Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
7-9-1 (1-7-1-1)
Michigan
7-6-2 (3-4-2-1)
Spartans Drop Series Opener With Michigan
12/7/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
ANN ARBOR - The Michigan State hockey team lost the opener of a two-game series with Michigan on Thursday night at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, falling 4-0. The two teams will meet again on Friday at Munn at 7:05 p.m.
"Give them credit, we didn't do a good job of breaking out and coming through the neutral zone. Our support on entering the zone wasn't very good either," MSU head coach Danton Cole said. "It made it hard for us and if you're not committed to getting pucks in, getting by defensemen and playing a certain way then we'll have trouble."
The Spartans (7-9-1, 1-7-1-1 Big Ten) tested the Wolverines early with the best chance coming from Logan Lambdin just over a minute into the game. Lambdin made a move around a U-M defenseman at the left circle, deked to his forehand, but goaltender Hayden Lavigne got his right pad on the shot.
It looked like Michigan State would have a quality opportunity to get the game's first goal with a 5-on-3 power play in the early stages of the second period. Instead, a Spartan penalty late in the two-man advantage nullified the remainder of the power play and the Wolverines got on the board. Joseph Cecconi got the puck at the right point and let a slap shot go that Josh Norris tipped past John Lethemon from the high slot at the 7:38 mark.
"All of a sudden instead of getting one, they score and it's 1-0," Cole said. "So that's unfortunate, but I still think we weren't playing well."
Tony Calderone got his first of three goals on the night with five minutes to play in the period as he took control of the puck alone in front of Lethemon and scored on a backhander to make it 2-0 Michigan (7-6-2, 3-4-2-1).
The Spartans had a pair of good chances in a short span just over seven minutes into the third period, but Lavigne denied both opportunities. The goaltender first stopped Austin Kamer, who got in one-on-one from in close, and then a rebound attempt by Patrick Khodorenko with his right pad.
Calderone put the Spartans in a 3-0 hole at the 10:14 mark of the third, finishing off a 2-on-1. He got his third goal of the night with 3:28 to play.
Lethemon finished with 25 saves in goal for the Spartans.
MSU went 0-for-5 on the power play while U-M was 1-for-4.
Fans attending Friday's game at Munn are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate as part of the Michigan Education Trust (MET) Toy Collection. Toys will be collected at the entrances of Munn.
