Spartans Down Miami 3-1

GAME CAPSULE

Michigan State earned a 3-1 victory over visiting Miami on Friday night at Munn Ice Arena.

The win was the second straight for the Spartans (2-1), while Miami dropped its second straight.

Jeremy Davidson had a pair of goals for MSU, while Dennis Cesana had assists on each of the winger's tallies. Jagger Joshua added the insurance goal at 19:34, an empty-netter .

Pierce Charleson made his second straight start ad finished with 28 saves, while counterpart Ludvig Persson had 25.

MSU held a 1-0 lead after the first period, but Miami tied things up midway through the second on a Joe Cassetti tally. The teams remained deadlocked until the final four minutes of the game, when Cesana wrapped around the goalcage and found Davidson alone in the slot for the game-winner.

Miami and Michigan State complete the series on Saturday at Munn Ice Arena in a 7 pm puck drop.

STATISTICS OF NOTE

Jeremy Davidson had two goals, the first multiple-goal game of his career.
Pierce Charleson made 28 saves in his second straight start, and has allowed one goal in each of those games.
Dennis Cesana had assists on both of Davidson's goals.
Jagger Joshua scored his first goal of the season in the final minute of play.

SUPPORTING STORYLINES

The game was the first meeting between the former CCHA conference mates since the 2013 season, the final year of the conference.
With his first period goal, Davidson tied his career point total from his year at UMass in 2019-20 (1g, 2a). In adding the game-winner late in the third, he now has four points (2g, 2a) in his first three Spartan games.
Cesana put up his first multiple-point game of the season.
MSU was outshot 29-28 in the game, and Miami also held an edge in faceoffs (36-30).
MSU welcomed 6,511 fans to the game on Friday night.

GAME SYNOPSIS

FIRST PERIOD: The Spartans had the first power play chance of the game, and didn't let the early opportunity go to waste. Dennis Cesana put a shot on net from high in the slot, and Lewandowski redirected it out to Davidson in the left circle, where he one-timed it past Persson for his first Spartan goal. MSU took a pair of penalties, but killed off both Miami power play chances to keep it a 1-0 game.

SECOND PERIOD: Davidson nearly had his second goal of the night as a bouncing puck served up by the winger from the top of the slot nearly beat Persson around the eight-minute mark, and Kristoff Papp nearly converted just before the halfway point on a breakaway that the goalie held on to. Charleson didn't see his first save of the period until the 11:19 mark, snagging a fluttering offering from the right circle. Miami tied things up at 1-1 at the 11:36 mark, slipping a backhander past Charles for his second goal of the season.

THIRD PERIOD: The Spartans had more than three minutes of man advantage to start the period, as a carryover penalty led to a delayed call against the Red Hawks in the first minute of the third. MSU had its chances, but could not convert; an interference call on Christian Krygier at the midpoint of the frame gave Miami a fourth power play chance but with no payoff, As time was winding down in the period, MSU was buzzing in the offensive zone. Cesana drove to the net with the puck, held it and wrapped around behind the goalcage, came out on the left side and found Davidson in the low slot for the winger's second goal of the night. Jagger Joshua potted the empty netter for his first marker of the season, carrying the puck as well as a defender on his hip into the offensive zone to score the insurance tally.

Next Event

Team Stats

Jeremy Davidson

Dennis Cesana

Jagger Joshua

Kristof Papp

Players Mentioned

Dennis Cesana

Pierce Charleson

Jeremy Davidson

Jagger Joshua

Christian Krygier

Players Mentioned

Dennis Cesana

Pierce Charleson

Jeremy Davidson

Jagger Joshua

Christian Krygier