Photo by: Rey Del Rio/MSU Athletic Communications
Neil’s Notebook: Spartans Stymied in Series Finale at NMU
10/13/2019 9:24:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
By Neil Koepke
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
MARQUETTE – Michigan State players and coaches are confident that this season's Spartans will better offensively, creating more scoring chances and scoring more goals.
They believe there's better skill, more depth and experience on this team and it will show up on the scoreboard.
Unfortunately, Saturday was not one of those nights.
In a very winnable game, Michigan State couldn't get many pucks on the net and none into the net and skated off with a disappointing 2-0 loss to Northern Michigan and a missed opportunity to sweep the non-conference series in front of a sellout crowd at the Berry Events Center.
Instead, with not many quality chances and only 15 shots on goal, the Spartans had to settle for a split, one night after a solid, well-earned 5-3 victory in the regular-season opener.
MSU forwards had trouble finding ways to get open in and around the net and defensemen couldn't get pucks through from the points. The Spartans had several shots go wide or over the net and too many blocked by the energetic Wildcats.
"It was a tough game for us, not being able to make plays with each other,'' MSU senior center Patrick Khodorenko said. "We didn't come out with the pace that we wanted and they were a bit more energized. We couldn't get our shots off. They were blocking shots, getting sticks on pucks.''
NMU freshman goalie John Hawthorne, making his first collegiate start, didn't have to make any spectacular saves and few of his stops led to rebounds. Of his 15 saves, eight came from MSU defensemen and only seven from 13 forwards.
Khodorenko's line with Mitchell Lewandowski and Nicolas Müller had one shot on goal. The Josh Nodler-Sam Saliba-Jagger Joshua unit did not have any shots on goal. The Tommy Apap-Brody Stevens-Jake Smith line had three shots – two by Apap and one by Stevens.
Most of the eight shots by Spartan defensemen (Dennis Cesana 2, Jerad Rosburg 2, Cole Krygier 2, Christian Krygier 1 and Tommy Miller 1) came from far out and few were dangerous.
"You have to give Northern credit. They played well defensively,'' senior co-captain Saliba said. "But we have to shoot more and go to the net more and get more traffic around the net. We ended up with 14 or 15 shots. We have to double that.
"It's frustrating. We didn't deserve the extra bounces with the way we played. It was a slow start on the second night of a series, and we got behind the eight-ball and had to play catchup. We had a better second period but you can't come out like that, knowing they're going to be coming out harder. We didn't match them.''
Michigan State had only three shots on goal in the first period and fell behind midway through the period when the Wildcats scored off a nice passing play that set up an open shot from the slot only seconds before their power-play expired. Griffin Loughran converted defenseman's Philip Beaulieu's pass into the slot at 12:28 for the game-winning goal.
NMU maintained its 1-0 lead deep into the third period and wrapped up the victory on a fluke goal by Vincent de Mey at 18:01. From outside the blue line on the right wing, de Mey flipped the puck high into the air and it sailed over the catching glove of MSU goalie Drew DeRidder and landed behind him and into the net.
The Spartans failed to convert on five power plays. The Wildcats were 1-for-4.
One of MSU's best chances came in the second period when Stevens broke in alone but his shot from close on went over the net.
The Spartans actually put the puck in the net the third period – by Apap with a backhander from close in – but the goal was disallowed because the net was dislodged before the puck went in. Apap was knocked into goalie John Hawthorne and the net was knocked off its moorings. The referees reviewed the play and the call on the ice stood as no goal.
"I like our team. I think it's a good team,'' Saliba said. "We're deep, we have experience. We have to remember to stick to our game plan. It's about consistency.''
Michigan State coach Danton Cole didn't like his team's energy early on and felt the forwards and defense seldom were in sync in the offensive zone.
"We finally got our energy going but sometimes it's just too late, and (Northern) did a good job of blocking shots and playing desperate the rest of the way,'' he said. "Quality shots – not enough. We got our forwards (eventually) to do a good job and they were generating pucks from low to high, but our defensemen had time but they weren't able to get pucks through.
"We're going to spend the next two weeks, before we head out to Colorado College, working on that. If teams pack it in, which most do, offensive is generated from that, and we weren't good enough with it tonight.
MSU had a few grade A chances but rarely found rebounds or sustained pressure in the offensive zone.
"Part of that is the D not getting pucks through or the forwards not working (down low),'' Cole said. "We had some chances but they were able to get sticks on pucks.''
Northern Michigan played with more pace but it didn't have that many high-quality chances either, and seemed content to play a defensive game and win a 1-0 game.
"It was a fairly low-chance game,'' Cole said. "I give Northern credit. They played hard and defended well. They had the jump in the first period and once we got our legs going it was fairly even after that.
"We have to be more desperate with the puck. I thought a couple of guys that needed to have better games didn't. We took a retaliation penalty in the third period which is inexcusable and it will be addressed.''
UP NEXT: The Spartans play another exhibition game next weekend against the U.S. Under-18 team at 7 p.m. on Friday at Munn Arena. Michigan State resumes regular-season play with a non-conference series at Colorado College, Oct. 25-26. Northern Michigan heads to Boston next weekend to play a non-conference series at Boston University on Friday and Saturday.
BRIGHT SPOT: Sophomore goalie Drew DeRidder made one mistake during his first start of the season and it came on the fluky, long-shot goal by NMU in the last two minutes. But other than that misplay, DeRidder played well in making 24 saves (10-7-7) and keeping the Spartans in position for a come-from-behind victory.
DeRidder had no chance on NMU's power-play goal midway through the first period. He then kept his team within one goal with strong goaltending during stretches when the Wildcats threatened.
"He played well. That last goal, it is what it is, and that's unfortunate for him because he played very well tonight,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said. "We were pressing a bit at times and we gave them some two-on-ones and he made some nice saves. He put us in position to win. We have to do more for him.''
IN THE BIG TEN: Wisconsin earned a split of their two-game visit to Boston with a 11-5 blitzing of Merrimack on Saturday. The No. 16/15 Badgers actually trailed 3-2 early in the second period and then erupted for eight consecutive goals – six during a 10-minute stretch in the second period and two early in the third to take a 10-3 lead. Freshman forwards Cole Caufield and Alex Turcotte and junior defenseman K'Andre Miller each scored two goals for the Badgers, who lost 5-3 at Boston College on Friday.
No. 13/10 Penn State completed a sweep of Sacred Heart with a 5-4 win on Saturday. The Nittany Lions rolled to an 8-2 victory in the series opener on Friday.
No. 11/11 Clarkson defeated Michigan, 3-1, on Saturday, after the teams played to a 1-1 tied in the series opener on Friday.
Minnesota earned a split of its non-conference series at Colorado College with a come-from-behind 4-3 victory on Saturday. The Tigers held a 2-0 lead after the first period but the teams were tied 3-3 heading into the third period. Blake McLaughlin scored the game-winner 10 minutes into the third period for the Gophers. On Friday, Colorado College rallied from a 1-0 deficit to top the Gophers, 3-2.
No. 12/14 Ohio State captured the Ice Breaker Championship with a 3-1 win over RIT on Saturday in Toledo. The Buckeyes (1-0-1) tied Western Michigan 2-2 in the Ice Breaker semifinals and won the shootout 2-0 on Friday to advance to the championship game against RIT, which defeated No. 17 Bowling Green, 3-2 in overtime, in Friday's second semifinal.
No. 8/9 Notre Dame and Air Force complete their non-conference series on Sunday afternoon in South Bend. The Irish won the series opener, 4-3.
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
MARQUETTE – Michigan State players and coaches are confident that this season's Spartans will better offensively, creating more scoring chances and scoring more goals.
They believe there's better skill, more depth and experience on this team and it will show up on the scoreboard.
Unfortunately, Saturday was not one of those nights.
In a very winnable game, Michigan State couldn't get many pucks on the net and none into the net and skated off with a disappointing 2-0 loss to Northern Michigan and a missed opportunity to sweep the non-conference series in front of a sellout crowd at the Berry Events Center.
Instead, with not many quality chances and only 15 shots on goal, the Spartans had to settle for a split, one night after a solid, well-earned 5-3 victory in the regular-season opener.
MSU forwards had trouble finding ways to get open in and around the net and defensemen couldn't get pucks through from the points. The Spartans had several shots go wide or over the net and too many blocked by the energetic Wildcats.
"It was a tough game for us, not being able to make plays with each other,'' MSU senior center Patrick Khodorenko said. "We didn't come out with the pace that we wanted and they were a bit more energized. We couldn't get our shots off. They were blocking shots, getting sticks on pucks.''
NMU freshman goalie John Hawthorne, making his first collegiate start, didn't have to make any spectacular saves and few of his stops led to rebounds. Of his 15 saves, eight came from MSU defensemen and only seven from 13 forwards.
Khodorenko's line with Mitchell Lewandowski and Nicolas Müller had one shot on goal. The Josh Nodler-Sam Saliba-Jagger Joshua unit did not have any shots on goal. The Tommy Apap-Brody Stevens-Jake Smith line had three shots – two by Apap and one by Stevens.
Most of the eight shots by Spartan defensemen (Dennis Cesana 2, Jerad Rosburg 2, Cole Krygier 2, Christian Krygier 1 and Tommy Miller 1) came from far out and few were dangerous.
"You have to give Northern credit. They played well defensively,'' senior co-captain Saliba said. "But we have to shoot more and go to the net more and get more traffic around the net. We ended up with 14 or 15 shots. We have to double that.
"It's frustrating. We didn't deserve the extra bounces with the way we played. It was a slow start on the second night of a series, and we got behind the eight-ball and had to play catchup. We had a better second period but you can't come out like that, knowing they're going to be coming out harder. We didn't match them.''
Michigan State had only three shots on goal in the first period and fell behind midway through the period when the Wildcats scored off a nice passing play that set up an open shot from the slot only seconds before their power-play expired. Griffin Loughran converted defenseman's Philip Beaulieu's pass into the slot at 12:28 for the game-winning goal.
NMU maintained its 1-0 lead deep into the third period and wrapped up the victory on a fluke goal by Vincent de Mey at 18:01. From outside the blue line on the right wing, de Mey flipped the puck high into the air and it sailed over the catching glove of MSU goalie Drew DeRidder and landed behind him and into the net.
The Spartans failed to convert on five power plays. The Wildcats were 1-for-4.
One of MSU's best chances came in the second period when Stevens broke in alone but his shot from close on went over the net.
The Spartans actually put the puck in the net the third period – by Apap with a backhander from close in – but the goal was disallowed because the net was dislodged before the puck went in. Apap was knocked into goalie John Hawthorne and the net was knocked off its moorings. The referees reviewed the play and the call on the ice stood as no goal.
"I like our team. I think it's a good team,'' Saliba said. "We're deep, we have experience. We have to remember to stick to our game plan. It's about consistency.''
Michigan State coach Danton Cole didn't like his team's energy early on and felt the forwards and defense seldom were in sync in the offensive zone.
"We finally got our energy going but sometimes it's just too late, and (Northern) did a good job of blocking shots and playing desperate the rest of the way,'' he said. "Quality shots – not enough. We got our forwards (eventually) to do a good job and they were generating pucks from low to high, but our defensemen had time but they weren't able to get pucks through.
"We're going to spend the next two weeks, before we head out to Colorado College, working on that. If teams pack it in, which most do, offensive is generated from that, and we weren't good enough with it tonight.
MSU had a few grade A chances but rarely found rebounds or sustained pressure in the offensive zone.
"Part of that is the D not getting pucks through or the forwards not working (down low),'' Cole said. "We had some chances but they were able to get sticks on pucks.''
Northern Michigan played with more pace but it didn't have that many high-quality chances either, and seemed content to play a defensive game and win a 1-0 game.
"It was a fairly low-chance game,'' Cole said. "I give Northern credit. They played hard and defended well. They had the jump in the first period and once we got our legs going it was fairly even after that.
"We have to be more desperate with the puck. I thought a couple of guys that needed to have better games didn't. We took a retaliation penalty in the third period which is inexcusable and it will be addressed.''
UP NEXT: The Spartans play another exhibition game next weekend against the U.S. Under-18 team at 7 p.m. on Friday at Munn Arena. Michigan State resumes regular-season play with a non-conference series at Colorado College, Oct. 25-26. Northern Michigan heads to Boston next weekend to play a non-conference series at Boston University on Friday and Saturday.
BRIGHT SPOT: Sophomore goalie Drew DeRidder made one mistake during his first start of the season and it came on the fluky, long-shot goal by NMU in the last two minutes. But other than that misplay, DeRidder played well in making 24 saves (10-7-7) and keeping the Spartans in position for a come-from-behind victory.
DeRidder had no chance on NMU's power-play goal midway through the first period. He then kept his team within one goal with strong goaltending during stretches when the Wildcats threatened.
"He played well. That last goal, it is what it is, and that's unfortunate for him because he played very well tonight,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said. "We were pressing a bit at times and we gave them some two-on-ones and he made some nice saves. He put us in position to win. We have to do more for him.''
IN THE BIG TEN: Wisconsin earned a split of their two-game visit to Boston with a 11-5 blitzing of Merrimack on Saturday. The No. 16/15 Badgers actually trailed 3-2 early in the second period and then erupted for eight consecutive goals – six during a 10-minute stretch in the second period and two early in the third to take a 10-3 lead. Freshman forwards Cole Caufield and Alex Turcotte and junior defenseman K'Andre Miller each scored two goals for the Badgers, who lost 5-3 at Boston College on Friday.
No. 13/10 Penn State completed a sweep of Sacred Heart with a 5-4 win on Saturday. The Nittany Lions rolled to an 8-2 victory in the series opener on Friday.
No. 11/11 Clarkson defeated Michigan, 3-1, on Saturday, after the teams played to a 1-1 tied in the series opener on Friday.
Minnesota earned a split of its non-conference series at Colorado College with a come-from-behind 4-3 victory on Saturday. The Tigers held a 2-0 lead after the first period but the teams were tied 3-3 heading into the third period. Blake McLaughlin scored the game-winner 10 minutes into the third period for the Gophers. On Friday, Colorado College rallied from a 1-0 deficit to top the Gophers, 3-2.
No. 12/14 Ohio State captured the Ice Breaker Championship with a 3-1 win over RIT on Saturday in Toledo. The Buckeyes (1-0-1) tied Western Michigan 2-2 in the Ice Breaker semifinals and won the shootout 2-0 on Friday to advance to the championship game against RIT, which defeated No. 17 Bowling Green, 3-2 in overtime, in Friday's second semifinal.
No. 8/9 Notre Dame and Air Force complete their non-conference series on Sunday afternoon in South Bend. The Irish won the series opener, 4-3.
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