Michigan State University
4-6-2
North Dakota
11-2-2
Spartans Fall to No. 5 North Dakota, 3-1
11/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
EAST LANSING - Michigan State dropped its first game of a weekend series with No. 5 North Dakota on Friday night, falling to the Fighting Hawks, 3-1, at Munn Ice Arena. North Dakota scored twice in the first period and added a third goal 32 seconds into the second period. Joe Cox jumpstarted the Spartans (4-6-2) when he made it a 3-1 game just past the midway point of the second period, but MSU would come no closer.
"I thought we rebounded from a slow start, but we have to learn to play 60 minutes," said MSU head coach Tom Anastos.
The Spartans put together several quality chances after the Cox goal and finished the period with 13 shots on goal. Neither team generated many prime scoring opportunities in the third as MSU outshot UND, 5-3.
MSU had a pair of power plays near the end of the third period, including one in the final minute that turned into a 6-on-4 with goaltender Jake Hildebrand on the bench, but wasn't able to cut any further into the deficit.
"We'll learn from tonight's game," said Anastos. "We have to play with more poise and more jam - it took us too long to do it tonight."
UND finished with a 30-25 edge in shots on goal.
North Dakota (11-2-2) struck just 1:35 into the opening period on a shot through traffic from the right point by Tucker Poolman.
Drake Caggiula made it 2-0 at the 11:08 mark of the first period, scoring his first of two goals on the night. After a turnover in the MSU zone, Caggiula took the puck and drove into the zone from the left side where he snapped it low past Hildebrand to give North Dakota a 2-0 lead.
The Fighting Hawks added to their lead with another early-period tally, making it 3-0 just 32 seconds into the second stanza. A turnover allowed Nick Schmaltz to gather the puck in the MSU zone and he fed Caggiula for his second goal of the night.
The Spartans were able to break through past the midway point of the second period as Cox and Thomas Ebbing teamed up to convert a 2-on-1. Ebbing started the play by stealing the puck in the neutral zone near the red line on the left side and breaking into the UND Zone. Ebbing dished the puck perfectly over to Cox on the right side, who snapped it just past goaltender Cam Johnson.
The goal was Cox's fifth of the season.
The two teams will meet again on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Munn Ice Arena.
