Neil's Notebook: Seniors Lewandowski and DeRidder Get Spartans the Split

By Neil Koepke, MSUSpartans.com staff writer

Mitchell Lewandowski has scored a lot of goals during his youth, junior and college hockey career. But he's probably never scored one like his did on Saturday night.

The Michigan State fifth-year senior left wing came up with a new way to win a game during 3-on-3 overtime, and it will go down as the Spartans' most dramatic goal of the first half of the season.

With MSU and Notre Dame deadlocked 0-0 entering the five-minute overtime, Lewandowski started the play by taking a pass from defenseman Dennis Cesana in the Spartan zone 12 seconds into OT.

He carried the puck through the middle of ice and into the Irish zone, swerved to his right and didn't like what he saw with a defender coming at him. So, he turned back and skated into the neutral zone and fired the puck back to his own goalie, Drew DeRidder, and he raced back to get it.

DeRidder stopped the puck behind the net and left it for Lewandowski, who swooped in and came out flying down the ice.

He cut a little to his right, crossed the blue line in the middle, and from 30 feet, at the top of the faceoff circles, he let fly with a wrist shot.

The puck went through the legs of Irish defenseman Spencer Stastney and whisked past screened goalie Ryan Bischel to give MSU a 1-0 victory and a Big Ten series split in front of 4,445 fans at Compton Family Arena in Notre Dame, Indiana.

Lewandowski's goal, his seventh of the season, came 33 seconds into overtime, with DeRidder credited with an assist, along with Cesana.

"That was a good hockey game – an instant classic, especially since Lewie decided to end it,'' upbeat MSU coach Danton Cole said a few minutes after the hard-fought, nail-bitter.

Lewandowski's heroics were made possible by DeRidder's brilliant play from the drop of the puck to early in OT, when he "set up" his team's top scorer for his first collegiate assist.

DeRidder made 30 saves and kept his team in the game with one huge save after another as Notre Dame put together several offensive flurries in each period. The shutout was DeRidder's second this season and fourth of his career.

"He was money. You watch the guy going through the first little bit of the game and you're like, man, he's seeing everything,'' Cole said. "You know it's going to take a helluva shot or effort to get one by him.''

Notre Dame tried and tried with a myriad of quality chances, but DeRidder was tracking the puck well, making saves and hopping on loose pucks around the crease, and no doubt frustrating the Irish.

Two of DeRidder's best saves came in the third period. During an early MSU power play, Irish defenseman Adam Karashik knocked the puck loose in the Notre Dame zone and raced down the left wing on a breakaway. He cut to the net and fired but DeRidder made the save and the rebound was cleared

With six minutes left and the teams playing 4-on-4, Notre Dame defenseman Stastney, who had two goals in Friday's 3-2 Irish win, was open in the slot.

He took a pass from behind the net and let go with a one-timer headed for the right corner. But DeRidder pushed off right to left and snagged the puck with his catching glove, preventing what could have been the game-winner.

"Drew held up throughout the game, and as it progressed, we did a better job (as a team),'' Cole said. "Even when there weren't shots, the puck was around the crease a lot and Drew took things away. He battled, he was sharp right away and he was tracking everything.''

Bischel didn't have to be as spectacular as DeRidder but he was solid while turning back 23 shots.

With the overtime win, the Spartans (10-7-1 overall, 5-5-0-1-0-0) earned only two points, while the Irish (12-5-0, 6-4-0-2-1-0) came away with one. Teams get three points only when they win in regulation time. They get two points for an overtime or shootout win and one for an OT or shootout loss.

Michigan State was back its heels for a big part of the first period. Notre Dame held a 9-3 edge in shots, and thanks to DeRidder, the game stayed scoreless.

The Spartans had more offensive push in the second period, firing 12 shots on Bischel, while DeRidder stopped 10 shots.

There were stretches in the third period where the Irish controlled the puck and moved it fast, but MSU's defense battled hard and DeRidder's play continued at an elite level.

"We've had a lot of gutsy efforts this season and the guys worked really hard,'' Cole said. "We knew Notre Dame was going to come out and try to get on us, figuring after last night that we'd be down. Our guys answered the bell really well.

"We defended, did a lot of other things and it was just another gutsy effort. It was tough sledding offensively. You just had to take what was given. From a maturity standpoint, I thought our guys did a great job just hanging in there. And not getting away from (our game) and pushing the panic button.

"From Drew on out, everyone battled tremendously hard. And Lewie makes a big play at the end and now we feel really good going into the (holiday) break.''

Cole said he didn't flinch when he saw Stastney get ready to one-time the puck toward the open (for a second) right corner late in the third period.

"We had Drew back there and I felt pretty good,'' he said with a laugh. "Stastney played for me with at the U.S. (National Team) Development Program. He's a good player and I've seen him score that goal before. It felt really good when I saw Drew handle it.''

Thankfully, for Cole and the Spartans, DeRidder won the showdown, Lewandowski made the play of the night, and MSU had an upbeat bus ride home.

"Just from a psychological standpoint, I think getting the extra point and winning – not in the shootout but in the 3-on-3 overtime – you get a little extra bounce,'' Cole said. "With all those bumps and bruises, you still have the same amount of ice packs but it doesn't hurt as much on the bus ride home.''

In Friday's 3-2 loss in the series opener, Lewandowski did not have a shot on goal and saw his 11-game point streak come to an end. On Saturday, Lewandowski led MSU with four shots on goal, set up linemate Jesse Tucker for a good scoring chance and earned praise from his coach.

"I thought Lewie had a pretty good game. Defensively, he made some good clears and made a nice play to set up Tucker for a one-timer,'' Cole said. "It was a tight-checking game. There wasn't a lot of room out there. He almost got to a rebound in front of the net but it bounced right by him.

"You have to go through those games. You keep pushing and pushing and when you get your chance, you let it rip. He did that.

"I thought our team played a mature game and I thought it was the same with Lewie.''

Lewandowski's winning goal was the 12^th of his Spartan career and second this season. He's MSU's top scorer with seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points in 13 games.

Both teams were 0-for-2 on the power play.

The Spartans on Saturday played without sophomore right wing Jeremy Davidson, the team's top goal-scorer with eight. Davidson was hurt early in the second period of Friday's game and didn't return.

UP NEXT: The Spartans are off until after Christmas when they host two games in the Great Lakes Invitational. They'll play No. 4-ranked Western Michigan at 7 p.m. Dec. 29 and Michigan Tech at 5 p.m. on Dec. 30 at Munn Arena.

For the players, the week ahead will be about studying for and taking fall term final exams and skill and conditioning type practices. They'll be free to go home for Christmas at the end of the week for about seven or eight days. They'll resume practices on Dec. 26.

The Spartans have played 18 games overall and 10 in the Big Ten. There are 16 games remaining, 14 in the conference.

"The timing is good. We've pushed hard so far and we've been on the road a lot,'' Coach Danton Cole said. "If you look at our second half, we have road trips to Wisconsin and Minnesota and there's one game in Ann Arbor. So, we're home a lot.''

The Spartans have shown they can have success on the road. They're 4-5-1 away from Munn Arena and 6-2 in Munn Arena. They've won one game at Ferris State, Ohio State, Penn State and Notre Dame and they tied one game at UMass Lowell.

Michigan State has 10 home games remaining, eight in the Big Ten. After the GLI, the Spartans host Minnesota, Jan. 7-8. Then there's two games at Wisconsin, Jan. 14-15, a home series with Ohio State, Jan. 21-22, and a bye week Jan. 28-29.

In February, MSU plays at Minnesota, Feb. 4-5, and closes it road schedule Feb. 11 at Michigan. The Spartans and Wolverines conclude their series Feb. 12 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

Michigan State finishes the regular season with four home games – vs. Notre Dame, Feb. 18-19, and Penn State, Feb. 25-26.

DÉJÀ VU: For the second time in almost a year, Michigan State spoiled Notre Dame's quest for a sweep over the Spartans at Compton Family Arena with a spectacular end-to-end goal in overtime.

Mitchell Lewandowski's bizarre goal on Saturday 33 seconds into OT to give MSU a 1-0 victory brought back memories of last season's 4-3 Spartan win on defenseman Tommy Miller's highlight-reel goal at 1:26 of the 3-on-3 overtime on Dec. 20, 2020.

Miller got the puck from Nicolas Muller just inside the MSU blue line and headed up ice 1-on-1 against Notre Dame forward Alex Steeves, and cruised down the left wing, toe-dragged the puck to his left just inside the left circle. He got around Steeves, drove into the middle toward the front of the net, went wide to the right and slid the puck past sprawled goalie Ryan Bischel – the same goalie Lewandowski beat for his winner.

It was Miller's only goal of the season. Miller, using his fifth season of eligibility because the NCAA's Covid-19 allowance, is now playing at Northeastern. Miller has six assists in 18 games for the No. 13/13 Huskies (13-4-1).

IN THE BIG TEN: Michigan fell short in its bid to sweep its series at Ohio State – way, way short. The No. 27 Buckeyes carried a 2-1 lead into the third period and blew the game open by scoring three goals in 50 seconds and cruised to a 6-1 victory over the No. 3/3 Wolverines, who won on Friday, 5-2.

There were 24 penalties handed out Saturday, including one game misconduct and five 10-minute misconducts. U-M was 1-for-6 on the power play while OSU went 1-for-8. The Buckeyes have split their last four series. The Wolverines are 2-4 in their last three Big Ten series.

Things looked pretty bleak on Saturday for Wisconsin starting the third period trailing Penn State 4-1. But the Badgers, who won Friday's series opener, 4-1, rallied for three straight goals – two in the last four minutes, to tie it 4-4 and set up overtime. But the Nittany Lions pulled out a 5-4 victory when senior defenseman Paul DeNaples scored his first goal of the season at 1:41 of the OT.

Penn State outshot Wisconsin, 52-24. The Badgers earned four points on the weekend with a win and overtime loss, while the Nittany Lions came away with two points.

Six of the seven Big Ten teams are off until after Christmas. Ohio State still has two games to play – two non-conference home games against Bowling Green this Thursday and Friday.

Michigan (14-6-0 overall, 7-5-0-0-2-0 Big Ten) heads into the break in first place in the Big Ten with 23 points. Minnesota (10-8-0, 6-4-0-0-1-0) is in second place with 19 points, one ahead of third-place Ohio State (10-6-0, 6-4-0-0-0-0) with 18.

Notre Dame (12-5-0, 6-3-0-2-1-0) sits in fourth with 17 points, three ahead of fifth-place Michigan State (10-7-1, 5-5-0-1-0-0), which has 14.

Wisconsin (5-12-1, 3-6-0-1-1-0) climbed over Penn State and into sixth place this weekend with 10 points, two in front of the Nittany Lions (11-8-0, 3-6-0-1-0-0), who have eight points.

Michigan has played 12 conference games while the other six teams have played 10.

Michigan State University Athletics

Neil's Notebook: Seniors Lewandowski and DeRidder Get Spartans the Split

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