Offensive Outburst Leads No. 3 Hockey Past Northern Michigan in Regular Season Opener

Friday, October 9

East Lansing, Mich.

7:30 PM

Michigan State University

1-0-0

Northern Michigan

1-2-0

Team	1	2	3	F
Northern Michigan	1	0	1	2
Michigan State	3	0	3	6

Anthony Romani celebrates with the Munnsters after scoring his first goal of the season

Photo by: Michael Caples

Offensive Outburst Leads No. 3 Hockey Past Northern Michigan in Regular Season Opener

10/9/2026 11:58:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score

EAST LANSING, Mich. – No. 3-ranked Michigan State hockey opened the regular season with a 6-2 victory over Northern Michigan on Friday night at Munn Ice Arena. Sophomore forward Anthony Romani posted two goals and an assist in the win.

"I liked a lot of what we did," said Michigan State Head Coach Adam Nightingale. "I thought the power play obviously was good. I thought the penalty kill did a really good job, and we took some steps in areas we got to get better as a team."

The Spartans out-shot NMU 42-18 overall with individual period margins of 13-6, 15-8 and 14-4 throughout. Michigan State's power play was clicking at a .500 percent success rate with five goals on 10 chances, and the penalty kill went a perfect 5-for-5.

Romani's three points tied for the team-high alongside sophomore forward Ryker Lee, whose three assists marked a new career-best in both points and assists for a single game. Sophomore forward Eric Nilson and freshman defenseman Chase Reid each tallied two assists, with Nilson's also reaching a new career high.

Goal scorers for Michigan State included junior forward Cullen Potter, sophomore forward Cayden Lindstrom, senior forward Gavin O'Connell, freshman forward Jack Hextall and Romani. Freshmen Tommy Bleyl, Brady Peddle and Ethan Belchetz added a single assist apiece.

Freshman goaltender Joshua Ravensbergern made 16 saves, allowing two goals over 59:46 in net.

How It Happened

Romani got Michigan State on the board just 1:48 into the action after a breakout pass from Peddle bounced off the stick of Belchetz before finding Romani ready for a 1-on-1 opportunity with the Wildcats goalkeeper. The Pickering, Ontario native deked around the Northern Michigan netminder for an easy goal. With MSU on a 5-on-3 power play, Potter took his time firing the perfect shot past the goalie to make it 2-0 Spartans at the 9:33 mark of the first. Lindstrom capped off the first period scoring for Michigan State with a high slot shot through traffic that made it 3-0.

First goal of the 2026 season? Anthony Romani! https://t.co/SFfNsiG18l
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) October 9, 2026

A blocked Spartan shot went back the other way for a breakaway 13:11 into the first period, with Northern Michigan capitalizing to get on the board before the first intermission. The Wildcats pulled within one goal just 40 seconds into the third period, taking advantage of a back door deflection to pull the score to 3-2.

Michigan State was quick to bounce back when Reid fired a shot on goal from the blue line 1:34 into the third period, finding the stick of O'Connell who scored off a deflection of his own. Romani tallied his second goal of the night on a one-timer from the left circle at 12:13. Hextall scored the first of his career from nearly the same spot just three minutes later to provide more insurance for MSU late.

Jack Hextall scores his first as a Spartan! Tommy Bleyl and Eric Nilson on the assists to make it 6-2 https://t.co/VPV3v01iA1
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) October 10, 2026