Michigan State University Athletics
Neil's Notebook: Spartans Eager for Quick Turnaround
11/10/2021 9:48:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
By Neil Koepke, MSUSpartans.com staff writer
ALSO: MSU-Ferris State Preview
EAST LANSING – Three weeks ago, Michigan State was riding high with a three-game winning streak. That was a fun stretch and smiles were plentiful.
But things can change quickly in college hockey.
The Spartans are now dealing with a three-game losing streak. That's not fun and there are few smiles.
But it's early in the season and there's plenty of opportunities to learn from mistakes, play with consistency and get back on the winning track.
Michigan State is eager for a quick turnaround – and to keep it going – as it returns to non-conference play this week with a home-and-home series with Ferris State.
The Spartans (4-5-1 overall, 1-3-0-0-0-0 Big Ten) plays host to the Bulldogs (4-6-0, 2-2-0 CCHA) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Munn Arena, and at 7 p.m. Saturday at Ewigleben Arena in Big Rapids.
MSU is coming off two losses against Michigan – 7-2 on Friday in Ann Arbor and 3-2 on Saturday at Munn Arena.
"At the start of the year, we had some good out-of-conference games with teams we haven't see before and they were fast and hard hitting,'' MSU senior defenseman Cole Krygier said. "Last weekend, we had more of a skilled team that we gave chances in small areas and they capitalized on those.
"To get back at it, we have to start finalizing those little details that everyone has to do every game and bring the intensity. We had a lot of sore guys after last weekend so that was good. The guys were bumping and banging, and as that carries on, we'll find our game in the sense of being more physical, getting pucks deep, forechecking harder, and then we'll find success.''
MSU coach Danton Cole said he saw several things in his team's play last Saturday which can help in establishing the identity of the team.
"You move through a season and you learn some things, and you try to go from game to game. There are some things that we did OK on Friday that we did really well on Saturday, and some things we didn't do well Friday that we addressed and did better on Saturday,'' Cole said.
"In terms of moving forward, there's a good bit that we can take out of some of the things we did Saturday against a very good team. We'll try to keep improving on that. I did like the way the guys worked Saturday. They did some things pressure-wise, found a gear and accomplished some things – just about everything other than getting a win.''
The Spartans fell behind 3-0 in the first period but lifted their game in the second and third periods with better puck control, rushes into the offensive zone and won some battles in the corners and along the boards. They rallied with a goal late in the second period and one early in the third period and pressured Michigan right to the end.
"You have to figure out what kind of team you want to become and work toward that,'' Cole said. "Leaving the rink (on Saturday), there's some things that got through to some guys and what they can accomplish when we play the way want to play.
"We've been looking for that kind of identity - what we're going to be as a team and how we're going to have success. If nothing else, we've moved down that line a bit.''
In Ferris State, the Spartans are facing a vastly improved team from last season when the Bulldogs won only one game, finishing with records of 1-23-1 overall and 0-13-1 in the final season of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
Now in the new Central Collegiate Hockey Association, Ferris State pulled off the biggest upset in college hockey thus far this season with a 2-1 victory over then-No. 2 Minnesota State last Friday in Big Rapids. In the series finale, FSU trailed 2-1 late in the second period before the Mavericks (7-3-0, 3-1-0 CCHA) pulled away for a 5-1 victory.
"Look at them last weekend. They played the No. 2 team in the country and played them even and beat them the first night,'' Cole said. "(FSU coach) Bobby Daniels always does a nice job. Their teams work hard, defend well and make you earn everything you're going to get.
"They're really tough there. It's a different type of rink. The game tends to be a little different there. I just think it feels closed in with the low ceiling and the way the end of the rink is set up. It's always been a tough place to play. That's a credit to them.''
Ewigleben Arena seats 2,490 and it's usually sold out for games with Michigan State and Michigan. It feels like the crowd is right on top of the players and the fans really get into it, especially in a physically tough, back-and-forth type of game.
In the weeks ahead, and with the likes of Wisconsin, Penn State and Notre Dame coming up before the holiday break, the Spartans will emphasize consistency – playing at a high level and the way they believe they can play to have success.
"Regardless of the team you have, that's what you want to get to,'' Cole said. "You want to raise the bar to a certain level through practice and games to where this is our minimum – this is how we play all the time. And you elevate from there.
"There were things we did on Saturday that maybe showed ourselves that if we play this way, we can do some pretty good things.''
THE RIVALRY: The Spartans and Bulldogs have played 128 times, and Michigan State has won 75 games, lost 38, and 15 contests ended in a tie. In the first two games of the rivalry, Ferris State swept the Spartans on Dec. 7-8, 1979. The Bulldogs won 6-3 at Munn Arena and 4-3 in overtime in Big Rapids.
The last time these teams met was in the Great Lakes Invitational Tournament at Little Caesars Arena in 2019, with Michigan State winning, 5-2. Meanwhile, the last two-game series was played in 2018. The Spartans won 5-3 at Munn Arena on Nov. 2, and the Bulldogs held serve, winning 4-1 in Big Rapids on Nov 3.
MSU is 4-1 in the last five meetings with Ferris State and 7-3 in the last 10.
BULLDOG NEMESIS: Not many Spartans have played a lot of games against Ferris State. Mitchell Lewandowski, a fifth-year senior, has played five games against the Bulldogs as a freshman, sophomore and junior. He's played two games in Big Rapids.
But the Spartan who has the most experience against Ferris State is junior transfer Griffin Loughran, who spent the last three season at Northern Michigan. The 5-foot-6, 145-pound right wing is 9-0 vs. the Bulldogs and has eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points. He has four 3-point games, two 2-point games and two 1-pointers.
Lewandowski has four goals and four assists for eight points in five games against Ferris State.
MSU seniors Dennis Cesana, Cole Krygier, Christian Krygier and Adam Goodsir have played in three games vs. FSU, one at home, one on the road and one in Detroit.
Drew DeRidder has faced the Bulldogs one time – a 4-1 loss in Big Rapids. Senior Mitchell Mattson has played in one game - the 5-3 win at Munn Arena in 2018.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS: Ferris State is coming off a miserable season in Covid-19 impacted 2020-21. The Bulldogs went 1-23-1 with their only victory against Division 3 Trine University. This season, FSU is off to a positive start.
The Bulldogs opened the season with a non-conference split with Miami and two non-league losses against Western Michigan. In CCHA, play FSU has split three series – at St. Thomas University, at Canisius and home against CCHA power Minnesota State, now ranked No. 3 in both polls.
Forwards Liam MacDougall, a fifth-year senior, and junior Dallas Tulik share the team scoring lead, each with three goals and six assists for nine points in 10 games. Freshman Bradley Marek is third with a team-leading five goals and two assists for seven points.
Other key forwards include senior Jake Transit (2-3-5), senior Justin Michaelian (1-4-5), sophomore Stepan Pokorny (1-3-4) and Marshall Moise (2-1-3), also a fifth-year senior.
In goal, sophomore Logan Stein has played in eight games, has a 3-5-0 record, with a 3.50 goals-against average and a .887 saves percentage. He's started the majority of games while senior Roni Salmenkangas recovered from an injury. But Salmenkangas has returned and he played in FSU's 5-1 loss to Minnesota State last Saturday. He's 1-1, with a 3.50 GAA and a .879 saves percentage.
Ferris State is averaging 2.50 goals per game but is averaging 3.60 goals against. The Bulldogs' power play is converting at 13.3% (6-for-45), while their penalty killing is at 80.4% (45-for-56).
Coach Bob Daniels, a 1982 Michigan State graduate, is in his 30th season at Ferris State. He has a career record of 466-544-107. Daniels, 62, has led the Bulldogs to four appearances in the NCAA Tournament – 2002-03, 2011-12, 2013-14 and 2015-16. The Bulldogs advanced to the 2002-03 Frozen Four championship game, losing to Boston College, 4-1, in Tampa.
TWINS VS. TWINS: Michigan State and Ferris State both have seniors who are fraternal twins and are from the western Detroit suburbs.
The Spartans have the Krygier twins – Cole and Christian, both defensemen from Novi.
Ferris State is in its first season with twins Justin Michaelian, a forward, and Brendon Michaelian, a defenseman. They're from Wixom. Justin is in his fourth season at FSU while Brendon transferred from Robert Morris, which dropped men's and women's hockey in late May.
The Krygier twins turned 21 on May 5. The Michaelian twins will be 24-year-old on Dec. 7.
MAKING AN IMPACT: In MSU's two losses to Michigan last week, Coach Danton Cole had praise for a few players who played well who are under the radar.
"On Saturday, there were a few guys. Cole Krygier scored on Friday but I thought he had a good weekend and did some things tremendously well in terms of breaking out pucks, defending and being physical,'' Cole said. "It was just a good all-around weekend for him.
"Up front, we have some guys just getting into the Big Ten and that it's playoff hockey every weekend. I thought Josh Nodler's line, with (Erik) Middendorf and (Griffin) Loughran, did a good job and applied some pressure.''
The Spartans' coach had praise for junior left wing Jagger Joshua and sophomore defenseman Aiden Gallagher.
"Jagger Joshua had one of his best games on Saturday,'' Cole said. "He's an emotional leader and if he plays that way, he can drive a lot of things for us. He was a threat offensively, he was a physical force defensively and did a great job killing penalties all weekend. He can be a difference maker.''
Cole said Gallacher had his best weekend of the season.
"He extended his minutes, probably double what he'd be getting in the last few games,'' he said. "He was solid. We always want success to be 'I'm here right now and this is where I want to be.' The reality of life is it's never like that.
"There's peaks and valleys and working through it, you want that trend to be up. Aiden has battled through a couple of things but we know he's going to be a good player.''
TEAM STATS: Josh Nodler has taken over the MSU scoring lead with three goals and five assists for eight points in 10 games. Mitchell Lewandowski, who's missed the last five games with an injury, is tied for second with Griffin Loughran with seven points apiece. Lewandowski has three goals and four assists in seven games while Loughran also has three goals and four assists, but he's played in all 10 games.
MSU's power play still ranks fourth in the Big Ten despite not scoring a man advantage goal against Michigan. The Spartans have scored seven power-play goals in 31 opportunities for 22.6% efficiency. Michigan State has killed 31 of 37 power plays by its opponents (83.8%).
Goalie Drew DeRidder ranks 11th in the nation with a .935 saves percentage. DeRidder, who has played three of the last four games, has a 2.30 goals-against average.
IN THE BIG TEN: No. 2/2 Michigan takes to the road for two games at No. 19 Penn State on Thursday and Friday. The Wolverines (8-2-0, 3-1-0-0-0-0) Big Ten) are coming off a sweep of Michigan State, while the Nittany Lions (7-3-0, 0-2-0-0-0-0) were swept at Ohio State.
The No. 18/14 Buckeyes (6-2, 3-1-0-0-0-0) are on the road in Minneapolis to face No. 6/8 Minnesota (6-4-0, 3-1-1-0-1-0) on Friday and Saturday. The Gophers split a series at Wisconsin last weekend.
In the other Big Ten matchup, No. 15/15 Notre Dame plays host to Wisconsin (4-6-0, 2-2-1-1-0) on Friday and Saturday. The Irish (6-3-0, 0-2-0-0-0-0) last week swept a non-conference series with Holy Cross.
In Big Ten overall scoring, Michigan's Kent Johnson leads with 14 points – four goals and 10 assists – in 10 games. Minnesota's Blake McLaughlin is second with three goals and 10 assists for 13 points, also in 10 games.
ALSO: MSU-Ferris State Preview
EAST LANSING – Three weeks ago, Michigan State was riding high with a three-game winning streak. That was a fun stretch and smiles were plentiful.
But things can change quickly in college hockey.
The Spartans are now dealing with a three-game losing streak. That's not fun and there are few smiles.
But it's early in the season and there's plenty of opportunities to learn from mistakes, play with consistency and get back on the winning track.
Michigan State is eager for a quick turnaround – and to keep it going – as it returns to non-conference play this week with a home-and-home series with Ferris State.
The Spartans (4-5-1 overall, 1-3-0-0-0-0 Big Ten) plays host to the Bulldogs (4-6-0, 2-2-0 CCHA) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Munn Arena, and at 7 p.m. Saturday at Ewigleben Arena in Big Rapids.
MSU is coming off two losses against Michigan – 7-2 on Friday in Ann Arbor and 3-2 on Saturday at Munn Arena.
"At the start of the year, we had some good out-of-conference games with teams we haven't see before and they were fast and hard hitting,'' MSU senior defenseman Cole Krygier said. "Last weekend, we had more of a skilled team that we gave chances in small areas and they capitalized on those.
"To get back at it, we have to start finalizing those little details that everyone has to do every game and bring the intensity. We had a lot of sore guys after last weekend so that was good. The guys were bumping and banging, and as that carries on, we'll find our game in the sense of being more physical, getting pucks deep, forechecking harder, and then we'll find success.''
MSU coach Danton Cole said he saw several things in his team's play last Saturday which can help in establishing the identity of the team.
"You move through a season and you learn some things, and you try to go from game to game. There are some things that we did OK on Friday that we did really well on Saturday, and some things we didn't do well Friday that we addressed and did better on Saturday,'' Cole said.
"In terms of moving forward, there's a good bit that we can take out of some of the things we did Saturday against a very good team. We'll try to keep improving on that. I did like the way the guys worked Saturday. They did some things pressure-wise, found a gear and accomplished some things – just about everything other than getting a win.''
The Spartans fell behind 3-0 in the first period but lifted their game in the second and third periods with better puck control, rushes into the offensive zone and won some battles in the corners and along the boards. They rallied with a goal late in the second period and one early in the third period and pressured Michigan right to the end.
"You have to figure out what kind of team you want to become and work toward that,'' Cole said. "Leaving the rink (on Saturday), there's some things that got through to some guys and what they can accomplish when we play the way want to play.
"We've been looking for that kind of identity - what we're going to be as a team and how we're going to have success. If nothing else, we've moved down that line a bit.''
In Ferris State, the Spartans are facing a vastly improved team from last season when the Bulldogs won only one game, finishing with records of 1-23-1 overall and 0-13-1 in the final season of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
Now in the new Central Collegiate Hockey Association, Ferris State pulled off the biggest upset in college hockey thus far this season with a 2-1 victory over then-No. 2 Minnesota State last Friday in Big Rapids. In the series finale, FSU trailed 2-1 late in the second period before the Mavericks (7-3-0, 3-1-0 CCHA) pulled away for a 5-1 victory.
"Look at them last weekend. They played the No. 2 team in the country and played them even and beat them the first night,'' Cole said. "(FSU coach) Bobby Daniels always does a nice job. Their teams work hard, defend well and make you earn everything you're going to get.
"They're really tough there. It's a different type of rink. The game tends to be a little different there. I just think it feels closed in with the low ceiling and the way the end of the rink is set up. It's always been a tough place to play. That's a credit to them.''
Ewigleben Arena seats 2,490 and it's usually sold out for games with Michigan State and Michigan. It feels like the crowd is right on top of the players and the fans really get into it, especially in a physically tough, back-and-forth type of game.
In the weeks ahead, and with the likes of Wisconsin, Penn State and Notre Dame coming up before the holiday break, the Spartans will emphasize consistency – playing at a high level and the way they believe they can play to have success.
"Regardless of the team you have, that's what you want to get to,'' Cole said. "You want to raise the bar to a certain level through practice and games to where this is our minimum – this is how we play all the time. And you elevate from there.
"There were things we did on Saturday that maybe showed ourselves that if we play this way, we can do some pretty good things.''
THE RIVALRY: The Spartans and Bulldogs have played 128 times, and Michigan State has won 75 games, lost 38, and 15 contests ended in a tie. In the first two games of the rivalry, Ferris State swept the Spartans on Dec. 7-8, 1979. The Bulldogs won 6-3 at Munn Arena and 4-3 in overtime in Big Rapids.
The last time these teams met was in the Great Lakes Invitational Tournament at Little Caesars Arena in 2019, with Michigan State winning, 5-2. Meanwhile, the last two-game series was played in 2018. The Spartans won 5-3 at Munn Arena on Nov. 2, and the Bulldogs held serve, winning 4-1 in Big Rapids on Nov 3.
MSU is 4-1 in the last five meetings with Ferris State and 7-3 in the last 10.
BULLDOG NEMESIS: Not many Spartans have played a lot of games against Ferris State. Mitchell Lewandowski, a fifth-year senior, has played five games against the Bulldogs as a freshman, sophomore and junior. He's played two games in Big Rapids.
But the Spartan who has the most experience against Ferris State is junior transfer Griffin Loughran, who spent the last three season at Northern Michigan. The 5-foot-6, 145-pound right wing is 9-0 vs. the Bulldogs and has eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points. He has four 3-point games, two 2-point games and two 1-pointers.
Lewandowski has four goals and four assists for eight points in five games against Ferris State.
MSU seniors Dennis Cesana, Cole Krygier, Christian Krygier and Adam Goodsir have played in three games vs. FSU, one at home, one on the road and one in Detroit.
Drew DeRidder has faced the Bulldogs one time – a 4-1 loss in Big Rapids. Senior Mitchell Mattson has played in one game - the 5-3 win at Munn Arena in 2018.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS: Ferris State is coming off a miserable season in Covid-19 impacted 2020-21. The Bulldogs went 1-23-1 with their only victory against Division 3 Trine University. This season, FSU is off to a positive start.
The Bulldogs opened the season with a non-conference split with Miami and two non-league losses against Western Michigan. In CCHA, play FSU has split three series – at St. Thomas University, at Canisius and home against CCHA power Minnesota State, now ranked No. 3 in both polls.
Forwards Liam MacDougall, a fifth-year senior, and junior Dallas Tulik share the team scoring lead, each with three goals and six assists for nine points in 10 games. Freshman Bradley Marek is third with a team-leading five goals and two assists for seven points.
Other key forwards include senior Jake Transit (2-3-5), senior Justin Michaelian (1-4-5), sophomore Stepan Pokorny (1-3-4) and Marshall Moise (2-1-3), also a fifth-year senior.
In goal, sophomore Logan Stein has played in eight games, has a 3-5-0 record, with a 3.50 goals-against average and a .887 saves percentage. He's started the majority of games while senior Roni Salmenkangas recovered from an injury. But Salmenkangas has returned and he played in FSU's 5-1 loss to Minnesota State last Saturday. He's 1-1, with a 3.50 GAA and a .879 saves percentage.
Ferris State is averaging 2.50 goals per game but is averaging 3.60 goals against. The Bulldogs' power play is converting at 13.3% (6-for-45), while their penalty killing is at 80.4% (45-for-56).
Coach Bob Daniels, a 1982 Michigan State graduate, is in his 30th season at Ferris State. He has a career record of 466-544-107. Daniels, 62, has led the Bulldogs to four appearances in the NCAA Tournament – 2002-03, 2011-12, 2013-14 and 2015-16. The Bulldogs advanced to the 2002-03 Frozen Four championship game, losing to Boston College, 4-1, in Tampa.
TWINS VS. TWINS: Michigan State and Ferris State both have seniors who are fraternal twins and are from the western Detroit suburbs.
The Spartans have the Krygier twins – Cole and Christian, both defensemen from Novi.
Ferris State is in its first season with twins Justin Michaelian, a forward, and Brendon Michaelian, a defenseman. They're from Wixom. Justin is in his fourth season at FSU while Brendon transferred from Robert Morris, which dropped men's and women's hockey in late May.
The Krygier twins turned 21 on May 5. The Michaelian twins will be 24-year-old on Dec. 7.
MAKING AN IMPACT: In MSU's two losses to Michigan last week, Coach Danton Cole had praise for a few players who played well who are under the radar.
"On Saturday, there were a few guys. Cole Krygier scored on Friday but I thought he had a good weekend and did some things tremendously well in terms of breaking out pucks, defending and being physical,'' Cole said. "It was just a good all-around weekend for him.
"Up front, we have some guys just getting into the Big Ten and that it's playoff hockey every weekend. I thought Josh Nodler's line, with (Erik) Middendorf and (Griffin) Loughran, did a good job and applied some pressure.''
The Spartans' coach had praise for junior left wing Jagger Joshua and sophomore defenseman Aiden Gallagher.
"Jagger Joshua had one of his best games on Saturday,'' Cole said. "He's an emotional leader and if he plays that way, he can drive a lot of things for us. He was a threat offensively, he was a physical force defensively and did a great job killing penalties all weekend. He can be a difference maker.''
Cole said Gallacher had his best weekend of the season.
"He extended his minutes, probably double what he'd be getting in the last few games,'' he said. "He was solid. We always want success to be 'I'm here right now and this is where I want to be.' The reality of life is it's never like that.
"There's peaks and valleys and working through it, you want that trend to be up. Aiden has battled through a couple of things but we know he's going to be a good player.''
TEAM STATS: Josh Nodler has taken over the MSU scoring lead with three goals and five assists for eight points in 10 games. Mitchell Lewandowski, who's missed the last five games with an injury, is tied for second with Griffin Loughran with seven points apiece. Lewandowski has three goals and four assists in seven games while Loughran also has three goals and four assists, but he's played in all 10 games.
MSU's power play still ranks fourth in the Big Ten despite not scoring a man advantage goal against Michigan. The Spartans have scored seven power-play goals in 31 opportunities for 22.6% efficiency. Michigan State has killed 31 of 37 power plays by its opponents (83.8%).
Goalie Drew DeRidder ranks 11th in the nation with a .935 saves percentage. DeRidder, who has played three of the last four games, has a 2.30 goals-against average.
IN THE BIG TEN: No. 2/2 Michigan takes to the road for two games at No. 19 Penn State on Thursday and Friday. The Wolverines (8-2-0, 3-1-0-0-0-0) Big Ten) are coming off a sweep of Michigan State, while the Nittany Lions (7-3-0, 0-2-0-0-0-0) were swept at Ohio State.
The No. 18/14 Buckeyes (6-2, 3-1-0-0-0-0) are on the road in Minneapolis to face No. 6/8 Minnesota (6-4-0, 3-1-1-0-1-0) on Friday and Saturday. The Gophers split a series at Wisconsin last weekend.
In the other Big Ten matchup, No. 15/15 Notre Dame plays host to Wisconsin (4-6-0, 2-2-1-1-0) on Friday and Saturday. The Irish (6-3-0, 0-2-0-0-0-0) last week swept a non-conference series with Holy Cross.
In Big Ten overall scoring, Michigan's Kent Johnson leads with 14 points – four goals and 10 assists – in 10 games. Minnesota's Blake McLaughlin is second with three goals and 10 assists for 13 points, also in 10 games.
Players Mentioned
D
/ Men's Ice Hockey
G
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
D
/ Men's Ice Hockey
D
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice HockeyAdam Nightingale Postgame Comments | Uconn
Thursday, March 26
Adam Nightingale, Tiernan Shoudy, Porter Martone, Daniell Russell | NCAA Regional
Wednesday, March 25
Adam Nightingale NCAA Tournament Selection Reaction
Sunday, March 22
Adam Nightingale I Hockey Press Conference I March 10, 2026
Tuesday, March 10