Saturday, October 7
4 PM
Michigan State University
1-0-0
5
vs
2
Lake Superior State
0-1-0
1
2
3
F
Lake Superior St.
0
2
0
2
Michigan St.
1
2
2
5
Photo by: TakeYourShotPhotography
Spartans Down LSSU 5-2 After Dedication of Mason RInk
10/7/2023 7:57:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
East Lansing, Mich. – Nicolas Müller, Nash Nienhuis, and Red Savage all had a goal and an assist as Michigan State won its season opening game, 5-2, over Lake Superior State.
The teams both needed some time in the first period to get acclimated – the teams were even in shots on net (five each) through the first 10 minutes of the game, but the Spartans outshot their guests 8-1 over the balance of the period. Fifth-year senior Nicolas Müller got MSU on the board in the waning minutes of the period, taking a feed from winger Jeremy Davidson and scoring from the hash marks for the first Spartan goal of the season.
MSU came out with a pair of goals early in the second to push its lead to 3-0. Sophomore Isaac Howard got a power play goal skating five-on-three, at 1:44, and just over five minutes later, captain Nash Nienhius scored from the left dot to push MSU's lead out to 3-0.
The Lakers back into the game with a pair of goals over the balance of the second period. Tyler Williams taking a feed from Timo Bakos and finding some space on the left side to make it 3-1 at the midpoint of the period, and a penalty shot awarded to Harrison Roy was converted at 15:50 to bring the visitors within a goal through 40 minutes of play.
The Lakers came out with fire in their bellies in the third period and held a significant edge in shots early in that final frame. MSU took a bit of wind out of their sails with a sharp-angle shot by Red Savage that found its mark at the 10:48 mark, and Viktor Hurtig iced the game with an impressive wrister from the right circle with just over four minutes remaining in the game.
Trey Augustine made 29 saves in his collegiate debut in the Spartan net, and Ethan Langenegger made 32 saves for Lake Superior State.
Prior to the game, the rink surface was dedicated to Ron Mason, the longtime MSU hockey coach and athletic director, His wife, daughter, grandsons and great-granddaughter were on the ice as the Spartans paid tribute to Mason's legacy not only at Michigan State, but in his coaching stops at Lake Superior State, Bowling Green and across college hockey.
The teams meet again on Sunday in the series finale at 4 pm.
STATISTICS OF NOTE
First Period: Nicolas Müller scored the first goal of the Spartan season as time ticked off the clock in the first period. David Gucciardi took a pass in his own defensive zone and threaded it through the neutral zone to Jeremy Davidson outside the blue line on the right side. He swiftly moved it to Müller above the right hash marks, and Müller ripped a one-timer to give his team a lead before the intermission.
Second Period: The visitors took a pair of penalties early in the frame, setting up a five-on-three situation for MSU before the period was two minutes old. Off a faceoff win, the Spartans broke in on a two-on-one, and Müller dished it off to Isaac Howard on the right side just inside the blue line. Howard launched it from inside the right circle to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead. At 7:06, the Spartan lead was pushed out to three, as Tanner Kelly sent the puck into the slot for Tommi Männistö, and the freshman slid it over to Nash Nienhuis in the left circle in perfect position for the senior's first of the year. The Lakers scored twice over the balance of the frame to bring the game within reach – a nice feed from Timo Bakos to senior Tyler Williams led to the first goal of the season for the Lakers at 10:23, and a penalty shot conversion by Harrison Roy made it a 3-2 for the second intermission.
Third Period: With a renewed energy for the third, the Lakers outshot the Spartans by a significant margin early in the third period, but Augustine and the Spartan defense kept things a one-goal lead until Red Savage got on the board at 10:48. Savage set up the final Michigan State with a slick pass across the high slot to Viktor Hurtig, who took a step into the lower half of the right circle and sent home his first of the season. Augustine turned away all 12 shots by the Lakers in the third period.
The teams both needed some time in the first period to get acclimated – the teams were even in shots on net (five each) through the first 10 minutes of the game, but the Spartans outshot their guests 8-1 over the balance of the period. Fifth-year senior Nicolas Müller got MSU on the board in the waning minutes of the period, taking a feed from winger Jeremy Davidson and scoring from the hash marks for the first Spartan goal of the season.
MSU came out with a pair of goals early in the second to push its lead to 3-0. Sophomore Isaac Howard got a power play goal skating five-on-three, at 1:44, and just over five minutes later, captain Nash Nienhius scored from the left dot to push MSU's lead out to 3-0.
The Lakers back into the game with a pair of goals over the balance of the second period. Tyler Williams taking a feed from Timo Bakos and finding some space on the left side to make it 3-1 at the midpoint of the period, and a penalty shot awarded to Harrison Roy was converted at 15:50 to bring the visitors within a goal through 40 minutes of play.
The Lakers came out with fire in their bellies in the third period and held a significant edge in shots early in that final frame. MSU took a bit of wind out of their sails with a sharp-angle shot by Red Savage that found its mark at the 10:48 mark, and Viktor Hurtig iced the game with an impressive wrister from the right circle with just over four minutes remaining in the game.
Trey Augustine made 29 saves in his collegiate debut in the Spartan net, and Ethan Langenegger made 32 saves for Lake Superior State.
Prior to the game, the rink surface was dedicated to Ron Mason, the longtime MSU hockey coach and athletic director, His wife, daughter, grandsons and great-granddaughter were on the ice as the Spartans paid tribute to Mason's legacy not only at Michigan State, but in his coaching stops at Lake Superior State, Bowling Green and across college hockey.
The teams meet again on Sunday in the series finale at 4 pm.
STATISTICS OF NOTE
- Nicolas Müller had a goal and an assist on the first two goals of the game, while Red Savage had a goal and an assist on the final two in the third period.
- Nash Nienhuis picked up his eighth career multi-point game with a second-period goal (which stood as the game-winner) and an assist on Savage's goal in the third.
- Viktor Hurtig's third-period goal came in the first game of the season. His first as a freshman came on Feb. 17 at Wisconsin in the final regular-season series of the year.
- Isaac Howard got his Spartan career off to a good start with his first goal early in the second period. All three undergraduate transfers had points for MSU: Howard, Savage, and Joey Larson (assist).
- Tommi Männistö was the first freshman to pick up a point this season with an assist on Nash Nienhuis' goal in the second period, and Gavin O'Connell added an assist in the third period.
- MSU was outstanding in the faceoff circle, winning 45 of 65 draws. Karsen Dorwart won 18 of 21, while Savage won 10 of 14.
- MSU won its first season-opening game for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
- The Spartans played the first official game of the 2023-24 season with a 4 pm puck drop on the first allowable day of games across Division I college hockey.
First Period: Nicolas Müller scored the first goal of the Spartan season as time ticked off the clock in the first period. David Gucciardi took a pass in his own defensive zone and threaded it through the neutral zone to Jeremy Davidson outside the blue line on the right side. He swiftly moved it to Müller above the right hash marks, and Müller ripped a one-timer to give his team a lead before the intermission.
Second Period: The visitors took a pair of penalties early in the frame, setting up a five-on-three situation for MSU before the period was two minutes old. Off a faceoff win, the Spartans broke in on a two-on-one, and Müller dished it off to Isaac Howard on the right side just inside the blue line. Howard launched it from inside the right circle to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead. At 7:06, the Spartan lead was pushed out to three, as Tanner Kelly sent the puck into the slot for Tommi Männistö, and the freshman slid it over to Nash Nienhuis in the left circle in perfect position for the senior's first of the year. The Lakers scored twice over the balance of the frame to bring the game within reach – a nice feed from Timo Bakos to senior Tyler Williams led to the first goal of the season for the Lakers at 10:23, and a penalty shot conversion by Harrison Roy made it a 3-2 for the second intermission.
Third Period: With a renewed energy for the third, the Lakers outshot the Spartans by a significant margin early in the third period, but Augustine and the Spartan defense kept things a one-goal lead until Red Savage got on the board at 10:48. Savage set up the final Michigan State with a slick pass across the high slot to Viktor Hurtig, who took a step into the lower half of the right circle and sent home his first of the season. Augustine turned away all 12 shots by the Lakers in the third period.
Team Stats
LSS
MSU
Shots
31
37
PPG
0
1
SHG
0
0
Penalties
2
3
Penalty Mins
4
6
Faceoffs Won
20
45
Game Leaders
Skaters
+/-
1
Goals
1
Sh
4
A
1
+/-
2
Goals
1
Sh
2
A
1
+/-
1
Goals
1
Sh
2
A
1
+/-
2
Goals
1
Sh
4
A
0
Players Mentioned
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