Four Spartans Score in 4-2 Win Over LSSU

East Lansing, Mich. – For the first time in more than a decade, the Michigan State hockey team has begun the season 2-0, as the Spartans completed a series sweep of Lake Superior State with a 4-2 win on Sunday.

The Spartans, who last won the two opening games of the season in 2009-10 with wins over Clarkson, showed improvement from game one to game two of the series, peppering LSSU goalie Ethan Langenegger with 49 shots on the afternoon.

MSU got goals from four different players on the afternoon, with three netting their first of the season and two the first of their Spartan careers. Nicolas Müller had a pair of assists (the only player with multiple points on the day), while freshman Artyom Levshunov and grad student Reed Lebster each scored their first in Green and White and Red Savage had his second goal of the weekend.

MSU had 1-0 and 3-1 leads, but the Lakers kept the Spartans off the scoreboard with the excellent play of Langenegger. Connor Milburn scored the first of the day for LSSU on a turnover deep in the MSU zone, and John Herrington batted a rebound out of midair to cut the game back down to 3-2 in the third period. MSU iced the game with a Karsen Dorwart empty-net tally in the final minute.

MSU was 0-2 on the power play, while the Lakers were 0-3. MSU extinguished a 5-on-3 opportunity for LSSU early in the game, and then another penalty in the third when whistled for too many men.

Michigan State heads to Colorado Springs for a pair of games at the Air Force Academy on Thursday and Friday.

STATISTICS OF NOTE

Artyom Levshunov is the first member of the freshman class to record a goal this season.
Red Savage now leads the team in goals with two, as he scored in each of the two games against the Lakers this series.
Reed Lebster scored his first goal as a Spartan in the third period, redirecting a shot by Patrick Geary from the left point.
Nicolas Müller is tied for the team lead in points (3) after picking up assists on both Artyom Levshunov and Reed Lebster's goals in the game.
Trey Augustine had 26 saves to go with 29 on Saturday, allowing two goals in each game.
MSU started the season 2-0 for the first time since the 2009-10 season, when MSU swept Clarkson, 6-1, 4-3.

First Period: The Spartans found themselves down two men in the first five minutes of the game, as Patrick Geary (interference) and Red Savage (charging) were sent to the box. MSU extinguished the five-on-three with a pair of odd-man rushes. MSU carried play throughout, spending extended stretches in the offensive zone. The Spartans finally broke through at the 12:30 mark, when Jeremy Davidson got the puck up to Artyom Levshunov, and his shot from the high slot found its way through traffic and past Langenegger. MSU outshot its guests 19-8 in the frame

Here's that first collegiate goal from Artyom Levshunov. pic.twitter.com/7azT73PZ12
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) October 8, 2023

Second Period: Midway through the second period, the Lakers tied the game up on a turnover behind the Spartan net. MSU tried to send the puck out but it ended up directly on the stick of Connor Mulburn, who one-timed it past Augustine for a tie game, 1-1. It was the first shot of the period for the Lakers (at 8:25). The Spartans got it right back, however – Joey Larson streaked into the zone on the ensuing shift and drove deep to the left post, where Langenegger saved Larson's attempt. Larson slid it out to the right side for a wide-open Red Savage, who scored his second of the weekend at 8:57. As a Laker penalty expired at 15:40, LSSU was able to spring for a 3-on-1 break. Sasha Teleguine took the shot from the right side, but Augustine turned it away with a big pad save to retain the 2-1 lead for MSU. The Spartans held a 15-3 edge in shots over LSSU and 35-12 in the game.

Trey Augustine with the big save on a three-on-one Laker Break. pic.twitter.com/DFZvcT3ooj
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) October 8, 2023

Third Period: The Spartans scored early in the third period, as Reed Lebster redirected a blast from the left point by Patrick Geary for his first goal in Green and White. However, the visitors scored just over a minute later to cut the lead back to a single goal, as John Harrington batted an Augustine save out of mid-air for his first goal of the season. LSSU pulled their goalie in favor of an extra skater for the final two and a half minutes in an effort to find a tying goal, but Karsen Dorwart got his first of the season at 19:09 of the period to ice the game. Trey Augustine had 15 of his 26 saves in the final period.

Reed Lebster redirects a blast from the point by Patrick Geary to give MSU a 3-1 lead in the third. pic.twitter.com/ZX9jltLfpF
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) October 8, 2023

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Team Stats

Artyom Levshunov

Nicolas Müller

Karsen Dorwart

Reed Lebster

Players Mentioned

Trey Augustine

Jeremy Davidson

Karsen Dorwart

Patrick Geary

Joey Larson

Reed Lebster

Artyom Levshunov

Red Savage

Players Mentioned

Trey Augustine

Jeremy Davidson

Karsen Dorwart

Patrick Geary

Joey Larson

Reed Lebster

Artyom Levshunov

Red Savage