Spartans Fall at No. 3/4 Michigan, 7-2

GAME CAPSULE

Michigan State suffered a 7-2 setback in Ann Arbor on Friday to No. 3 / 4 Michigan, as the Wolverines blew open a 4-2 game with three goals in the final 12 minutes of the third period.

The Wolverines jumped out to a 2-0 lead by the midpoint of the opening period on the strength of a pair of goals by sophomore Matty Beniers, including one on the power play while the home team was skating 5-on-3. Cole Krygier cut the Michigan lead in half with a goal in the waning seconds of the frame to send the Spartans into the locker room trailing by just a goal.

Michigan scored twice in under two minutes in the second period to push out to a 4-1 lead at the second intermission on goals by Brendan Brisson and Luke Hughes. There were some early fireworks in the third, and Mitchell Mattson got MSU back within two at the 1:57 mark – but the Wolverines scored the next three goals to blow open the game.

Pierce Charleson made 28 saves, while Erik Portillo made 26 for the home team.

The teams complete the weekend series Saturday in East Lansing. The puck drops at 7:30 pm.

STATISTICS OF NOTE

Pierce Charleson made his fourth start of the season, and made 29 saves.
Cole Krygier scored his first goal of the season and seventh of his career. He was skating in his 95^th career game.
Mitchell Mattson scored his first of the season in the second period, putting back a rebound off an AJ Hodges shot. Hodges and Nash Nienhius had the assists on the play.

GAME SYNOPSIS

FIRST PERIOD: Matty Beniers opened the scoring 3:36 into the game, getting a small breakaway and converting stick-side for his third goal of the season. Just under a minute later, Garrett VanWyhe was whistled for direct contact to the head, and was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct, sending him to the locker rom and giving MSU an extended man advantage. MSU couldn't solve the Wolverines on the extended power play, and right after it expired, the Spartans took hooking calls a minute apart to give UM a five-on-three. Beniers netted his second of the game at 10:58, taking advantage of the two-man edge. The Spartans pressed late in the period, and with under a minute remaining were rewarded. Gucciardi won a battle along the left wall and got it deep to Mitchell Mattson, who circled behind the net and found Cole Krygier above the right hashmark, and his shot found its target with just over 16 seconds remaining in the period. MSU had a 11-10 lead in shots on goal in the period, and blocked five shots to UM's one.

SECOND PERIOD: Brendan Brisson gave his team back a two-goal lead at 14:30, owning a 7-3 edge in shots over the first 15 minutes of the frame. MSU once again had a couple of good scoring chances late, as Middendorf nearly had one on a redirecton of a Nash Nienhuis offering. The Wolverines got another before the period expired, as Luke Hughes received the pass at the right point, drove through the right circle into the slot, and beat Charleson stick-side. UM outshot the Spartans 11-5 in the second period, tacking on the two goals to open up the game.

THIRD PERIOD: Some extracurriculars less than 30 seconds into the period sent Griffin Loughran and UM's Steve Holtz to the box with 10-minute misconducts. At 1:57, Mitchell Mattson redirected an AJ Hodges effort for his first goal of the season, cutting the Spartan deficit down to 4-2 Nienhuis threw the puck to the net from the left point, and after Hodges shot was saved, Mattson was there for the redirecton. Nicolas Muller was whistled for tripping at 7:07, and it took the Wolverine power play just eight seconds to set up Mackie Samoskevich in the high slot for the fifth UM goal, the second of the night on the power play. A goal at 11:12 by Luke Hughes needed an extended second look by the officials to see if the net had come off its moorings before the puck crossed the line, but the goal was upheld after review for a 6-2 lead. Michigan put the final dagger in with 1:45 to play, as Johnny Beecher converted into a wide-open right side after a cross-slot pass from Kent Johnson.

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Team Stats

Mitchell Mattson

Cole Krygier

David Gucciardi

Nash Nienhuis

Players Mentioned

Pierce Charleson

Cole Krygier

Griffin Loughran

Mitchell Mattson

Nash Nienhuis