Saturday, December 3
East Lansing, MI
6 pm
Michigan State University
11-6-1, 5-4-1
3
vs
6
Minnesota
13-5-0, 8-2-0
1
2
3
F
Minnesota
1
3
2
6
Michigan St.
0
0
3
3
Photo by: Kelly Branigan
Gophers Post 6-3 Win To Wrap Weekend Set
12/3/2022 9:15:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
East Lansing, Mich. – No. 4/1 Minnesota finished off a weekend sweep of No. 13/11 Michigan State with a 6-3 win on Saturday at Munn Ice Arena.
Battling the most talented team they had faced thus far on the season, the Spartans (11-6-1, 5-4-1 B1G) held their own and generated several more opportunities than they did on Friday – but the Gophers were just able to capitalize on mistakes and make the most of a pair of breakaway opportunities that gave them a 4-0 lead after 40 minutes having just a 29-26 lead in shots on goal.
The Spartans were a determined squad, however – MSU came out with a will to win the third period and did just that, putting three goals on the board and outshooting its guests 17-12. The Spartans opened the scoring with a goal by Jesse Tucker 2:19 into the period, and then got two more from Jeremy Davidson before the period expired.
Perhaps the most staggering statistic of the series is that both teams skated through a penalty-free weekend – neither team took a penalty in the two-game set.
Justen Close made 40 saves for the Gophers (13-5-0, 8-2-0 B1G), while Dylan St. Cyr made 35.
Minnesota (13-5-0, 8-2-0) remains atop the Big Ten standings with 24 points, while Penn State moves into second place and the Spartans (17 points) slide into third.
MSU prepares for its final series before a holiday and exam break, and will entertain Michigan in a home-and-home series next weekend. The Spartans host UM on Friday at 6:30 pm on BTN.
STATISTICS OF NOTE
First Period: The Spartans were getting pucks on the net in the opening 10 minutes of the period, but the Gophers are the ones who drew first blood. After a rush for the Spartans that pushed the offense to the hash marks, Brock Faber tipped a Spartan pass and sent it into the neutral zone for the freshmen Snuggerud and Cooley, who broke in all alone on a 2-on-0. Snuggerud went top shelf over the glove-hand of St. Cyr for the first goal of the game.
Second Period: The Gophers rallied for three goals in the middle period. At 7:20, Luke Mittlestat settled the puck in the left circle, and fed a long pass to Bryce Brodzinski who was all alone and he broke in alone on St. Cyr - the senior went five-hole on the breakaway for his eighth of the season, Just after the halfway point of the period, Tiernan Shoudy rang the post, and on the ensuing trip down the ice, Jaxon Nelson was crashing down the right side and scored over the glove-hand of the Spartan goalie to increase the lead to 3-0 at 11:02. MSU's inability to clear out in front of its goalie led to a fourth Gopher score at 16:16, when Brock Faber received the puck out of a crowded slot in the right circle and fed Matthew Knies in front.
Third Period: The Spartan drought was broken when Jesse Tucker got MSU on the board at 2:19. The Spartans had the puck deep in the zone and Tucker had a pair of good whacks at it at the left post, but Close was up to the task. On MSU's ensuing rush, Christian Krygier interceped a pass in the neutral zone, brought it up the left side, and found Tucker alone with a cross-slot pass around the D for Tucker's fourth of the year. MSU kept coming, even if chances were turned away by Close – but the Spartans were rewarded for the work at 9:29, when Mucha carried the puck below the hash marks, turned, and got it onto the stick of Müller. The puck slid free, but Davidson was there for the loose change and put his fourth of the season on the board to pull the Spartans within a pair. The Gophers got the goals back when Mason Nevers swiped at a failed clear to St. Cyr's left at 11:12, and again at 15:35 when Cooley raced up the right side, took a pause, and sent it across the slot to Brock Faber, and his shot ricocheted off a Spartan and past St. Cyr. Davidson wasn't done – at 16:49, he raced into the zone and sniped the puck over the glove-hand shoulder of Close to once again make it a three-goal game.
Battling the most talented team they had faced thus far on the season, the Spartans (11-6-1, 5-4-1 B1G) held their own and generated several more opportunities than they did on Friday – but the Gophers were just able to capitalize on mistakes and make the most of a pair of breakaway opportunities that gave them a 4-0 lead after 40 minutes having just a 29-26 lead in shots on goal.
The Spartans were a determined squad, however – MSU came out with a will to win the third period and did just that, putting three goals on the board and outshooting its guests 17-12. The Spartans opened the scoring with a goal by Jesse Tucker 2:19 into the period, and then got two more from Jeremy Davidson before the period expired.
Perhaps the most staggering statistic of the series is that both teams skated through a penalty-free weekend – neither team took a penalty in the two-game set.
Justen Close made 40 saves for the Gophers (13-5-0, 8-2-0 B1G), while Dylan St. Cyr made 35.
Minnesota (13-5-0, 8-2-0) remains atop the Big Ten standings with 24 points, while Penn State moves into second place and the Spartans (17 points) slide into third.
MSU prepares for its final series before a holiday and exam break, and will entertain Michigan in a home-and-home series next weekend. The Spartans host UM on Friday at 6:30 pm on BTN.
STATISTICS OF NOTE
- Jeremy Davidson had two goals, his second two-goal effort in four games.
- Davidson had 11 goals a year ago, but didn't get on the scoreboard this year until the second Penn State game (Nov. 19). He has five goals in his last five games and seven points overall in that stretch.
- Jesse Tucker scored his fourth goal of the year, his career best.
- Dylan St. Cyr has had 30+ saves in 10 straight games.
- Christian Krygier returned to the lineup after missing nine games with injury and tallied a pair of assists, his first career multiple-point game.
- Nash Nienhuis has double-digit assists for the second straight season and is one shy of his career-best 11 he had as a sophomore.
- Nicolas Müller tallied his 14th assist of the season on the first Davidson goal, and Miroslav Mucha had his sixth.
- Michigan State lost back-to-back games for the first time this season.
First Period: The Spartans were getting pucks on the net in the opening 10 minutes of the period, but the Gophers are the ones who drew first blood. After a rush for the Spartans that pushed the offense to the hash marks, Brock Faber tipped a Spartan pass and sent it into the neutral zone for the freshmen Snuggerud and Cooley, who broke in all alone on a 2-on-0. Snuggerud went top shelf over the glove-hand of St. Cyr for the first goal of the game.
Second Period: The Gophers rallied for three goals in the middle period. At 7:20, Luke Mittlestat settled the puck in the left circle, and fed a long pass to Bryce Brodzinski who was all alone and he broke in alone on St. Cyr - the senior went five-hole on the breakaway for his eighth of the season, Just after the halfway point of the period, Tiernan Shoudy rang the post, and on the ensuing trip down the ice, Jaxon Nelson was crashing down the right side and scored over the glove-hand of the Spartan goalie to increase the lead to 3-0 at 11:02. MSU's inability to clear out in front of its goalie led to a fourth Gopher score at 16:16, when Brock Faber received the puck out of a crowded slot in the right circle and fed Matthew Knies in front.
Third Period: The Spartan drought was broken when Jesse Tucker got MSU on the board at 2:19. The Spartans had the puck deep in the zone and Tucker had a pair of good whacks at it at the left post, but Close was up to the task. On MSU's ensuing rush, Christian Krygier interceped a pass in the neutral zone, brought it up the left side, and found Tucker alone with a cross-slot pass around the D for Tucker's fourth of the year. MSU kept coming, even if chances were turned away by Close – but the Spartans were rewarded for the work at 9:29, when Mucha carried the puck below the hash marks, turned, and got it onto the stick of Müller. The puck slid free, but Davidson was there for the loose change and put his fourth of the season on the board to pull the Spartans within a pair. The Gophers got the goals back when Mason Nevers swiped at a failed clear to St. Cyr's left at 11:12, and again at 15:35 when Cooley raced up the right side, took a pause, and sent it across the slot to Brock Faber, and his shot ricocheted off a Spartan and past St. Cyr. Davidson wasn't done – at 16:49, he raced into the zone and sniped the puck over the glove-hand shoulder of Close to once again make it a three-goal game.
Team Stats
MIN
MSU
Shots
41
43
PPG
0
0
SHG
0
0
Penalties
0
0
Penalty Mins
0
0
Faceoffs Won
37
26
Game Leaders
Skaters
+/-
0
Goals
2
Sh
4
A
0
+/-
1
Goals
0
Sh
4
A
2
+/-
-1
Goals
1
Sh
6
A
0
+/-
-1
Goals
0
Sh
3
A
1
Players Mentioned
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