Badgers Rally For 3-2 Win Over Spartans

GAME CAPSULE

Wisconsin scored twice on a major penalty in the third period to come from behind and earn a 3-2 win over visiting Michigan State.

The Spartans (11-12-1, 5-9-0 B1G) dropped both ends of the weekend series, but earned the season split with the Badgers after MSU won two home games against Wisconsin back in November.

Both squads spent significant time on special teams , with both losing a forward to a major penalty during the contest and combining for 44 penalty minutes. MSU was 0-for-3 on the power play, and Wisconsin 2-for-6. Adam Goodsir put MSU on the board in the second period, breaking a scoreless tie, and took a 2-1 lead into the second intermission after a Cole Krygier goal. MSU's major penalty came in the third period, and the Badgers used the extended man advantage to score twice and turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead.

Mathieu De St. Phalle had the game-winner, his third goal of the series. Brock Caufield and Max Johnson also had goals for Wisconsin (8-13-3).

Michigan State returns home for a two-game set against Ohio State next weekend at Munn Ice Arena,

STATISTICS OF NOTE

Pierce Charleson made 43 saves.
Adam Goodsir scored his first goal of the season midway through the second period, with assists going to blueliners David Gucciardi and Aiden Gallacher.
Cole Krygier scored his fourth of the year with assists going to Erik Middendorf and Jesse Tucker.

NOTABLES AND STORYLINES

Cole Krygier's goal – his fourth of the season – established a new career best for the defenseman. He trails only Dennis Cesana (6) for goals among Spartan blueliners.
Tucker and Middendorf each have points in each of the three games which they hav skated on a line together. Tucker has four assists on that span, and Middendorf three goals and one assist.
MSU's blueliners had three points tonight. Cole Krygier's goal, and assists on the Goodsir's marker for Gallacher – his first assist of the season, and Gucciardi's fifth.
MSU allowed two power-play goals for the second straight night, both coming on a major penalty.

GAME SYNOPSIS

FIRST PERIOD: An early penalty against the Spartans was negated when Roman Ahcan took a major penalty and game misconduct at 3:31, which resulted in an extended power play for MSU after 90 seconds of four-on-four. Neither team would find the back of the net despite combining for 23 penalty minutes, and the Badgers had a 13-9 edge in shots on net at the period break.

SECOND PERIOD: It took to the midpoint of the period for either team to get on the board, despite both squads having better chances in the first half of the period than they had in the first. Adam Goodsir scored his first of the season at 11:41, squeezing a wraparound attempt past Moe at the right post. MSU's lead lasted just over a minute, as Max Johnson went in on a breakaway and beat Charleson five-hole to knot things up at 1-1. A third goal in a four-minute span put the visitors back on top - Jesse Tucker won the faceoff to Middendorf, who's shot was saved by Moe – but Cole Krygier corralled the rebound and put it over Moe's glove hand for his fourth goal of the season. MSU took that 2-1 lead into the locker room.

THIRD PERIOD: The Badgers got the equalizer and go-ahead goals under 90 seconds apart while on an extended power play . After Kyle Haskins was whistled for a major for contact to the head at 4:45, the two Badger goals with a man advantage came at 7:40 (Brock Caufield from just inside the blue line in the high slot) and 9:04 (Mathieu De St. Phalle from the slot) to gain the lead. The Spartans, who killed seven minutes of penalty time in the third period alone, pushed for an equalizer that never came over the balance of regulation.

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Team Stats

Cole Krygier

Adam Goodsir

Erik Middendorf

Jesse Tucker

Players Mentioned

Dennis Cesana

Pierce Charleson

Aiden Gallacher

Adam Goodsir

David Gucciardi

Kyle Haskins

Cole Krygier

Erik Middendorf

Jesse Tucker

Players Mentioned

Dennis Cesana

Pierce Charleson

Aiden Gallacher

Adam Goodsir

David Gucciardi

Kyle Haskins

Cole Krygier

Erik Middendorf

Jesse Tucker