Spartans Fall in Opener at Colorado College

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado – The Michigan State hockey team dropped the first of a two-game series with Colorado College, 3-1, on Friday night at The Broadmoor World Arena. The Tigers (2-1) scored twice in the opening period and added another goal early in the third, while Mitchell Lewandowski scored late for MSU (1-2).

The Spartans outshot the Tigers, 27-24, including by a 12-7 margin in the third period, but couldn't overcome the early deficit.

"There were some things that were decent, and we did some alright things," MSU head coach Danton Cole said. "But everything was kind of 80 percent right. We make a great play coming out of our zone and then we turn it over at the offensive blue line, or we wouldn't play it hard enough coming out of our zone and turned it over at our blue line.

"I thought in the second and third we pushed pretty hard, but we have to funnel more pucks to the net."

Colorado College used extra-man opportunities to take its 2-0 first-period lead. A delayed MSU penalty allowed the Tigers to get an extra attacker on the ice and they took advantage as Bailey Conger deflected a shot past MSU goaltender Drew DeRidder with just over seven minutes to play in the period.

A major penalty for interference to Jagger Joshua with 3:20 remaining in the first period put the Tigers on the power play for the third time in the stanza. The Spartans kept the Tigers' chances to minimum, but with 15 seconds left in the period, Grant Cruikshank from the right circle scored to make it 2-0.

Colorado College made it 3-0 1:14 into the third off a scramble around the net that resulted in Conger slipping the puck into the net for his second goal of the night.

The Spartans received their first power play of the game 2:50 into the third period and were able to gain some offensive momentum. MSU kept the puck in the Tiger zone for nearly the entire power play and had several quality chances, including a one-timer by Jeard Rosburg from the right point that was labeled for the upper half of the net, but was snagged by a diving goaltender Matt Vernon. Seconds later, Lewandowski rang a shot off the post.

A late Tiger penalty with 1:43 to play put the Spartans back on the power play and MSU capitalized 40 seconds later. Jerad Rosburg got the puck to Nicolas Müller in the right circle, who then sent it across to Lewandowski low in the left circle where he snapped a shot past Vernon.

Vernon finished with 26 saves, while DeRidder had 21.

The teams will meet again on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.

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Team Stats

Mitchell Lewandowski

Nicolas Müller

Jerad Rosburg

Cole Krygier

Players Mentioned

Drew DeRidder

Jagger Joshua

Mitchell Lewandowski

Jerad Rosburg