Michigan State University
Wisconsin
Spartans Fall to Badgers, 4-1
11/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 27, 2010
Madison, Wis. - Sophomore defenseman Justin Schultz recorded a hat trick for the homestanding Badgers, and Wisconsin skated to a 4-1 victory over Michigan State in the final College Hockey Showcase contest for both teams. Zach Golembiewski had the Spartan tally, and Drew Palmisano made 26 saves. MSU is now 5-7-3 overall, and dropped its first non-conference game of the season.
Michigan State played a composed game, generating chances and playing sound, responsible defense in their own end. However, the opportunistic Badgers got good traffic in front of the net and forced the Spartans to settle for a weekend split after a 5-2 win over Minnesota on Friday.
Much like the previous night's game against the Gophers, goals came early in the contest. The home team got on the board first. Blueliner Schultz was able to poke free a puck that a prone Palmisano tried to freeze beneath him, and Schultz redirected it into the net for his fifth of the season.
The Spartans tied the game at 4:11 on the power play. Torey Krug fed the puck from behind the goal line to Zach Golembiewski in the right circle. Golembiewski's shot caromed into the net off the leg of the Badger defender in front, giving the winger his second goal of the season.
Michigan State had a pair of good chances minutes later, as goalie Scott Gudmanson came up with a pad save on a Daultan Leveille breakaway, and Derek Grant's shot sailed just high a minute later.
The Badgers got their second goal of the night on a three-on-one rush, as freshman blueliner Frankie Simonelli rushed the puck up the left side, and shot the puck over the right shoulder of Palmisano for his first collegiate tally.
Wisconsin added to their lead just after the five-minute mark of the second period. A heavily-marked Jordy Murray dropped the puck back for a crashing Schwartz, who sniped it over the blocker hand of Palmisano for his second goal of the night.
The Spartans were getting chances, and Gudmanson came up with some big saves for the Badgers to keep MSU off the board. The next best chances for Wisconsin came at 12:30 of the second, when Grant was sent off for goalie interference on a great scoring chance. The potent Badger power play - which entered the game third in the country at 29.9% - went to work, but MSU stood its ground, as Palmisano came up with two big saves (and got a little help from the post on a third) and the kill unit blocked three shots. The teams went back to full strength until the waning moments of the period - some extracurriculars resulted in a Badger power play that carried 1:37 into the final period.
The Badgers wasted little time utilizing that man advantage in the third. Schultz fired a rocket from the high slot, and a screened Palmisano didn't see the puck as it beat him blocker-side for the third tally of the night for the sophomore blueliner. The scoring chances still came for both teams as the period played out, - including another Badger shot off the post in the waning seconds of a late power play. MSU pressed to the final buzzer, but would get no closer.
The Spartans will be back in action on Friday night at Ferris State in the start of a home-and-home series.
