Spartans Sweep No. 10 Buckeyes for Fourth Straight Win

Friday, November 11

East Lansing, MI

7 pm

Michigan State University

8-3-1, 4-1-1

Ohio State

7-4-1, 3-3-0

Team	1	2	3	F
Ohio St.	1	1	1	3
Michigan St.	3	1	0	4

11/11/2022 10:22:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score

East Lansing – Michigan State won its fourth straight game and remained undefeated in five straight with a 4-3 victory over No. 10/11 Ohio State on Friday night at Munn Ice Arena.

The Spartans (8-3-1, 4-1-1 B1G) have compiled 14 points thus far in Big Ten play – one point shy of its 2021-22 point total in conference action. Michigan State won its fourth straight Big Ten game – the Spartans' longest winning streak in Conference play since the league began play in the 2013-14 season. MSU was receiving votes in this week's two national polls.

MSU earned the win on Friday with a pair of goals and an assist from senior Nicolas Müller – a career night, with his first two-goal and three-point game as a Spartan. His assist came on a first-period goal by Miroslav Mucha, and freshman Tiernan Shoudy picked up his third of the season in the second period.

MSU led 3-2 at the end of the first period thanks to the goal from Mucha just a minute into the game and Muller's two - the second of which came with just 4.1 seconds remaining in the frame. The Buckeyes cut things to 3-2 on a power play goal in the first 90 seconds of the second, but Shoudy pushed it back out to a pair at 8:44.

Ohio State got a good bounce off a defenseman in front to pull back within a goal at 6:29 of the final frame, but St. Cyr compiled 18 of his 19 saves (en route to 33 in the game) to keep the visitors from pulling any closer. Jakub Dobes had 15 first-period saves and 13 over the final two periods to keep his team in it, but Ohio State never could find the equalizer.

Michigan State heads on the road next weekend for a series against Penn State on Friday and Saturday.

Its MSU's first ALL-EURO goal of the year! Mucha from Muller and Hurtig pic.twitter.com/HQr9ZSui4C
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) November 12, 2022

STATISTICS OF NOTE

Nicolas Müller had two goals and an assist, his second and third goals and multiple-point game of the season. He has surpassed his career best with nine points this season.
Miroslav Mucha had a goal and an assist for his second multiple-point game as a Spartan.
Tiernan Shoudy added his third goal of the season in the second period.
Daniel Russell had an assist on Muller's second-period power play goal, his third straight game with a point. He began the season with a point in each of his first six collegiate games and has a 4-11-15 scoring line through his first 12 college contests.
Michigan State has won four consecutive Big Ten Conference games for the first time in B1G history. MSU's 14 points in B1G play is one shy of its 2021-22 total.
The Spartans earned their first series sweep of Ohio State since January 23-24, 2015 (4-1, 2-0)
Ohio State had surrendered just two power play goals in their first 10 games of the season, and MSU scored two on nine chances in the series. MSU's PK allowed two man-up goals to the Buckeyes in six chances.
MSU is a perfect 6-0 when leading the game after two periods.

First Period: Captain Miroslav Mucha gave the Spartans a lead exactly one minute into the game, shoveling home a pass from Nicolas Müller for his fourth of the year. Joe Dunlap evened things up for the Buckeyes at 6:39, but the Spartans got two goals from Muller at 7:35 and again at 19:55 (on the power play) to give the Spartans a 3-1 lead headed into the locker room.

Thats two for Nico! Muller strikes for the second time tonight to send the Spartans into the locker room with a 3-1 lead. pic.twitter.com/ME6rwQPskB
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) November 12, 2022

Second Period: An early power play opportunity in the second for Ohio State led to the Buckeyes pulling within a goal at 1:27, getting the goal from Travis Treloar. The Spartans killed off the second penalty they took in the period at 5:42, and a minute after the expiration of that kill, Jesse Tucker had the puck below the goal line to Dobes' left, and found Tiernan Shoudy below the hash marks for the freshman's third goal of the season. That provided the Spartans a 4-2 lead in the second intermission.

Third Period: The visitors came within a goal on a score by Davis Burnside at 6:29. Burnside shot from the right circle, and his offering ricocheted off a Spartan defenseman and past St. Cyr to make it 4-3. The goalie would allow nothing else – he stopped each of the other 18 shots he faced to keep the visitors from gaining an equalizer and finished with 33 saves on the night.