Neil's Notebook: Once Again, Spartans Strong in Third

By Neil Koepke, MSUSpartans.com

Once again, Michigan State was involved in a close game in the third period.

But unlike several other contests this season, the Spartans came up short, despite several high-quality scoring chances in the final 20 minutes that could have tied the game and sent it into overtime, or maybe even winning it.

Instead, Western Michigan junior goalie Brandon Bucci make late clutch saves on point-blank shots by Nicolas Muller and Jeremy Davidson, and the No. 4-ranked Broncos held on to defeat MSU, 3-1, in the first game of the 56^th Great Lakes Invitational Showcase on Wednesday night at Munn Arena.

"That was a battle, a good hockey game and we worked hard against a really good team and just came up short,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said. "You tip your hat to them and come back tomorrow and play better.''

Bucci, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound right-hand catching goaltender from Sound Beach, New York, had a stellar outing, highlighted by 11 saves in the third period with his team clinging to a 2-1 lead.

Overall, he stopped 28 shots, including standout saves on Muller with 5:27 left and Davidson with 1:35 to go and MSU goalie Drew DeRidder off for a sixth attacker

Bucci also made a save on Muller's on a penalty shot in the first period, just 26 seconds after he was credited with an assist on the Broncos' first goal by Max Sasson.

Chad Hillebrand made it 2-0 just 1:15 into the second period with a rush down the left wing and drive to the net. WMU's third goal was scored into an empty net by Cole Gallant with 43 seconds left.

"We had three chances in the last four minutes with point-blank shots in front and couldn't get a puck to go in,'' Cole said. "That's the game sometimes. (Western) is a good hockey team and they deserve to be where they're ranked, and we have to continue to prove to ourselves that we belong.

"Overall, a real good effort by our guys.''

The Spartans face another ranked team in the second game of the GLI Showcase on Thursday when No. 18 Michigan Tech pays a visit to Munn Arena. The Huskies (10-7-1, 7-5-0 CCHA) opened showcase play with a rare 0-0 tie against Michigan on Wednesday in Ann Arbor.

WMU and Michigan were scheduled to meet on Thursday in Ann Arbor in each team's GLI finale. But the Wolverines on Monday canceled the game due to "health and welfare protocols within the Wolverines' program.'' A university spokesperson said Covid-19 issues were not the reasons for not playing. With five players at the World Junior Championships in Alberta, and several players injured, Michigan apparently didn't feel it was safe to play with a shorthanded lineup in back-to-back games.

Meanwhile, Western Michigan (14-5-0 overall, 6-4-0 NCHC) on Wednesday clearly lived up to its high ranking in the polls, as it took a 2-0 lead on goals midway through the first period and early in the second and held on at the end.

Michigan State freshman defenseman David Gucciardi, who had a strong game, scored his team's only goal on a power play at 8:27 of the second period, cutting WMU's lead to 2-1. The goal came soon after MSU survived intense pressure by the Broncos, with DeRidder keeping his team in the game with several excellent saves.

Gucciardi's goal gave his team life and MSU pushed for the tying goal but couldn't convert and solve Bussi. DeRidder then kept it a one-goal game with huge saves in the last few minutes of the middle period.

The Spartans outshot the Broncos 11-7 in the third period, worked hard and created several excellent chances before the visitors claimed victory.

"Early in the game, we weren't working fast enough without the puck and coming in with support,'' Cole said. "But we did a better job with that, and it's funny, when you do that, get a little forecheck going, you're playing in the offensive zone more and you don't give up quite so much defensively.

"We forced some turnovers and had a good pace to the game. We got in their zone and set up (late) with the goalie pulled, but then there's a turnover and (the puck) ends up in our net. So, it's 3-1 instead of 2-2.''

Michigan State was 1-for-4 on the power play with six shots on goal. Western Michigan had four power plays and three shots but failed to get the puck past DeRidder.

"I thought our guys played well. After the first 10 minutes and once we got our feet going, I think we played fine,'' MSU senior captain and defenseman Dennis Cesana said. "We had a ton of chances, and I said to the guys, 'If that's a top 5 team, then we were right there with them pretty much the whole game.'

"Obviously, we're ticked off that we lost. But I think we're positive about the game. If we finish one or two chances, it's a completely different game. The guys stayed composed. We're a mature team and we played hard in the second and third periods.''

Western Michigan's high-scoring line of center Drew Worrad, left wing Ethen Frank and right wing Gallant was contained by MSU's unit of Muller, Tanner Kelly and Jagger Joshua.

Frank, the nation's leading goal scorer (17) had three shots on goal, Gallant had two, including the empty-net goal, and Worrad, tied for second in NCAA points with 27, did not have a shot on goal.

"They're a good team with good sticks and some good lines,'' Cole said. "Overall, we had the Muller line with Joshua and Kelly playing against their top line and they did a nice job against them.''

GOALIES FLOURISH: In their first game back after the Christmas break, Michigan State and Western Michigan received stellar performances from their goaltenders on Wednesday night at Munn Arena.

Broncos junior goalie Brandon Bussi was tested in the second and third periods and responded well in blocking shots, covering up rebounds and keeping the puck out of the net. MSU threatened in the third period but Bussi, with some help by his defense, led his team to victory.

Spartans senior goalie Drew DeRidder kept the game close with big saves in all three periods, and he's the biggest reason his team had a chance to tie it late in the third period.

"They were both really strong. They were both pretty clean,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said. "I wish (Bussi) was one shot less good at the other end.''

Bussi played 34 games as a freshman but got injured in the first game of the season last year and didn't come back until the last week of the regular season. Bussi has played in all 19 games for the Broncos this year.

DeRidder, who has allowed only 12 goals in his last seven games, was impressed with the Broncos and Bussi.

"They're a good team and we did a good job of shutting them down,'' he said. "It's tough. They're the No. 4 team in country and you can tell they have lots of skills. We had a lot of opportunities and he made a lot of good saves. You hope to bury a couple of those.

"I told him after the game that he played a nice game. I thought the both of us did. And he kept his team in it, too.''

MOVING ON IN THE GLI: In MSU's last two series – at Penn State and at Notre Dame – the Spartans have lost the first game and won the second.

They'll try to do the same in the Great Lakes Invitational on Thursday and come away with a split of the two showcase games.

The Spartans play No. 18 Michigan Tech at 5 p.m. to wrap up their part in the 56^th GLI, the first to be played outside of Detroit.

"One thing that will be similar is they're going to work, and it's really not a starter for us,'' Spartans' coach Danton Cole said of Michigan Tech. "When we play hard and physical, we're a pretty good team. You have to make some adjustments but the essence of how you play doesn't change.

"You still want to support the puck coming across and you still want to make the right reads and put pucks on net and win some battles.''

Michigan Tech opened the GLI Wednesday with a 0-0 tie at Michigan. Huskies goalie Blake Pietila made 30 saves while his Wolverine counterpart, Erik Portillo, stopped 27 shots, including a few breakaways, and a penalty shot by Trenton Bliss in overtime.

"It'll be a little different,'' Cole said of his team's matchup with the Huskies compared to Western Michigan. "The guys will have the pre-scout and we'll take a look at it and go over it in the morning. You have to reset and reload.''

IN THE BIG TEN: Wisconsin captured the Holiday Faceoff tournament in Milwaukee on Wednesday with a 2-1 shootout victory over No. 16 Providence after the teams played to a 2-2 tie in overtime.

The Friars took a 2-0 lead with two goals in the second period. But the Badgers rallied with the two goals in the third period – the tying goal coming with 4:05 left.

After a scoreless overtime, freshman Zack Urdahl scored the winning goal in the six-round shootout for the Badgers.

Wisconsin advanced to the championship game with a 3-2 victory in overtime over Yale on Tuesday on Brock Caufield's goal at 2:02 of the extra period.

Urdahl scored his first collegiate goal to give the Badgers a 1-0 lead in the second period and Wisconsin added another to go up 2-0. But Yale rallied for two goals in the third period to send the game into overtime.

Providence earned a spot in the title game with a 6-2 decision over Bowling Green. In Wednesday's third-place game, Bowling Green defeated Yale, 2-1.

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Players Mentioned

Dennis Cesana

Jeremy Davidson

Drew DeRidder

David Gucciardi

Jagger Joshua

Tanner Kelly

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