ET
Michigan State University
14-13-1, 10-7-1-0
4
at
2
Minnesota
13-11-4, 8-6-4-3
1
2
3
F
Michigan State
0
1
3
4
Minnesota
1
1
0
2
Third-Period Surge Leads No. 19 Spartans Past Minnesota, 4-2
2/8/2020 9:25:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS – Trailing 2-1 entering the third period, the 19th-ranked Michigan State hockey team scored three unanswered goals for 4-2 win over Minnesota on Saturday night at 3M Arena at Mariucci. Dennis Cesana tied the game on the power play at the 5:04 mark, while Butrus Ghafari's deflection with 9:59 to go gave MSU (14-13-1, 10-7-1-0) the lead for good. Brody Stevens gave the Spartans some cushion as he made it 4-2 with 6:53 to play.
"That was pretty exciting," said MSU head coach Danton Cole. "We were having a hard time finding our game and you give Minnesota a lot of credit. They came out flying in the beginning. I thought the second period was a little better and the guys came out pretty determined and got a little bit of a forecheck going finally and we got a couple pucks to go in.
"It was a lot of fun and very exciting for our guys."
The Spartan rally started with the help of a pair of power plays to start the third period. MSU had chances on its first and then cashed in on the second man-advantage. Mitchell Lewandowski and Jerad Rosburg set up Cesana in the middle of the blue line where he hammered a low one-timer past goaltender Jerad Moe to tie the game, 2-2.
The goal energized the Spartans as they sustained pressure in the Minnesota end. Less than five minutes after the tying goal, Ghafari got his stick on a Tommy Miller point shot, deflecting the puck into the net for a 3-2 lead with 9:59 to go.
MSU continued to control the play and keep the puck in the Minnesota end. With 6:53 to go, Brody Stevens got a loose puck at the top of the crease and slid it past Moe for a 4-2 Spartan advantage.
The Spartans wound up outshooting Minnesota by a count of 15-6 in the game-changing third period.
"Tonight was a big win for the guys in the room," said Cole.
Scott Reedy gave Minnesota (13-11-4, 8-6-4-3) a 1-0 lead with 4:22 to play in the opening period. The Spartans got caught in an odd-man situation as Reedy carried the puck into the MSU zone and scored on a snap shot from near the top of the circles.
Michigan State tied the game with 4:24 to go in the second period as Patrick Khodorenko scored his team-leading 15th goal of the season. From the Spartan end, Rosburg hit Logan Lambdin with a pass down the left side. Lambdin carried the puck down to the left circle where he let go a shot that bounced off Moe and out to Khodorenko, who quickly batted it into the net with 4:24 to go in the period.
Unfortunately, a late goal off a rebound reclaimed the lead for the Gophers with 1:48 to go in the middle period. After a shot from the right point by Tyler Nanne, Blake McLaughlin was in front and able to collect the loose puck and sweep it past Lethemon.
Minnesota finished with a 38-35 edge in shots on goal.
MSU killed all three Minnesota power plays, including two in the second period to keep it a one-goal game.
Michigan State will next face Michigan on Friday at Munn at 6 p.m. The two teams will meet again on Monday, Feb. 17 at Little Caesars Arena in the annual Duel in the D.
"That was pretty exciting," said MSU head coach Danton Cole. "We were having a hard time finding our game and you give Minnesota a lot of credit. They came out flying in the beginning. I thought the second period was a little better and the guys came out pretty determined and got a little bit of a forecheck going finally and we got a couple pucks to go in.
"It was a lot of fun and very exciting for our guys."
The Spartan rally started with the help of a pair of power plays to start the third period. MSU had chances on its first and then cashed in on the second man-advantage. Mitchell Lewandowski and Jerad Rosburg set up Cesana in the middle of the blue line where he hammered a low one-timer past goaltender Jerad Moe to tie the game, 2-2.
The goal energized the Spartans as they sustained pressure in the Minnesota end. Less than five minutes after the tying goal, Ghafari got his stick on a Tommy Miller point shot, deflecting the puck into the net for a 3-2 lead with 9:59 to go.
MSU continued to control the play and keep the puck in the Minnesota end. With 6:53 to go, Brody Stevens got a loose puck at the top of the crease and slid it past Moe for a 4-2 Spartan advantage.
The Spartans wound up outshooting Minnesota by a count of 15-6 in the game-changing third period.
"Tonight was a big win for the guys in the room," said Cole.
Scott Reedy gave Minnesota (13-11-4, 8-6-4-3) a 1-0 lead with 4:22 to play in the opening period. The Spartans got caught in an odd-man situation as Reedy carried the puck into the MSU zone and scored on a snap shot from near the top of the circles.
Michigan State tied the game with 4:24 to go in the second period as Patrick Khodorenko scored his team-leading 15th goal of the season. From the Spartan end, Rosburg hit Logan Lambdin with a pass down the left side. Lambdin carried the puck down to the left circle where he let go a shot that bounced off Moe and out to Khodorenko, who quickly batted it into the net with 4:24 to go in the period.
Unfortunately, a late goal off a rebound reclaimed the lead for the Gophers with 1:48 to go in the middle period. After a shot from the right point by Tyler Nanne, Blake McLaughlin was in front and able to collect the loose puck and sweep it past Lethemon.
Minnesota finished with a 38-35 edge in shots on goal.
MSU killed all three Minnesota power plays, including two in the second period to keep it a one-goal game.
Michigan State will next face Michigan on Friday at Munn at 6 p.m. The two teams will meet again on Monday, Feb. 17 at Little Caesars Arena in the annual Duel in the D.
Team Stats
MSU
MINN
Shots
35
38
PPG
1
0
SHG
0
0
Penalties
3
2
Penalty Mins
6
4
Faceoffs Won
30
28
Game Leaders
+/-
+2
Goals
1
Sh
3
A
1
+/-
-1
Goals
0
Sh
4
A
2
+/-
0
Goals
1
Sh
9
A
0
+/-
+1
Goals
1
Sh
3
A
0
Players Mentioned
D
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