Saturday, November 4
Columbus, OH
5 PM
Michigan State University
7-3-0, 2-0-0
6
at
4
Ohio State
3-3-3, 0-3-1
1
2
3
F
Michigan State
1
2
3
6
Ohio State
1
2
1
4
Spartans Sweep B1G Series With 6-4 Win At OSU
11/4/2023 8:06:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
Columbus, Ohio – No 12 Michigan State earned its first road sweep in conference play since 2016 with a 6-4 win at Ohio State on Saturday afternoon. The Spartans (7-3, 2-0 B1G) got two goals from Gavin O'Connell and four other players had multiple-point efforts as the team opened Big Ten play with the series sweep of the No. 13 Buckeyes.
The Spartans have started 2-0 in Big Ten play for the first time in program history, and secured a conference road sweep for the first time since November 2016 (against Wisconsin).
The Buckeyes (3-3-3, 0-3-1 B1G) got on the board just 11 seconds into the game, and the period went on another 19 minutes without a score until Isaac Howard got the Spartans on the board with 33 seconds remaining. Each team scored twice in the middle frame, and the home team took a 4-3 lead early in the third period. The resilient Spartans scored twice more – one from O'Connell off a faceoff and the game-winner tipped in front by Tanner Kelly at 14:42 - to go up 5-4. Nash Nienhuis closed it out with an empty-net tally with 90 seconds remaining.
Trey Augustine had 30 saves after a 34-save shutout on Friday. Freshman Patrick Geary had his first collegiate goal in the second period and he and Nienhuis each had a goal and an assist. Karsen Dorwart and Matt Basgall each had a pair of assists. O'Connell had four goals in the weekend series to lead MSU while Geary and Kelly each had their first goals of the season. MSU scored once on the pp in three chances, while its penalty kill shut down four of six chances against.
Scooter Brickey scored twice for the home team on Saturday, and Logan Terness made 26 saves in net.
Michigan State begins a four-game homestand next weekend, hosting Penn State (Nov. 10-11).
STATISTICS OF NOTE
First Period: After being held off the board in Friday's opener, Brent Johnson got the home team on the board just 11 seconds into the game. The Spartans picked up a pair of penalties in the frame (in addition to a 10-minute misconduct against Daniel Russell), 13-6 edge in shots for the home team until the final minutes of play. With just 33 seconds remaining in the period, Karsen Dorwart won the faceoff back to Nash Nienhuis at the left point, who saucered the pass to Isaac Howard just below the right hashmarks and he buried it to knot the game at 1-1.
Second Period: Early in the second period, the Spartans took their first lead of the game on a goal from the left dot by freshman Patrick Geary. Matt Basgall kept the puck in the zone at the high slot and dished it over to Geary. Geary skated into the circle and wristed it home from the dot for his first collegiate goal and a 2-1 MSU advantage. Midway through the period, Scooter Brickey held the puck on a rush up the ice and scored from the bottom of the right circle to make it 2-2. The Spartans answered 76 seconds later after a Buckeye penalty activated the MSU power play for the first time on the night – and just 16 seconds into the man advantage, Gavin O'Connell redirected a rebound off a save from Karsen Dorwart offering, and MSU had the lead once again. MSU's fourth penalty finally cost the Spartans, as Brickey's power play goal with just under two minutes remaining in the period tied the game at 3-3.
Third Period: An early penalty against MSU led to the Buckeyes going back on top early in the third period. Augustine made the initial save, but on the ensuing scramble in front of the net, Patrick Guzzo got a stick on it and popped it home to make it a 4-3 lead in favor of the home team at 2:33. MSU countered at 4:05 with a power play goal of its own, as Red Savage won the faceoff in the right circle right onto O'Connell's stick, and the freshman scored his second of the night and fourth of the weekend. Ohio State's Michael Gildon was called for a major and a DQ at the 8:46 mark, putting the visitors on an extended man advantage. Terness came up with six big saves and he was aided by four blocked shots the defense to extinguish the major penalty. MSU would not allow the puck out of the offensive zone after the penalty expired and kept pressing for a goal, which resulted in Tanner Kelly tipping a shot from the right point by Geary for his first goal of the season. Nash Nienhuis potted an empty netter with 1:20 remaining, sending the Spartans to their second win in the weekend. Trey Augustine turned away 13 shots in the period for a game total of 30.
The Spartans have started 2-0 in Big Ten play for the first time in program history, and secured a conference road sweep for the first time since November 2016 (against Wisconsin).
The Buckeyes (3-3-3, 0-3-1 B1G) got on the board just 11 seconds into the game, and the period went on another 19 minutes without a score until Isaac Howard got the Spartans on the board with 33 seconds remaining. Each team scored twice in the middle frame, and the home team took a 4-3 lead early in the third period. The resilient Spartans scored twice more – one from O'Connell off a faceoff and the game-winner tipped in front by Tanner Kelly at 14:42 - to go up 5-4. Nash Nienhuis closed it out with an empty-net tally with 90 seconds remaining.
Trey Augustine had 30 saves after a 34-save shutout on Friday. Freshman Patrick Geary had his first collegiate goal in the second period and he and Nienhuis each had a goal and an assist. Karsen Dorwart and Matt Basgall each had a pair of assists. O'Connell had four goals in the weekend series to lead MSU while Geary and Kelly each had their first goals of the season. MSU scored once on the pp in three chances, while its penalty kill shut down four of six chances against.
Scooter Brickey scored twice for the home team on Saturday, and Logan Terness made 26 saves in net.
Michigan State begins a four-game homestand next weekend, hosting Penn State (Nov. 10-11).
STATISTICS OF NOTE
- Gavin O'Connell scored two goals in the game and has back-to-back multiple goal games.
- Isaac Howard scored his second goal of the weekend in the first period.
- Patrick Geary scored the first goal of his career in the second period. He, Tommi Männistö, and Owen Baker all had their first collegiate goals this weekend against the Buckeyes, and added assists in the same game for multiple-point outings.
- Karsen Dorwart and Matt Basgall each had a pair of assists
- MSU has scored four or more goals in nine of 10 games this season and opened the Big Ten schedule with 12 goals in the series.
- The Spartans have never started Big Ten play 2-0 since the start of the league in 2013-14. The Spartans last swept a road weekend in February 2016 at Wisconsin.
First Period: After being held off the board in Friday's opener, Brent Johnson got the home team on the board just 11 seconds into the game. The Spartans picked up a pair of penalties in the frame (in addition to a 10-minute misconduct against Daniel Russell), 13-6 edge in shots for the home team until the final minutes of play. With just 33 seconds remaining in the period, Karsen Dorwart won the faceoff back to Nash Nienhuis at the left point, who saucered the pass to Isaac Howard just below the right hashmarks and he buried it to knot the game at 1-1.
Second Period: Early in the second period, the Spartans took their first lead of the game on a goal from the left dot by freshman Patrick Geary. Matt Basgall kept the puck in the zone at the high slot and dished it over to Geary. Geary skated into the circle and wristed it home from the dot for his first collegiate goal and a 2-1 MSU advantage. Midway through the period, Scooter Brickey held the puck on a rush up the ice and scored from the bottom of the right circle to make it 2-2. The Spartans answered 76 seconds later after a Buckeye penalty activated the MSU power play for the first time on the night – and just 16 seconds into the man advantage, Gavin O'Connell redirected a rebound off a save from Karsen Dorwart offering, and MSU had the lead once again. MSU's fourth penalty finally cost the Spartans, as Brickey's power play goal with just under two minutes remaining in the period tied the game at 3-3.
Third Period: An early penalty against MSU led to the Buckeyes going back on top early in the third period. Augustine made the initial save, but on the ensuing scramble in front of the net, Patrick Guzzo got a stick on it and popped it home to make it a 4-3 lead in favor of the home team at 2:33. MSU countered at 4:05 with a power play goal of its own, as Red Savage won the faceoff in the right circle right onto O'Connell's stick, and the freshman scored his second of the night and fourth of the weekend. Ohio State's Michael Gildon was called for a major and a DQ at the 8:46 mark, putting the visitors on an extended man advantage. Terness came up with six big saves and he was aided by four blocked shots the defense to extinguish the major penalty. MSU would not allow the puck out of the offensive zone after the penalty expired and kept pressing for a goal, which resulted in Tanner Kelly tipping a shot from the right point by Geary for his first goal of the season. Nash Nienhuis potted an empty netter with 1:20 remaining, sending the Spartans to their second win in the weekend. Trey Augustine turned away 13 shots in the period for a game total of 30.
Team Stats
MSU
OSU
Shots
32
34
PPG
1
2
SHG
0
0
Penalties
7
4
Penalty Mins
22
19
Faceoffs Won
35
36
Game Leaders
+/-
0
Goals
2
Sh
3
A
0
+/-
2
Goals
1
Sh
4
A
1
+/-
2
Goals
1
Sh
2
A
1
+/-
1
Goals
0
Sh
2
A
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice HockeyD
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice HockeyF
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice HockeyAdam Nightingale Postgame Comments | Penn State
Saturday, November 08
Adam Nightingale Postgame Comments | Penn State
Friday, November 07
Adam Nightingale | Hockey Press Conference | November 4, 2025
Tuesday, November 04
Adam Nightingale Postgame Comments | NMU
Saturday, October 25