Friday, February 23
7 PM
Michigan State University
20-8-3, 14-5-2
2
vs
6
Ohio State
12-15-4, 4-15-2
1
2
3
F
Ohio State
1
3
2
6
Michigan State
1
1
0
2
Spartans Tripped by OSU Friday at Munn
2/23/2024 10:03:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
East Lansing, Mich.. – Michigan State dropped a 6-2 decision to Ohio State at home on Friday despite a two-goal effort from Gavin O'Connell.
The Spartans (20-8-3, 14-5-2 B1G) saw its lead in the Big Ten standings shrink to one point, as the loss combined with a Wisconsin win at Penn State puts the Badgers with 45 points. The two teams are assured to finish in the top two spots in the standings with a series on tap for next weekend in Madison.
In addition to O'Connell's two goals, the Spartans got three of their four assists from defensemen – Matt Basgall (11th), Nash Nienhuis (12th) and Artyom Levshunov (21st). Isaac Howard had his 20th assist of the season. Trey Augustine made 27 saves.
Ohio State blocked 26 shots in addition to the 34 saves by goaltender Logan Terness – the most blocked shots by a Big Ten opponent against the Spartans this season. Freshman Sam Deckhut had his first two career goals for the Buckeyes (12-15-4, 4-15-2), who won their third straight Big Ten game and first on the road in B1G play. Ohio State matched its season high for goals in a game this season and won its third straight conference game after beginning the B1G season 1-15-2. The Buckeyes were also 2-for-5 on the power play.
The teams complete their four-game season series on Saturday in a 6 pm puck drop at Munn Ice Arena. The Spartans will honor their six-man senior class (captain Nash Nienhuis, alternate captain Nicolas Müller, James Crossman, Jeremy Davidson, Reed Lebster, Jon Mor) and senior student manager Sam Rozema in a ceremony involving the Spartan hockey alumni at the conclusion of Saturday's game.
STATISTICS OF NOTE
First Period: Michigan State jumped on the board within the first two minutes of the game, as O'Connell tipped a shot in front for his 12th goal of the season. The primary assist went to Isaac Howard, who put it on net from the half-wall just above the right circle. Deckhut scored his first career goal at 8:39 of the period, tipping a shot by Dalton Messina in front. Ohio State had a 19-10 edge in shots on net at the end of the opening period, blocking nine MSU shots.
Second Period: After the teams crossed the midpoint of the second period still in a 1-1 deadlock, the Buckeyes exploded for three goals in a six-minute span to take a 4-1 lead. The first came just 10 seconds into a power play on a shot by Scooter Brickey out of the right circle, and then Deckhut tipped a second one home at 16:37. The officials reviewed a delayed penalty after the third OSU goal went on the board, and Tommi Männistö was sent off for a five-minute major for hitting from behind. On the ensuing major, Cam Thiessing got his ninth of the season to push the visitor lead to 4-1. MSU was not deterred – after Max Montes took a tripping call to even things up four-on-four, the Spartans were buzzing in their offensive zone yet again. Howard got the puck to Levshunov at the right point with 30 seconds remaining, and he sent the puck netward. It was tipped by Nienhuis en route, and after Terness made the save, the rebound sat at the top of the crease for O'Connell, who spun and had a wide-open left side for his second goal of the night. MSU outshot its guests 15-7 in the period, and got the timely goal right before the end of the frame to make it a 4-2 game headed into the final 20.
Third Period: Some air came out of the MSU sails at the midpoint of the period, when Michael Gildon forced a turnover at the blueline to get a mini-breakaway. He got Augustine to commit to his left, then finished over the goalie's leg pad at the left post for his fifth goal of the season. The final dagger came for OSU at 11:47, when Davis Burnside scored his seventh of the season and the second pf the period for the visitors. MSU outshot the Buckeyes once again in the third, 11-7.
The Spartans (20-8-3, 14-5-2 B1G) saw its lead in the Big Ten standings shrink to one point, as the loss combined with a Wisconsin win at Penn State puts the Badgers with 45 points. The two teams are assured to finish in the top two spots in the standings with a series on tap for next weekend in Madison.
In addition to O'Connell's two goals, the Spartans got three of their four assists from defensemen – Matt Basgall (11th), Nash Nienhuis (12th) and Artyom Levshunov (21st). Isaac Howard had his 20th assist of the season. Trey Augustine made 27 saves.
Ohio State blocked 26 shots in addition to the 34 saves by goaltender Logan Terness – the most blocked shots by a Big Ten opponent against the Spartans this season. Freshman Sam Deckhut had his first two career goals for the Buckeyes (12-15-4, 4-15-2), who won their third straight Big Ten game and first on the road in B1G play. Ohio State matched its season high for goals in a game this season and won its third straight conference game after beginning the B1G season 1-15-2. The Buckeyes were also 2-for-5 on the power play.
The teams complete their four-game season series on Saturday in a 6 pm puck drop at Munn Ice Arena. The Spartans will honor their six-man senior class (captain Nash Nienhuis, alternate captain Nicolas Müller, James Crossman, Jeremy Davidson, Reed Lebster, Jon Mor) and senior student manager Sam Rozema in a ceremony involving the Spartan hockey alumni at the conclusion of Saturday's game.
STATISTICS OF NOTE
- Gavin O'Connell had a pair of goals – his third two-goal game against OSU this season and his fourth multiple-goal game of the season overall. He pushed his season total to 13 scores, good for second among Spartans.
- O'Connell's first-period goal was his first since Jan. 20 at Michigan.
- Levshunov has tied AJ Thelen's 29 points (8-21-29) in 2003-04 as the team's top-scoring freshman blueliner since Jason Wooley in 1988-89.
- Isaac Howard recorded his 20th assist of the season on o'Connell's first goal.
- MSU got three assists on its two goals from defensemen – Basgall had the secondary assist on O'Connell's first goal, and Nienhuis and Levshunov each had one on his second.
- Junior Tanner Kelly skated in his 100th career game tonight.
- MSU was held under three goals for just the sixth time this season.
- The Spartans dropped a game to an unranked team for the first time since Oct. 12 at Air Force (6-5)
First Period: Michigan State jumped on the board within the first two minutes of the game, as O'Connell tipped a shot in front for his 12th goal of the season. The primary assist went to Isaac Howard, who put it on net from the half-wall just above the right circle. Deckhut scored his first career goal at 8:39 of the period, tipping a shot by Dalton Messina in front. Ohio State had a 19-10 edge in shots on net at the end of the opening period, blocking nine MSU shots.
Second Period: After the teams crossed the midpoint of the second period still in a 1-1 deadlock, the Buckeyes exploded for three goals in a six-minute span to take a 4-1 lead. The first came just 10 seconds into a power play on a shot by Scooter Brickey out of the right circle, and then Deckhut tipped a second one home at 16:37. The officials reviewed a delayed penalty after the third OSU goal went on the board, and Tommi Männistö was sent off for a five-minute major for hitting from behind. On the ensuing major, Cam Thiessing got his ninth of the season to push the visitor lead to 4-1. MSU was not deterred – after Max Montes took a tripping call to even things up four-on-four, the Spartans were buzzing in their offensive zone yet again. Howard got the puck to Levshunov at the right point with 30 seconds remaining, and he sent the puck netward. It was tipped by Nienhuis en route, and after Terness made the save, the rebound sat at the top of the crease for O'Connell, who spun and had a wide-open left side for his second goal of the night. MSU outshot its guests 15-7 in the period, and got the timely goal right before the end of the frame to make it a 4-2 game headed into the final 20.
Third Period: Some air came out of the MSU sails at the midpoint of the period, when Michael Gildon forced a turnover at the blueline to get a mini-breakaway. He got Augustine to commit to his left, then finished over the goalie's leg pad at the left post for his fifth goal of the season. The final dagger came for OSU at 11:47, when Davis Burnside scored his seventh of the season and the second pf the period for the visitors. MSU outshot the Buckeyes once again in the third, 11-7.
Team Stats
OSU
MSU
Shots
33
36
PPG
2
1
SHG
0
0
Penalties
5
4
Penalty Mins
10
11
Faceoffs Won
27
48
Game Leaders
+/-
0
Goals
2
Sh
3
A
0
+/-
0
Goals
0
Sh
6
A
1
+/-
-1
Goals
0
Sh
3
A
1
+/-
-2
Goals
0
Sh
3
A
1
Players Mentioned
G
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