Neil's Notebook: Spartans Remain Resilient in Comeback Victory

By Neil Koepke, MSUSpartans.com staff writer

BIG RAPIDS – Trailing 3-0 late in the second period and down 3-1 with seven minutes left in the third period, there was a good chance Michigan State was headed for a long, quiet bus trip home.

But the Spartans kept battling and kept shooting.

The pucks finally started going in, and suddenly a frustrating loss turned into satisfying victory and set up a fun bus ride with lots of smiles.

MSU struck for three goals within 5 minutes and 57 seconds late in the third period and emerged with a dramatic 4-3 victory over Ferris State, and a non-conference series sweep on Saturday in front of a sellout crowd of 2,490 at Ewigleben Arena.

"It was a wonderful comeback. It's a good win on the road and an important win,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said. "We're a third of the way through the season. Six more Big Ten games before the break, so let's see what kind of position we can put ourselves in.''

MSU (6-5-1 overall) found itself in a huge hole by giving up a 5-on-3 power-play goal in the first period, another power-play goal early in the second, followed by a shorthanded goal 50 seconds later. The Spartans kept working, creating quality scoring chances but they couldn't solve FSU goalie Logan Stein.

Late in the middle period, things started to change.

Josh Nodler's goal at 18:42 of the second period started the comeback, cutting the Bulldogs' lead to 3-1.

The Spartans failed to score on three straight power plays in the third period but they didn't get frustrated. They just kept battling, making plays and shooting.

Defenseman Cole Krygier gave his team a huge boost when he scored at 13:41 to make it 3-2. Defenseman Dennis Cesana followed with the tying goal at 17:08.

With overtime looming in the final minute of the period, Nodler, Mitchell Lewandowski and Erik Middendorf combined to complete the rally, with Middendorf scoring from directly in front of the net with 21.2 seconds left to give the Spartans a 4-3 lead.

Ferris State threated in the final seconds but MSU goalie Drew DeRidder was sharp, making a big save with 3 seconds left, and the Spartans survived to celebrate arguably their best win of the season.

For Middendorf, the game-winner was his second of the season, but he gave most of the credit to his linemates.

"I saw Mitch Lewandowski flying behind the net and you know when that guy is on the ice, he's going to make plays, and I just got over their defenseman and I knew he was going to find me in the slot,'' Middendorf said. "I think everybody was (by) the goal line, including the goalie, so it was one of the easiest goals that I've scored.

"It was two linemates battling and working hard and I'm standing in the slot and I get credit for the goal.''

Nodler started the play when he passed the puck to Middendorf from behind the net. Middendorf missed his first shot but Lewandowski, a fifth-year senior, retrieved it and found the first-year transfer wide open in front.

"It was an unbelievable play,'' said Middendorf, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound left wing from Scottsdale, Arizona, who transferred to MSU from Colorado College. "I was getting great passes from Josh Nodler all night, and I just couldn't find the back of the net. He gave me three grade A opportunities to score but I kept hitting the goalie's glove. So that was pretty frustrating.''

The frustrating ended with he potted his third goal of the season.

Cole, the Spartans' fifth-year coach, had a good view of the play from the bench.

"I was right on line with him and the net and I'm saying 'Get it out to him.' It popped out and it was in the back of the net really quick,'' Cole said.

"The guys battled really well. I thought we were doing some things well and all of a sudden, we found ourselves down 3-0. I thought we could have been ahead at that point. I give the guys a ton of credit. They stuck with it and kept playing the right way and kept putting pucks on net. But their (goalie) kept making save after save.

"With six minutes to go and down a couple goals, we stayed with it. I'm really proud of the guys.''

The Spartans outshot the Bulldogs, 34-33. DeRidder made 30 saves, while Stein also stopped 30 shots.

MSU was 1-for-5 on the power play. FSU went 2-for-5.

Defenseman Drew Cooper gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead at 6:08 of the first period with a shot from the point in the middle of the ice on a 5-on-3 power play. Bradley Marek, FSU's top goal scorer, added another power-play goal at 6:47 of the second period, beating DeRidder from the left circle.

Justin Michaelian gave the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead after he tripped Lewandowski near center ice, got the loose puck and raced down the right wing on a breakaway. His shot from the right circle caromed off the left post and into the net at 7:37.

The Spartans claimed Michaelian should have called for tripping, and that would have given MSU a 5-on-3 power play. Instead, the Bulldogs had a three-goal lead.

"Obviously, our goal is to win the special teams and when you get off to a start like that, it's frustrating,'' Middendorf said. "But I think we knew in the room and could tell from the vibe we had on the bench that we could get the job done.''

Nodler's goal came off a nifty move in front of the net. Cesana shot the puck from the left point and it deflected off Lewandowski's stick and went right to Nodler who was all alone in front of Stein. He pulled the puck to his forehand, went right, then back left and backhanded it over the stunned FSU goaltender with 1:18 left in the second period.

"It was a great play up top. They had strong sticks and they fed me in front,'' Nodler said. "I saw that I was all alone so I just tried to get the goalie out of the net a little, and it's lucky it went in.''

MSU had a power play to start the third period, then killed off a FSU power play, and at 7:49 the Bulldogs' Jake Transit took a double minor, but MSU failed to convert.

The Spartans shrugged it off and kept pressing 5-on-5. A nice passing play into the FSU zone led to Cole Krygier's goal from the right circle. He took a spin-around backhand pass from Jesse Tucker in the slot to Krygier, who one-timed the puck past Stein at 13:41.

Less than four minutes later, Cesana took a pass from Christian Krygier just outside the left circle and the senior captain rifled it into the net – game tied, 3-3.

Middendorf capped the comeback with persistence in the slot in the final minute. He took a pass from Nodler and fired the puck wide right. Lewandowski hustled behind the net and slid it out front while Stein and a FSU defenseman were down on the ice outside the crease.

Middendorf, with Nodler on his right, easily hit the open net to give his team its first lead of the night at 4-3.

"I bumped it out to Middendorf and then after he shot it (wide), Lewie picked up, came around the net and threw it out front,'' Nodler said. "I crashed the net and Middendorf did a great job getting open and he put it in.''

The sweep of the Bulldogs was MSU's second of the season and first since winning back-to-back games against Miami the second weekend of the season.

"This is definitely a big one,'' Nodler said of the come-from-behind victory. "We've had a few that I can remember, but this one is one I'll remember for the rest of my life. We knew going into this game that it was a big time to get the win and, thankfully, we came out with the win with a great effort.''

It took a while for the Spartans to get pucks past Stein, but when they did, they showed good balance with two goals coming from forwards and two from defensemen.

"I think we're a versatile team and a very deep team. Anyone can play with anyone,'' Middendorf said. "You can see it with Coach Cole switching lines around left and right tonight and it seemed to be working.

"You never know who's going to score goals. On any given night, anyone can score. We can find different ways to do it on the power play – grinding down low or getting pretty goals like the Tucker pass to Cole Krygier.''

Cole said with a couple players got banged up and were not available for power-play duty. So, he moved Nodler into a new spot – down low in front of the net. It paid off for MSU's first goal.

"We moved to Nods to net front and that's not his normal position (on the power play),'' Cole said. "But having the ability to do different things, he jumped out there and made a good-hands play.''

Cole Krygier, Cesana and Middendorf were good with their hands, too, and the Spartans came away with a coveted sweep.

DEFENSE CHIPS IN: Michigan State had 34 shots on goal on Saturday and 13 came from defensemen. Dennis Cesana and Cole Krygier each had four shots on goal and each scored a goal. Defensemen Christian Krygier and Nash Nienhaus had two shots on goal apiece and freshman defenseman David Gucciardi had one.

Meanwhile, Josh Nodler led MSU with five shots and Mitchell Lewandowski had three. The only Spartans not to have a shot on net were forwards A.J. Hodges and Tanner Kelly and defenseman Aiden Gallacher.

Kelly had a good scoring opportunity midway through the first period when he jumped on a rebound in front of the net on the right but his quick shot hit the side of the net.

Cesana had a strong game with a goal and an assist while Christian Krygier assisted on Cesana's goal.

Nodler had a goal and an assist and Lewandowski assisted on two goals.

NON-CONFERENCE RECORD BOOSTED: Michigan State improved its record in non-league games to 5-2-1 with two remaining against Western Michigan and Michigan Tech in the Great Lakes Invitational at Munn Arena in late December.

The Spartans own two victories each over Miami and Ferris State and one against Air Force. They lost once vs. Air Force and tied and lost at UMass Lowell.

UP NEXT: Michigan State skates back into Big Ten play next weekend with a home series against Wisconsin. The Spartans meet at 7 p.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Saturday at Munn Arena.

After the Badgers, MSU is off during Thanksgiving weekend and then plays at Penn State and Notre Dame before the holiday break.

IN THE BIG TEN: Minnesota and Notre Dame posted shutouts on Saturday on home ice. The No. 6/8 Gophers (7-5-0, 4-2-0-0-1-0) rebounded from their 4-3 loss to No. 18/14 Ohio State (7-3-0, 4-2-0-0-0-0) on Friday and blanked the Buckeyes, 2-0. Minnesota goalie Jack LaFontaine, who had a tough night on Friday, faced only 13 shots Saturday but stopped them all as the Gophers salvaged a series split.

Meanwhile, at Notre Dame, goalie Matt Galajda made 24 saves as the Irish defeated Wisconsin, 3-0, to complete a sweep of the Badgers (4-8-0, 2-4-0-1-0-0). Galajda, a transfer from Cornell, posted his second shutout with Notre Dame. The Irish won 5-1 on Friday.

No. 2 Michigan (10-2-0, 5-1-0-0-0-0) Big Ten) was idle on Saturday after sweeping No. 19 Penn State (6-5-0, 0-4-0-0-0-0) on the road with 5-1 and 6-2 victories on Thursday and Friday.

Next Friday and Saturday in the Big Ten:

In addition to MSU's home series with Wisconsin, Notre Dame is at Michigan and Penn State plays at Minnesota.

Neil's Notebook: Spartans Remain Resilient in Comeback Victory

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Players Mentioned

Dennis Cesana

Drew DeRidder

Aiden Gallacher

David Gucciardi

A.J. Hodges

Tanner Kelly

Christian Krygier

Cole Krygier

Mitchell Lewandowski

Erik Middendorf

Josh Nodler

Jesse Tucker

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