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EAST LANSING– Michigan State Hockey has high expectations coming off a historic 2023-24 campaign.
The Spartans are led by head coach Adam Nightengale, who was hired in 2022. Nightingale turned the program around in his first two seasons, with a record of 42-29-5, the second-most wins over two years in program history.
Last season, the Spartans won the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles, along with a second-round appearance in the NCAA Men’s Hockey tournament.
For how great the last season was, the Spartans still believe they have unfinished business.
“We want to win a national championship, so we have a lot to work toward and something to prove,” said alternate captain Matt Basgall.
MSU sophomore defender Matt Basgall hoists the Duel in the D trophy after a Spartan victory over Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2024 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. (Avery Kotel)Heading into the new season, the Spartans are no longer a team flying under the radar. Both major polls have the Spartans as the No. 4 ranked team.
Not only do they have the respect of the media, but they were also selected as the favorites to win the Big Ten by the coaches.
Sophomore goaltender Trey Augustine is eager to face the challenge of meeting those high regards.
“There are obviously a lot of expectations this year, and we know there’s a lot of work to be done. We look forward to the challenge and to seeing what we can do this year.”
Along with Augustine, junior forwards Karsen Dorwart and Isaac Howard were named to the All-Big Ten First Team.
Senior Red Savage was voted captain by the players, despite only being in his second season as a Spartan.
“He plays extremely hard, he plays winning hockey and I think he’s a great example for our young guys,” Nightingale said.
The Spartans are returning 17 players from the year prior, while also mixing in some new faces.
“You can expect us to look different this year – we have nine new players,” Dorwart said. “We have guys who are able and ready to step up into new roles.”
However, the Spartans did lose their star defenseman from the year prior Artyom Levshunov, who was drafted second overall in the NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks.
Many other players had the opportunity to leave the Spartans for “The Show” but ultimately decided to come back for another year of collegiate hockey.
“We had four guys who had the opportunity to sign NHL contracts and decided not to,” Nightingale said.
Munn Ice Arena is celebrating a milestone 50th anniversary this season. Last season, Spartan fans showed out, ranking sixth in average attendance.
The Spartans’ first series at Munn is a big one, facing off against the National Championship runner-up Boston College Eagles. This will be a top-five matchup as the Eagles are ranked No. 2 in the polls.
The Spartans will also have four games against in-state rival, the Michigan Wolverines. After winning the regular season series 3-1, the Spartans beat the Wolverines in an overtime thriller to win the Big Ten Tournament.
Ultimately the Wolverines got the last laugh, eliminating Michigan State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Spartans will begin their season with a weekend against the Lake Superior State Lakers on Oct. 4 and 5.
Nightingale is quite familiar with Lake Shore State, beginning his college hockey career as a Laker before transferring to Michigan State in 2002.
EAST LANSING- Michigan State head coach Adam Nightingale and Michigan State hockey have been active on the recruiting trail this offseason. The Spartans recently added two new commits to strengthen their program. Jack Hextall and Nick Bogas recently committed to MSU as 2008-born recruits. Here is a breakdown of each of the recruits:
Jack Hextall
A forward from Rolling Meadows, Ill, Jack Hextall commits to the Spartans as a talented five-star recruit.
Hextall last played for the Chicago Mission in the previous season, where he appeared in 64 games, recorded an impressive 88 points with 29 goals and 59 assists, and led the Mission to the 15U AAA National Championship.
For the 2024-25 season, Hextall is set to play for the Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL.
Nick Bogas
Nick Bogas, a native of Bloomfield Hills, MI commits to the Spartans as a talented defenseman.
During the 2023-24 season with the Oakland Golden Grizzlies Bogas appeared in 64 games putting up 39 points with 12 goals and 27 assists.
Bogas also earned a roster spot with the US Five Nations team after a strong showing at the USA Hockey National 16 Camp. Bogas played for Team Navy in four games and recorded three assists.
EAST LANSING- With hockey season just around the corner, Michigan State hockey is looking to reach higher after a historic 2023-24 season.
During the offseason, the Spartans brought in six freshmen and three transfers to the program.
MSU head coach Adam Nightingale, will be entering his third season as the head man for the Spartans.
Nightingale has recently been recruiting heavily for future seasons, adding three recruits on the opening day of recruitment for current high school juniors. Here is the complete list:
Jonas Kemps
Jonas Kemps commits to the Spartans as a talented defenseman from Sebastopol, CA. During this past season, Kemps played for the Anaheim Junior Ducks 15U team.
In 60 games for the Junior Ducks, Kemps recorded 39 points with 14 goals and 25 assists. Kemps is set to play for the USNTDP next season before arriving at MSU in the fall of 2027.
Chase Reid
A native of Chesterfield, MI, Chase Reid commits to MSU as the Spartans add another defenseman to the future of their program.
Reid played for the Victory Honda 16U team this past season appearing in 68 games and notching 62 points with 14 goals and 48 assists.
Reid also appeared in 10 games with the Waterloo Blackhawks in the USHL. Reid is set to arrive in East Lansing and appear in a Spartan uniform in 2027.
Brody George
Brody George, a native of Johnstown, PA commits to the Spartans as a forward. George played for the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 15U team appearing in 61 games putting up 64 points with 32 goals and assists.
George will play for the U.S. National U17 team before enrolling at MSU for the 2027-28 season.
EAST LANSING- Coming off of one of the most impressive seasons in program history that featured a Big Ten regular season and tournament championship, Michigan State hockey added several talented freshmen and transfers for the 2024-25 season.
The Spartans added six freshmen and three transfers in hopes of continuing their success in head coach Adam Nightingale’s third season.
Owen West
Owen West, a freshman from Pittsboro, IN joins the Spartans after playing two seasons with the Des Moines Buccaneers in the USHL. West played as a defenseman for the Buccaneers recording seven goals and 12 assists in his final season with Des Moines.
Vladislav Lukashevich
Vladislav Lukashevich, a defenseman from Russia joins the Spartans after playing for the Tri-City Storm recording 11 goals and 43 points in 54 games for the Storm. Lukashevich like many players on MSU’s roster has already been drafted by an NHL team. The Florida Panthers drafted Lukashevich in the fourth round in 2021.
Mikey DeAngelo
A native of Ithasca, Ill, Mikey DeAngelo is coming off an impressive final season with the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL. The forward was a captain for the Gamblers in his final season recording 23 goals and 52 points in 58 games.
Kaden Nelson
A forward from Duluth, MN, Kaden Nelson played for the Oklahoma Warriors in the NAHL. In his second season with the Warriors, Nelson recorded a career-high 49 points, 23 goals, and 26 assists during the 2023-24 season.
Nathan Mackie
Nathan Mackie, a forward from British Columbia joins the Spartans recently playing for Salmon Arm Silverbacks in the BCHL. In his final season with the Silverbacks, Mackie recorded 10 goals, 12 assists, and 22 points. Mackie was also impressive in the playoffs for the Silverbacks compiling 6 goals, 6 assists, and 12 points.
Shane Vansaghi
Shane Vansaghi played as a forward for the USA National Development Team (USNDTP) and is projected to be drafted in next year’s NHL Draft. During his last season with the National Development team, Vansaghi notched 12 goals and 11 assists. Vansaghi played 59 games last season with the team and also played on the U18 IIHF World Junior team.
Charlie Stramel
Former Wisconsin junior forward and 2023 first-round selection by the Minnesota Wild, Charlie Stramel is one of the three transfers to join the Spartans for the 2024-25 season. Last season with the Badgers, Stramel recorded eight points with three goals and five assists in 35 games.
Nicklas Andrews
A transfer defenseman from Colorado College, Nicklas Andrews joins the Spartans as a graduate transfer. A native of Canton, MI, Andrews was impressive in his senior season for the Tigers. Andrews recorded a career-high 17-point season with three goals and 14 assists. For his stellar play on the ice, Andrews was named a finalist for the Defenseman of the Year in the NCHC.
Dolan Gilbert
Dolan Gilbert joins the Spartans as a transfer from Concordia University in Wisconsin. During the 2022-23 season for Concordia, Gilbert recorded a .810 save percentage in the 10 games that he appeared in. The highlight of Gilbert’s freshman year with Falcons was putting up a season high 45 saves in a game against Adrian. Gilbert will be joining the Spartans program as a junior.
EAST LANSING- Michigan State hockey announced on Sunday that two players and one team staff member were selected to compete for Team USA at the IIHF World Championships in the Czech Republic from May 10-26.
Freshman goaltender Trey Augustine and former MSU defenseman Jeff Petry are the two players who will represent Team USA.
Augustine is coming off of an impressive freshman season for the Spartans and has previously played for Team USA in the World Junior Championships. In January, he led the Team USA U20 team to the gold medal and won gold with the U18 team last May. This will be Augustine’s first appearance at the senior men’s World Championsip.
During his freshman campaign at MSU, Augustine earned All-Big Ten honors, being selected to the All-Big Ten Second team and Freshman team. He was also selected as a finalist for the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year, leading the Spartans to their first Big Ten regular season and tournament championship.
Jeff Petry will be competing in his fourth World Championship after completing his 14th NHL season for the Detroit Red Wings. During his time at MSU from 2007 to 2010, he compiled a 9, 58, and 67 scoring line over three seasons, including captaining the Spartans as a junior.
Petry was selected by the Edmonton Oilers at No. 45 overall in the 2006 NHL Draft and has appeared in 937 NHL games, playing for Edmonton, Montreal, Pittsburgh, and Detroit.
MSU’s performance coach Will Morlock will also represent Team USA as the Strength and Conditioning coach.
Morlock is coming off of his second season as the performance coach for the Spartans. He was a part of the Team USA staff at the 2023 World Junior Championships and won the bronze medal.
Team USA will be in Group B with nations including France, Germany, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, and Sweden. They will open up group play against Sweden on May 10 in Ostrava.
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo – For the sixth time this season, the No. 1 seed Michigan State hockey team faced off against Michigan, this time in the Maryland Heights regional final with a trip to the Frozen Four on the line. The No. 3 seeded Wolverines defeated the Spartans 5-2 with four third-period goals to advance to their third consecutive Frozen Four, bringing MSU’s historic season to a stunning close.
“We win with class and we lose with class, I thought our guys finished the game really well,” said MSU head coach Adam Nightingale. “That’s how we’re trying to lay the foundation for our program.”
In a tie game at 2-2 midway through the third period, twelve seconds was all it took for the Wolverines to pull away. Junior forward Dylan Duke, who has scored in every matchup this season against the Spartans, scored the game-deciding goal, with sophomore forward TJ Hughes picking up the assist.
Sophomore forward Gavin Brindley scored the second goal off a great between-the-legs pass from Frank Nazar to extend the Wolverine lead to 4-2.
“Give credit to them [Michigan], they’ve got some talent, some guys made big-time plays,” said Nightingale. “Frankie [Frank] Nazar made a special play.”
Duke scored his second goal of the game to put the finishing touches on the win for Michigan with two minutes to play.
Graduate goaltender Jake Barczewski shined in the win, recording 38 saves on the night. Graduate defenseman Marshall Warren and junior defenseman Ethan Edwards also recorded goals for the Wolverines.
Freshman forward Gavin O’Connell and sophomore forward Joey Larson both recorded power-play goals for MSU in the loss. Freshman goaltender Trey Augustine recorded 30 saves for MSU.
Despite the loss, the Spartans have much to be proud of this season, as the team won the Big Ten regular season and tournament title for the first time in program history.
“We were first place wire to wire and that’s not easy to do in our conference with the youngest team,” said Nightingale. “That’s why I respect our guys a ton, every night this year we played, the other team was coming in playing first-place Michigan State, and that’s pretty impressive.”
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo – For the sixth time this season, No. 1 seed Michigan State hockey will face off against No. 3 seed Michigan, this time in the NCAA tournament regional final with a trip to the Frozen Four on the line.
Both the Spartans and Wolverines had come from behind wins to advance to the final.
MSU advanced to the regional final after rallying from a 4-2 deficit to defeat Western Michigan 5-4 in overtime off a game-winning goal by senior forward Jeremy Davidson. Sophomore forward Karsen Dorwart and senior defenseman Nash Nienhuis also helped spark the rally for MSU with goals in the third period.
The Wolverines defeated North Dakota 4-3, rallying from a 2-1 deficit entering the third period to advance to the regional final. Junior forward Dylan Duke’s two goals in the third period led Michigan, while sophomore forwards Frank Nazar and TJ Hughes also recorded goals in the win.
The Spartans enter this game with a 4-1 record against Michigan on the season and have won the last four meetings against their rival. Their last win came just a week ago when they defeated the Wolverines 5-4 in overtime to capture the Big Ten Tournament Championship.
Michigan’s lone win against the Spartans came in the first game of the season series on Jan. 19 at Munn Ice Arena, in which the Wolverines won 7-1.
The key to a Spartan victory will be to control the Wolverines on the power play. Michigan is the number one team in the nation in power play percentage, while MSU ranks seventh.
The Wolverines will need to take advantage of their opportunities on the power play against Michigan State’s defense, which struggles to kill penalties.
The Spartans will look to advance to their first Frozen Four since winning the 2007 National Championship, while Michigan is looking to advance to their third straight Frozen Four. Puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m. ET from Centene Community Ice Center.
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. – For the first time since 2012, the Michigan State hockey team appeared in the NCAA Hockey Tournament against in-state foe Western Michigan in the Maryland Heights regional semifinal. The No. 1-seeded Spartans rallied from a 4-2 deficit to defeat the Broncos 5-4 in overtime, advancing to the regional final.
“Proud of our guys, that was a really special game for us, our goal is to come here and win two hockey games,” said MSU head coach Adam Nightingale. “Our group has done a good job of being even-keeled.”
Entering the third period, MSU trailed 4-2 after three unanswered goals in the second period for Western Michigan by freshman forward Alex Bump, senior forward Sam Colangelo, and graduate defenseman Zak Galambos.
Halfway through the third period, senior defenseman Nash Nienhuis scored to help spark the Spartan rally, cutting their deficit to one.
“It just comes down to our forwards and their ability to turn pucks over and make great plays,” said Nienhuis. “I got to compliment our forwards, they help make it easy for us.”
With under a minute to play, sophomore forward Karsen Dorwart received a great pass from freshman defenseman Artyom Levshunov to even the contest up at four.
Nine minutes into overtime, senior forward Jeremy Davidson scored the game-winner to cap off a thrilling come-from-behind win for the Spartans.
“He’s been through a lot, thankful for him for buying in, it was good to see him get the goal,” said Nightingale.
Freshman goaltender Trey Augustine recorded 34 saves in the win. Sophomore forward Daniel Russell and junior defenseman David Gucciardi also recorded goals in the win.
The Spartans will face the winner of North Dakota and Michigan in the regional final. Puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.
EAST LANSING – Michigan State hockey will compete in the NCAA Hockey Tournament for the first time since 2012, fresh off of winning their first Big Ten Tournament title in program history.
The Spartans earned the fourth No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will face off against Western Michigan in the Maryland Heights Regional Semifinal on Friday, March 29. North Dakota and Michigan also highlight the region.
“We’re focused on the first game, one game shot anything can happen, I’m excited for our guys to earn this opportunity and take advantage of it,” said MSU head coach Adam Nightingale.
Western Michigan enters the tournament with a 21-15-1 record on the season and finished sixth in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference with an 11-13-0 conference record.
The Broncos currently boast the 11th-best scoring defense, allowing 2.49 goals per game. The Spartans and Broncos rank among the best in the nation in scoring offense with MSU ranking seventh and Western Michigan ranking ninth.
“[Western Michigan] competitive, they score, they’re one of the highest scoring teams in the country, they play heavy, those are all qualities of a really good team. There’s a reason they’ve had the season they’ve had,” said Nightingale.
Western Michigan does an excellent job on the penalty kill. The Broncos are 12th in the country in penalty-kill percentage. This will be a key for the Broncos against the Spartans on power plays, as MSU ranks seventh in power play percentage.
Players to watch for Western Michigan include senior forward Sam Colangelo and junior forward Dylan Wendt, who lead the Broncos in goals with 23.
Key players to watch for MSU include freshman goaltender Trey Augustine, senior defenseman Nash Nienhuis, and sophomore forward Daniel Russell, who all had impactful performances in the Big Ten Tournament.
“It feels great, we put a ton of work in this year and to see how that played out is great,” said MSU senior defenseman Nash Nienhuis.
Senior forward Jeremy Davidson and sophomore defenseman Matt Basgall, who were both crucial down the stretch in the overtime win against Michigan, will also be players to watch.
The key for the Spartans will be to take advantage of power play opportunities against a Western Michigan unit that excels on the penalty kill.
The Spartans will look to capture their first NCAA Tournament win since 2008. Puck drop is set for 5 p.m. at Centene Community Ice Center.
Jack David and Matt Coury return for another episode of Impact Sports Daily to prepare for a big weekend in sports. They discuss the sweet 16 of men’s and women’s March Madness, MLB Opening Day, MSU hockey, and more.
EAST LANSING – In front of a sold-out and hostile crowd, No. 4 Michigan State hockey captured its first Big Ten tournament title in program history with a thrilling 5-4 overtime win over rival No. 11 Michigan.
“You can argue that might have been the biggest game in Munn history,” MSU head coach Adam Nightingale said. “That crowd was awesome, and for them to be able to stick with us and believe in us makes it even more special.”
MSU freshman defender Patrick Geary (2) celebrates with sophomore forward Tiernan Shoudy (13) after a Spartan goal in a 5-4 overtime victory over Michigan for the B1G Championship on Saturday, Mar. 23, 2024 at Munn Ice Arena. (Avery Kotel)Freshman defenseman Patrick Geary was the hero for MSU, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime. Graduate forward Reed Lebster and fifth-year senior Nicolas Muller picked up the game-winning assists on the goal.
In a game featuring several different momentum-changing plays, the Spartans rose to the occasion when it mattered most. Five Spartans recorded goals in the win including impressive performances from senior forward Jeremy Davidson and sophomore defenseman Matt Basgall.
MSU Head Coach Adam Nightingale looks on during his team’s 5-4 overtime victory over Michigan for the B1G Tournament Championship on Saturday, Mar. 23, 2024 at Munn Ice Arena. (Avery Kotel)“Our crowd really energized our guys down the stretch,” said Nightingale. “We responded multiple times throughout the game from being down, they [Michigan] had some good pushes.”
Freshman goaltender Trey Augustine recorded 33 saves in the win and was named the most outstanding player of the Big Ten Tournament.
Sophomore defenseman Daniel Russell and junior forward Tanner Kelly also recorded goals in the win. Russell was named to the All-Big Ten Tournament team along with senior defenseman Nash Nienhuis.
The Spartans hoist the B1G Tournament trophy after a 5-4 overtime victory over Michigan on Saturday, Mar. 23, 2024 at Munn Ice Arena. (Avery Kotel)Sophomore forward Frank Nazar III led the Wolverines in the loss, scoring two goals, while graduate defenseman Marshall Warren and junior forward Dylan Duke also recorded goals.
The Spartans will now wait to see where they are selected for the NCAA Tournament on Sunday at 6:30 p.m.
“We’ve got areas to clean up, dress rehearsal is done and it’s win or go home,” said Nightingale. “We’ve got to make sure we get a little rest, and be ready for whoever we’re gonna play.”
EAST LANSING- The No. 4 Michigan State hockey team will face off against No. 11 Michigan on Saturday night at Munn Ice Arena for the Big Ten Championship.
The Spartans defeated Ohio State 2-1 in the semifinal game to advance to their first Big Ten Tournament title game in program history. Sophomore forward Daniel Russell and senior defenseman Nash Nienhaus each recorded goals in the win.
The Wolverines defeated No. 6 Minnesota 2-1 to advance to the final. Sophomore forwards Gavin Brindley and Kienan Draper led Michigan with a goal.
MSU is 3-1 against Michigan this season and has won their last three games against the Wolverines after dropping the first matchup 7-1 at Munn Ice Arena on Jan 19.
In their last series against the Wolverines, MSU defeated Michigan 5-1 in Ann Arbor and 3-2 in the annual “Duel in the D” matchup at Little Caesars Arena. Sophomore forward Karsen Dorwart and junior forward Tanner Kelly were impressive in the series.
Dorwart and Kelly will be players to watch in the title game along with freshman forward Gavin O’Connell and freshman defenseman Artyom Levshunov.
For the Wolverines, players to watch include sophomore forwards TJ Hughes and Rutger McGroarty, and junior forward Dylan Duke. Duke has scored four goals this season in games against the Spartans, while Hughes and McGroarty have scored three.
The power play will be a key factor in which team is successful in this heavyweight matchup. The Spartans and the Wolverines are both at the top of the Big Ten in power play percentage, with Michigan in first and MSU in second.
The Spartans and the Wolverines are both the best in the Big Ten in shorthanded goals, with the Spartans having seven and the Wolverines having six.
MSU will look to secure its first Big Ten Tournament title in program history. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. at Munn Ice Arena.
EAST LANSING – The Big Ten announced their selections for the postseason All-Big Ten awards on Tuesday afternoon. Freshman defenseman Artyom Levshunov and freshman goaltender Trey Augustine led the selections for the Spartans.
Levshunov earned four postseason awards, being named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Levshunov was also selected to the All-Big Ten First Team and All-Freshman Team.
Augustine joined Levshunov on the All-Freshman team and earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors.
In addition to the selections, sophomore forwards Karsen Dorwart, Issac Howard, and Joey Larson earned spots on the Honorable Mention team. 5th year senior Nicolas Muller was also named the team’s recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
“With the team success comes individual success,” said MSU head coach Adam Nightingale. “We are super excited for the guys that both won awards and were honorable mention. What I enjoy most about them is that it is never about themselves, but rather, the team.”
Nightingale was named Big Ten Coach of the Year, giving the Spartans three major award winners for the season.
The Spartans won their first Big Ten regular season title in program history this season under the helm of Nightingale.
MSU will play for its first Big Ten Tournament Championship this Saturday against No. 11 Michigan at Munn Ice Arena.
EAST LANSING – No. 4 Michigan State hockey was back on the ice to face off against Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal at Munn Ice Arena.
In what was a hostile postseason environment, the top-seeded Spartans defeated the Buckeyes 2-1 to advance to their first Big Ten Tournament final in program history.
MSU junior forward Red Savage (21) battles for the puck in a face-off during a 2-1 victory over Ohio State in the B1G Tournament semifinal on Saturday, Mar. 16, 2024 at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing. (Photo by Avery Kotel)The Spartans were led by sophomore forward Daniel Russell, who scored his 11th goal of the season in the win along with an impressive 37-save performance by freshman goaltender Trey Augustine.
“I thought it was a back-and-forth type checking game, Trey made some big saves for us,” said MSU head coach Adam Nightingale.
With the game tied at 1 early in the third period, after a goal by Ohio State’s Max Montes, senior defenseman Nash Nienhuis scored the game-deciding goal 13 seconds after Montes’ goal to put MSU up 2-1.
MSU senior defender Nash Nienhuis (middle) celebrates a goal with sophomore forward Tiernan Shoudy (13) during a 2-1 victory over Ohio State in the B1G Tournament semifinal on Saturday, Mar. 16, 2024 at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing. (Photo by Avery Kotel)“That line was great for us and they always are, they create a lot of energy for us,” said Nienhuis.
An Ohio State goal that would’ve tied the game at 2 was called back after the Buckeyes were called offside, which was a key turning point in the game.
“Sometimes they go your way, sometimes they don’t,” said Nightingale. “Things happen fast, the game is getting so fast it’s hard for the officials to see that stuff live, that was a big-time call.”
For the Buckeyes, junior goaltender Logan Terness recorded 36 saves in the loss.
“I thought their [Ohio State] guy made some big-time saves, especially in the second on a couple of breakaways,” said Nightingale. “This group has done a good job at responding.”
The Spartans will face off against No. 11 Michigan next Saturday with the Big Ten Tournament title on the line. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m.
EAST LANSING – After securing their first Big Ten regular-season championship in program history, the No. 4 Michigan State hockey team will face off against Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal on Saturday, March 16 at Munn Ice Arena.
The Spartans split their last series of the regular season with Wisconsin to clinch the Big Ten regular season title and secured a first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament. This is MSU’s first Big Ten Tournament semifinal since 2015.
In their last home series against the Buckeyes in February, the Spartans split the series, losing 6-2 in the first game and winning 5-2 in the second game. The Spartans were led by freshman forward Gavin O’Connell, who scored three goals in the series.
MSU scored four power-play goals in the series against Ohio State. Power plays will be the key for the Spartans in this series. MSU is ranked second in the Big Ten in power play percentage and hopes to take advantage of the Buckeyes’ defense on the man advantage, as Ohio State ranks last in the Big Ten in penalty kill percentage.
The Buckeyes upset the No. 2 seed Wisconsin Badgers in three games to advance to the semifinal. Freshman forward Max Montes and sophomore forward Davis Burnside led Ohio State with two goals each in the series.
Montes and Burnside, who scored in the last series against the Spartans, will be players to watch for Ohio State in the semifinal against MSU.
The Spartans will look to advance to their first-ever Big Ten Tournament final. Puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday evening at Munn Ice Arena.
Ryan Radosevich, Jacob Stinson and Jacob Phillips talk puck for the last time together on Behind the Mask, Impact 89FM’s signature hockey podcast. They recapped the crazy pick-ems segment and crowned an official winner… or did they? The guys also talked about who’s transferring in and out of the portal as well as recruits who should see some ice time next year. That and much more on the final installment of season 11 of Behind the Mask.
The college hockey transfer portal has officially opened and that could mean plenty of changes to the MSU roster. Ryan Radosevich, Jacob Stinson and Jacob Phillips break down all that’s happened so far and give their picks for the NCAA Tournament. Catch all that and more on this episode of Behind the Mask!
Unfortunately MSU’s 2022-23 season has come to and end with an 18-18-2 record, but there’s still plenty to recap as Ryan Radosevich, Jacob Stinson and Jacob Phillips go in-depth about the entire season. They also picked some end of season awards for the team. With the number of podcasts in the season winding down, the pick em’ race is as heated as ever, with only one point separating the top of the standings. All that and much more on this week’s episode of Behind The Mask!
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Michigan State tied the best-of-three series at 1-1 after defeating Notre Dame 4-2 Saturday afternoon. Coming into Saturday’s contest, the Spartans were 0-14 in Big Ten tournament games.
“We played how we wanted to play. We played to our identity,” said MSU head coach Adam Nightingale.
The Spartans came out with blazing speed and aggression, 12 minutes into the contest MSU had a 16-1 shot advantage and a handful of chances to net their first on Notre Dame goaltender Ryan Bischel in the series, but the nations leader in save percentage was on top of his game early.
A Spartan turnover while the defensive line was changing led to the first goal of the game. Senior forward Solag Bakich and assistant captain Trevor Janicke skated in on MSU goaltender Dylan St. Cyr, who was left with zero defenders back, making it 1-0 for the Fighting Irish.
It was not till the 53rd shot of the series where MSU solved Bischel. With Grant Silianoff in the penalty box, Jeremy Davidson buried a precise cross ice feed from senior forward Nico Müller. Davidson’s eighth goal of the season tied the game up at 1-1 midway through the second period.
“Once we got that first one it just felt like a bit of a relief and it felt like we could beat those guys,” said junior defenseman Nash Nienhuis.
MSU doubled up in the middle frame as freshman forward Tiernan Shoudy was able to find a streaking Matt Basgall who wristed one past the blocker of Bischel for his fourth goal and his 17th point of the season.
“A really good feeling after being down by one to come out of that period up by one,” said freshman forward Daniel Russel.
Two quick goals by Michigan State in the third period pushed the lead to 4-1 with 14:26 remaining. Nienhuis recorded his fourth goal of the season thanks to a Jagger Joshua pokecheck and some swift puck movement and just two minutes later Karsen Dorwart from between the goal line and face-off circle sniped one near side on Bischel.
“We were firing on all cylinders. Our forecheck was unreal. We shut them down pretty good so it was just an overall great team game,” said Nienhuis.
Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson decided to pull Bischel with 6:40 remaining and the Irish on the power play and it proved dividends as Jack Adams tipped a point shot past St. Cyr for Notre Dame’s second goal of the game.
The Spartan defense and St. Cyr held tight, securing a 4-2 victory.
The Spartans and the Fighting Irish square off once more on Sunday at 6 pm. The winner will move on to the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament.
SOUTH BEND, IN — In a hard fought game, the No. 5 seed Michigan State Spartans fell to the No. 4 seed Notre Dame 1-0 in the first game of the best of three Big Ten Tournament series.
Although the Spartans did not see the outcome they wanted, they played an incredibly strong game, leading the shot margin 36-21.
“It’s part of the foundation we are trying to build. It’s not about what happens or if the puck goes in, it’s about your next shift. ” said head coach Adam Nightingale. “They’ve done a great job buying into that and knowing things won’t always go your way.”
Ryan Bischel played an unbelievable game for the Fighting Irish with a total 36 saves, shutting out the Spartans. This was his fifth shutout of the season and his second against MSU.
In the regular season, the Spartans came out on top with a 2-1-1 margin over the Fighting Irish. The last time these two teams played, Michigan State swept Notre Dame with 3-0 and 3-2 victories in East Lansing.
Michigan State was 0-13 in the Big Ten Conference’s postseason tournament coming into this matchup. They now add to that streak, being 0-14 in conference post season games.
The first period came with a lot of fast paced play from both teams, the way they have played all season. Michigan State took early advantage of getting in the offensive zone and applying pressure on Bischel. After having a bye week in the last week of regular play, it was clear the Spartans were hungry to be back on the ice.
With 5:48 left in the first period, senior forward Jagger Joshua was whistled for interference, giving Notre Dame the first power play of the night. Although the Spartans were able to kill the penalty, the Irish found their momentum in the final five minutes and did not slow down, getting some good looks at the net, but Dylan St. Cyr denied his former teammates any chance to get the puck behind him. MSU led the shot margin 10-9 by the end of the first period.
The second period started fairly similar to the first. Both teams saw multiple good looks at the net. The Spartan defense did a great job of blocking shots and shutting down the Irish attack. Michigan State saw a good offensive push once again, and successfully set up many opportunities, but couldn’t quite get their sticks on the puck in front of the net.
With 3:47 left in the second period, senior forward Trevor Janicke got a pass from on the left circle to the front of the net, where junior Grant Silianoff snuck it straight past St. Cyr. Jack Adams also had an assist on the goal, giving Notre Dame a 1-0 lead going into the final period. Notre Dame led the shot margin 19-18.
“We are playing our game and they were just able to capitalize with that one goal,” said freshman forward Tiernan Shoudy. “They are just really well coached and play their style and it’s hard to create offense off of it.”
In the first two minutes of play in the third, freshman Tiernan Shoudy had a big rush to the net, but Bischel denied his shot and Mucha’s rebound attempt.
Five minutes into the period, MSU sophomore forward Tanner Kelly and Notre Dame graduate defenseman Chase Blackmun were called for roughing, sending the game to a 4 v 4 matchup. Throughout the 4 v 4, the Spartans kept the majority of the puck control. This led to many good chances, but still no goal for MSU.
“We just have to find another level of work and get on the inside,” Nightingale. “We created quite a bit of chaos and we have to be ready to go tomorrow.”
The Spartans saw their golden opportunity halfway through the period when Irish sophomore Jake Boltmann was sent to the box for roughing. However, the Irish penalty kill stopped the Spartans from getting many looks on net. Notre Dame’s penalty kill for the regular season was .752.
With 7:30 to play the Irish almost saw a chance to tally another point on a 2 v 1 rush, but St. Cyr made a crucial diving save to block the shot. St Cyr had 20 saves on the night.
Michigan State got one more chance at the power play after senior Jesse Lansdell received a penalty for tripping. Daniel Russell saw his best chance of the night and got the puck right behind Bischel’s pads, but the puck hit the bottom of the crossbar and bounced back out.
In the final 1:30 of the game St. Cyr headed off the ice to give the Spartans the extra skater. Tiernan Shoudy saw a good chance at the corner of the net, but it was knocked out by an Irish defensemans stick. The Spartans may not have been able to get past Bischel, but had a lot of positives coming out of tonight.
“I think we outplayed them, especially in the first and the third,” said St. Cyr. “I think we just have to continue to stick with the chances and get guys in front of Bischel.”
Puck drop for the second game of the series is Saturday at 4:30 at Compton Family Ice Arena.
Spartans confident in postseason battle at Notre Dame: ‘Expect to win rather than going there and hoping to win’The Michigan State fan’s guide to the final week of the Big Ten regular seasonSpartans ‘goon it up’ in emotional loss to Michigan
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — With a bye to end the regular season, Michigan State spent the final weekend as fans, hoping that the chips fell in a way that would bring home-ice advantage in the Big Ten tournament.
It led Jagger Joshua to do something he never had before.
“It definitely wasn’t the best feeling, especially rooting for Michigan,” he said. “That’s not something I really enjoyed.”
Joshua and the Spartans needed their rivals to beat Notre Dame once that weekend, which, coupled with Penn State’s loss to Wisconsin — would bring postseason hockey to Munn Ice Arena for the first time since Big Ten hockey began in 2013-14.
That didn’t happen, so now MSU heads to Notre Dame.
The 2023 #B1GHockey Tournament bracket is set!
: https://t.co/6mugCYQbFr pic.twitter.com/JVYog4PuZW
— Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) February 26, 2023
“It would have been nice to get home ice,” Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale said. “You know, I think we’re so thankful for the crowds we’ve had, the support and all this excitement with the program.”
However, he urged his players to keep perspective. The Spartans were projected to finish last in the Big Ten’s preseason coaches’ poll. Despite that, their fifth-place finish is tied for the second-best in program history and best since the conference expanded to seven teams.
“Coming into the season, we talked a lot about trying to earn some respect, and I think we have done that in college hockey, but we’re still not to the level we want to get to,” Nightingale said.
He said that this weekend presents another opportunity to take a step forward. The Spartans have never won a Big Ten tournament game before, but goalie Dylan St. Cyr is confident that his team can do it against the Fighting Irish.
“I think it’s a mindset,” St. Cyr said. “That’s the biggest thing. I think that’s the change in the culture that’s having to come now is having the mindset to expect to win rather than going there and hoping to win.”
Michigan State returns to South Bend for the first time since Oct. 28-29, the opening weekend of conference play. That weekend, following a 5-0 blowout, MSU responded with a 1-1 tie and the shootout win.
If anything, that shootout win proved to the Spartans they can beat the Irish, which they kept in mind for the Feb. 3-4 series in East Lansing. There, the Spartans swept Notre Dame for the first time since 2006, giving them confidence they can do the same in the tournament.
A hard-fought win was the perfect tribute to this senior class! pic.twitter.com/i0mRXN2cRL
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) February 5, 2023
“Our record against them this year I would say gives us confidence,” Joshua said. “We’ve obviously seen them a couple times now, and we’ve had some success against them and their system.”
Since that sweep, however, the Irish have won four straight on the back of an outstanding stretch from goalie Ryan Bischel. Boasting the second-highest save percentage in college hockey (.932), Bischel ended the season stopping 174 of 181 shots against two top-10 teams.
St. Cyr, who played two seasons with Bischel at Notre Dame, recognized the chance to beat his former teammates again, but he remained focused on the game in front of him.
“It’s always a fun little rivalry,” he said. “You get to go back and play against your buddies…but once you kind of get on the ice, it’s back to that game mode, and we have a job to do.”
Per 3 | Our jaws – DROPPED.
https://t.co/HtoiQMJWc2
https://t.co/dhUJa1nPQr
@BigTenNetwork#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/cPDSL702wC— Notre Dame Hockey (@NDHockey) February 26, 2023
Despite the recent success against the Irish, the Spartans know that winning a playoff series on the road won’t be easy.
“It’s very rare to sweep Notre Dame,” Nightingale said. “Historically, it doesn’t happen very often. Their ability to bounce back, and I think their coaches do a great job of focusing on the right things and the way their team plays.”
If they pull it off, however, Michigan State is back in contention for the NCAA Tournament. The Irish are No. 14 in PairWise, while the Spartans are No. 19. A win (plus some losses from the other bubble teams) would put them back in line for a berth.
“We’d love an opportunity to play in the tournament,” Nightingale said. “But those are all things that we got to take care of today to make sure that happens.”
The road ahead won’t be easy for the Spartans. If they win this weekend, they likely face either Minnesota or Michigan in the semifinals. However, it all starts in South Bend.
While, like Nightingale said, Notre Dame is a well-coached team, St. Cyr believes Michigan State can use that to its advantage.
“They’re a really structured and well-coached team,” said St. Cyr. So I think we kind of have to exploit that knowing that their game is predictable in ways that we can try to exploit.”
The Michigan State fan’s guide to the final week of the Big Ten regular seasonSpartans ‘goon it up’ in emotional loss to MichiganDuel in the D: Storylines, staff picks for No. 15 Michigan State vs. No. 5 Michigan
The regular season is over for MSU hockey but Ryan Radosevich, Jacob Stinson and Jacob Phillips give you MSU’s guide to the postseason in this episode. How will MSU fair against Notre Dame? Will MSU make a deep run in the Big Ten tournament? What’s MSU’s path to make the NCAA tournament? We discuss all that and much more in this week’s installment of Behind the Mask!
EAST LANSING – Saturday’s 6-2 loss at Wisconsin threw a wrench into Michigan State’s postseason plans. The Spartans are now on the outside looking in to make the NCAA Tournament, and they’re in danger of having to play the first round of the Big Ten tournament on the road.
Michigan State’s second bye happens to be the last week of the regular season, so its fate is controlled by the rest of the Big Ten.
There are three series this weekend: Wisconsin at Penn State, Notre Dame at Michigan and Ohio State at Minnesota. While the latter won’t have much effect on the Spartans, the other two are critical to determine whether MSU gets home-ice advantage.
So what should Michigan State fans want? Who needs to win for the Big Ten playoffs to come to Munn Ice Arena? What needs to happen to put MSU back into NCAA Tournament contention?
Let’s take a look at both tournaments and see what is the best case scenario.
Big Ten Tournament
The format for the Big Ten tournament is simple: the first seed, which Minnesota clinched, gets a first-round bye. The remaining six teams face off in a best-of-three series. The winners are then reseeded for the semifinals, and everything from that point on is single elimination. Every game is held at the home rink of the team with the higher seed.
The points system in college is more complicated than the NHL version. If you’re unfamiliar, it works like this:
- Three points for a regulation win.
- Two points for an overtime/shootout win.
- One point for an overtime/shootout loss.
- No points for a regulation loss.
OK, now that we’re all on the same page, let’s look at how this applies to the current standings.
Michigan State has 34 points — three ahead of both Penn State and Notre Dame. That lands the Spartans in fourth place, which is the lowest possible seed for home-ice advantage. To remain that way, the stars need to align in the final week.
First, Michigan needs to take care of business against Notre Dame. Both teams split in November, but now in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines will need to take at least four of six points.
Second, Wisconsin needs to beat Penn State at least once in State College. The Nittany Lions can get no more than three points to stay behind the Spartans. It is a tall order, however — PSU is 2-7-1 in its last 10 games, but the Badgers have yet to win a conference road game.
The Big Ten’s tie-breaking procedures are complicated, to say the least, so MSU can’t win if all three teams are tied at 34 points. Two-way ties are broken by head-to-head records, and since the Spartans are 2-1-1 against both Penn State and Notre Dame, they would win in that case.
However, if all three are tied, then the conference resorts to overall conference win percentage. In that case, it comes down to ties. Notre Dame has three, Michigan State has two and Penn State one. There, ties count as a half of a win, so the Irish would win in that situation, making MSU the fifth seed.
The chances of Munn Ice Arena hosting a Big Ten tournament game are low. PlayoffStatus.com gives it a 22% chance of happening, mostly because of PSU-Wisconsin. However, the Badgers have knocked off both MSU and Minnesota in back-to-back weeks, so anything is possible.
NCAA Tournament
If you missed it, I wrote an earlier article about what Michigan State needed to do to make the NCAA Tournament. I recommend checking that out if you haven’t, since that explains how the selection process works.
The loss to Wisconsin significantly hurt the Spartans’ chances. They’re now down to No. 18 in PairWise, which makes them the third team out after Alaska and Notre Dame.
Updated version of the NCAA bracket. Michigan State now on the outside looking in after the Wisconsin loss.
Made a few changes this week, moved some teams around to be more like what the NCAA would do: pic.twitter.com/wuFpQuZDOa
— Jacob Stinson (@jacobfstinson) February 22, 2023
PairWise is designed to reward teams for winning against quality competition. When Michigan State lost, Omaha — which is 9-1-1 since Dec. 31 — took its place.
The Spartans’ advantage is that the Big Ten is loaded with high-end teams, so there’s ample opportunity for quality wins. While they’re on the outside now, if they win the first round of the conference playoffs, consider them locks for the tournament.
According to PlayoffStatus.com, MSU has a 43% chance to face Penn State in the conference tournament. The Nittany Lions only beat the Spartans once in four tries, but they’re ranked No. 7 in PairWise. Therefore, two wins against a top team should be more than enough to catapult Michigan State into a playoff spot.
Spartans ‘goon it up’ in emotional loss to MichiganDuel in the D: Storylines, staff picks for No. 15 Michigan State vs. No. 5 MichiganCould Michigan State make the NCAA Tournament? Explaining how it’s possible
EAST LANSING — As Adam Fantilli skated to the Michigan locker room, the crowd at Munn Ice Arena showered him with boos. He had just been ejected for fighting with Michigan State’s Nash Nienhuis, so his night was over.
Instead of taking a straight line to the bench, Fantilli veered towards the student section, raised his hands and encouraged fans to boo him even louder.
They gladly obliged.
On a night where the list of penalties was as long as a drugstore receipt, the brawl between Fantilli, Nienhuis and every other skater on the ice was the most potent memory of the Wolverines’ 4-2 win Friday night.
While tensions had been rising for the entire game, they boiled over when Fantilli cross-checked Nienhuis from behind after a stoppage. Other Spartans, including freshman Tiernan Shoudy, took issue and came to Nienhuis’ defense.
“We just had a little bit of grabbing,” Shoudy said. “And then I saw their two D coming down. I don’t know what happened from there. Everyone was just a mosh pit.”
Here’s the fight that got Fantilli ejected: pic.twitter.com/Vozhp1j0Fh
— Jacob Stinson (@jacobfstinson) February 11, 2023
That “mosh pit” resulted in 38 total penalty minutes and ejections to both Fantilli and Nienhuis.
Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale didn’t think much of the ordeal. Rather, he praised his team for playing with zeal while not losing its composure.
“I have a hard time calling any of that fighting,” Nightingale said. “I know they called it fighting, but there were scrums. There was emotion, right? That’s good, I think you’ve got to play the game with emotion.”
His squad had plenty of reasons to be emotional early. Michigan scored three goals — including one from Fantilli — in the first 12 minutes. Viktor Hurtig had one called back for goaltender interference. Referees intervened in scrums after nearly every whistle.
The first period made it clear the upstart Spartans were never going to be competitive in a track meet. They simply could not match the speed of a more talented team. They would need to be aggressive on the puck if they wanted a chance, so that’s what they did.
“Any time you give skillful players time and space, they’re going to make plays,” Nightingale said. “I thought we did that in the first, and then I thought in the second and third we did a better job of eliminating time and space.”
Michigan State would start a run of its own in the second. Shoudy would get the home team on the board, and the physicality forced the Wolverines to play on their heels for large swaths.
Tiernan Shoudy puts MSU on the board in the second. pic.twitter.com/IY1GfbrIlG
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) February 11, 2023
After Shoudy’s goal, things hit the fan. Michigan’s Ethan Edwards was ejected for a hit to Matt Basgall’s head. Then came the Fantilli-Nienhuis fight. Countless other scrums ensued throughout the game.
Michigan interim coach Brandon Naurato didn’t take kindly to the change of pace.
“They can’t play with us,” Naurato said. “They can’t play with us unless they goon it up, so we got the bad end of the deal there.”
While Naurato’s comment can seem abrasive, he’s not completely wrong.
The Wolverines are chock-full of NHL-ready talent. They dressed eight draftees Friday, including three first-round picks. Fantilli is a consensus top prospect in the upcoming draft. The Spartans’ highest draft pick, Hurtig, was picked in the sixth round. There simply aren’t enough skaters in green and white sweaters that can match Michigan’s pace, so playing the body becomes the only option.
Senior forward Nicolas Müller scored in the third period, cutting the deficit to one. While the Spartans had their chances, they couldn’t get another past goalie Erik Portillo, who stopped 30 of 32 shots on goal.
With Dylan St. Cyr on the bench, Michigan State made one last-ditch effort to tie the game with an extra attacker. However, forward Gavin Brindley would send one into the empty net and seal the Wolverines win.
Brindley with his second of the night! pic.twitter.com/uwgD8kiIcm
— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) February 11, 2023
To no one’s surprise, there were more fights. A frustrated David Gucciardi and Cole Krygier would both go after Brindley and earn game misconducts with 1:01 left. If it wasn’t clear before, that moment proved just how deeply these two teams despised one another.
“You can ask any guy in that room…we hate these guys,” Michigan captain Nolan Moyle said. “And we always say, you can’t beat these guys enough.”
Overall, the in-state rivals would combine for 105 penalty minutes. Only an Oct. 23 game between Alaska and Omaha had more this season (143). The Spartans would account for 57 of those minutes, the most by any team not in the aforementioned Alaska-Omaha contest.
After the game, Nightingale emphasized his team’s need to balance aggression and discipline, playing physically without taking unnecessary penalties.
“I thought our guys did a great job of not running their mouths,” Nightingale said. “We want to play between the whistles, and emotions boil over at times in scrums, and that’s part of our game.”
Shoudy shared the same sentiment.
“We just want to play between the whistles,” he said. “Like, we don’t want to be taking penalties there…I think we can play that style if that’s what they want to play, but I mean, that’s not necessarily what we always want to do.”
These two teams face off again Saturday night at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Neither Fantilli nor Nienhuis will be allowed to play. The Spartans will need a short memory, but more importantly, they’ll need to avoid falling into the same traps that gave them almost an hour’s worth of penalties. Under the bright lights and larger crowd of an NHL rink, that challenge will only get more difficult.
Unlike the NHL, however, fighting leads to more than a five-minute trip to the penalty box. In college hockey, it could prove costly in an important late-season rivalry game.
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EAST LANSING — Michigan State forward Erik Middendorf has never been fond of the University of Michigan.
“Growing up playing at the U.S. (National Team Development) Program,” he said. “All those guys growing up wanted to go to Michigan, and that was never the case for me.”
Middendorf spent two seasons with the USNTDP. Five of his ex-teammates became Wolverines, but Middendorf said he was always partial to the Spartans.
“I was always kind of a Michigan State fan even though I wasn’t committed here,” he said. “Just because of the blue-collar and underdog mentality, and just how those Michigan guys treat Michigan State.”
If Middendorf is any indication, there’s still no love lost between the in-state foes. That rivalry, the most-played in college hockey, resumes this weekend for the 341st and 342nd time.
The second game is the annual Duel in the D, a neutral-site game played at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Starting in 2016, both teams compete for the “Iron D” trophy. While the Spartans won it the first time, Michigan has won all five since.
Puck drop for the first game is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET Friday in East Lansing. The Duel in the D will begin at 8 p.m. ET Saturday.
Unlike previous years, this series has major Big Ten implications on the line. Last year, Michigan State entered the series with eight consecutive losses. This year, the Spartans are in a four-way tie for second place in the conference.
“The standings weren’t really close last year,” sophomore defenseman David Gucciardi said. “This year they are. We’re excited, just more going into the game, more energy for us, more fuel to our fire.”
For the Spartans, this series is one of two left before the regular season ends. Wisconsin remains, but they will need to win at least one this weekend if they want to host a Big Ten tournament series or qualify for the NCAA playoffs.
MSU Hockey is set to face rival Michigan this weekend in a two-game series. Here’s a breakdown of what needs to happen for MSU to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012.
: @jacobfstinson
: @smith25_sarah
https://t.co/5EyvAEhm39— Impact 89FM Sports (@WDBMSports) February 9, 2023
After sputtering over the holidays, Michigan State has rediscovered its offense, scoring three or more goals in five of its last six. That matches up well against goalie Erik Portillo, who has the second-lowest save percentage among Big Ten starters (.908).
For the Wolverines, this is not only a chance to avenge December’s loss at Munn Ice Arena but also an opportunity to help its seeding in the NCAA Tournament. They’re currently No. 4 overall in PairWise rankings, so a win could help boost their rank and draw an easier first-round opponent.
Michigan’s offense revolves around its top line of Gavin Brindley, Adam Fantilli and Rutger McGroarty. All three are elite players who played in the IIHF World Junior Championship in December. The trio has combined for 36 goals and 90 points.
Fantilli leads the charge on offense. He missed four games — including the December series with MSU — for training camp with Canada’s World Juniors team. Regardless, the freshman still leads the nation in points (45), and he’s expected to make an impact this weekend.
Brindley breakaway and Fantilli finish! It’s 2-1 Michigan #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/GLI6iOE9W2
— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) February 4, 2023
Middendorf played junior hockey with both Fantilli and McGroarty on the Chicago Steel in the United States Hockey League. As a 16-year-old, Fantilli won the MVP of the USHL playoffs.
“He’s a generational player,” Middendorf said. “He had a full beard when he was 16 and I was a 20-year-old in Chicago. He’s just a mature player. He plays the game really well. He’s really fast.”
Middendorf knows that the key to beating the Wolverines starts with locking up his former teammates.
“I think getting into [Fantilli],” he said. “Bumping him, staying on top of him, making the game hard for him…It could slow their offense down and their top line. I think we match up really well.”
Impact staff predictions
Stinson: Both teams split. The Wolverines are incredibly talented, but they’re inconsistent, especially on defense. Fantilli will give Michigan a boost, but I don’t trust Portillo and the defense to win U-M two games.
Jacob Phillips, Hockey Beat Reporter: A split is the best anyone can hope for. Last time U-M traveled to Munn, the Spartans skated away with a one-goal victory. When MSU traveled to Yost, it was the Wolverines with the one-goal W. Expect the same from a nearly identical series.
Ryan Radosevich, Hockey Beat Reporter: Split. I’d expect Fantilli to win at least one game for the Wolverines, but Munn Ice Arena has been an incredibly tough road location for any team not named Minnesota. The Spartans need points this series, and they can definitely take them in a win at Munn.
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We’ve reached the point of the college hockey season where we can start talking about the postseason. For the first time in a long time, Michigan State fans have a reason to pay attention. The Spartans haven’t qualified for the NCAA men’s hockey tournament since 2012.
While it’s nowhere near a guarantee that the Spartans will qualify, they have a good chance. They control their own destiny, but the path to get them to the postseason is complicated.
That being said, let’s look at how the NCAA Tournament works, how teams are selected and what needs to happen for Michigan State to make its first postseason appearance in over a decade.
What are PairWise rankings?
PairWise is the most important factor in determining who makes the NCAA Tournament.
In short, PairWise is an advanced metric that objectively compares every team in Division I to one another. The higher a team is ranked, the more comparisons it wins. Teams are compared in three categories. For each category it wins, teams are given a “point.” If a team has more points, it wins the comparison. Those categories are:
- Head-to-head record.
- Records against common opponents.
- Rating percentage index (RPI). This measures a team’s strength of schedule by averaging a team’s record, its opponents’ records and its opponents’ opponents’ records. This is also the tiebreaker if two teams each finish with one point.
That can be a bit confusing, so let’s use an example. Michigan State is No. 14 in PairWise, one spot ahead of No. 15 Connecticut. The Spartans and Huskies haven’t played each other this season, so the head-to-head record doesn’t matter.
On the other hand, both schools have played Ohio State, Long Island and UMass-Lowell. The Spartans are 5-3-0 in those games, while the Huskies are 4-1-1, which gives Connecticut the better winning percentage (.750). One point for UConn.
However, RPI is where Michigan State wins the overall comparison. While Connecticut has the better record (17-8-3), the Spartans’ tougher schedule gives them the slight edge. Despite each team winning one point, MSU wins the comparison for having the higher RPI.
The process is repeated for all 61 teams. The team that wins the most comparisons is ranked first, and the team that wins the least is ranked last.
How does the NCAA determine seeding?
The NCAA Tournament features 16 teams. The first six bids automatically go to the winners of each major conference tournament. The remaining 10 spots are at-large bids given to the teams with the highest PairWise rating.
It’s rare a team outside the top 16 in PairWise wins its conference tournament. However, this season will be an outlier. The Atlantic Hockey Association has no teams in playoff position, and its leader, RIT, is No. 19. If the season ended today, then Omaha and Northeastern, both tied at No. 16, would miss the tournament, and RIT would get the final spot.
Once the teams are selected, they’re divided into four groups. The top four teams are given No. 1 seeds, the next four are given No. 2 seeds, and so on.
The regional rounds of the tournament are held at four neutral sites. Each No. 1 seed is placed in the region closest to its home school. For example, if Minnesota finishes as a No. 1 seed, it should begin at the West Regional in Fargo, North Dakota. After the top seeds are placed, the remaining teams are seeded in a serpentine order. Minnesota would get the No. 16 overall seed, currently RIT.
Michigan State, as the No. 14 seed, would get the No. 3 seed, Boston University.
How does this affect Michigan State?
Let’s tie this all back to the Big Ten. Five of the seven teams are in a playoff spot. Each team has either four or six games left, so there’s still plenty of time for movement in the standings.
*Series will feature at least one neutral-site game. Michigan-Michigan State will have one game at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, and Michigan-Ohio State will play one game at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.
Notre Dame and Michigan State switched spots after the Spartans swept the Fighting Irish last weekend. Notre Dame is now on the outside looking in, and with star forward Ryder Rolston out for the season, its tournament hopes are dwindling.
For Michigan State, its postseason case hinges on the upcoming series with Michigan. Beating a struggling Wisconsin team won’t provide much boost, so the rivalry series will be the last chance to take points against a good team.
Michigan State doesn’t need to sweep Michigan to stay alive, but it needs to walk away with points. If the Spartans splits with the Wolverines, sweeps Wisconsin and wins the first round of the Big Ten tournament, then they should be considered locks for the tournament.
However, it all starts with Michigan.
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EAST LANSING — The 10 seniors on Michigan State’s roster have been through it all. Some of them have spent four or five years with the Spartans. They’ve had seasons cut short, played in empty arenas, gone on historic losing streaks and endured coaching changes, all in the last four years.
Others only came to East Lansing for one season, but they’ve made the most of it. They joined a group that changed the fortunes of a hockey program that’s on pace for its first winning season since 2014-15.
After a 3-2 win and series sweep of No. 20 Notre Dame on Saturday, Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale reflected on what his first senior class meant to him. Only three seniors — goalie Dylan St. Cyr, captain Miroslav Mucha and forward Ryan Nolan — had committed to MSU after Nightingale became head coach, so he thanked the group for believing in him and being great teammates.
“I think change isn’t easy,” Nightingale said. “A lot of these guys were already here or already committed to (Michigan State) coming in, and to have a new coach and to trust our staff, you know, it’s not an easy thing to do.”
St. Cyr is one of the five who transferred for their final season. After spending four years at Notre Dame and one at Quinnipiac, the Northville native came back to play his last season in his home state. For St. Cyr, playing his senior night against the school where he began his college career, made the game extra special.
“Even just to see some of those guys,” St. Cyr said, “even when we were doing the senior night ceremony, but they’re coming up on the bench to say hi. I still know about half that team and the support staff and coaching staff as well.”
St. Cyr’s play was critical in the Spartans’ sweep of the Fighting Irish. He stopped 65 of 67 shots on the weekend and made a few highlight-reel saves along the way.
This save from @dylanstcyr was filthy. @MSU_Hockey x @NCAAIceHockey pic.twitter.com/Ql6u5bnHTv
— Michigan State on BTN (@MichiganStOnBTN) February 4, 2023
Those saves create a synergy between St. Cyr and his teammates. He said that the confidence he gets from making the saves helps the players in front of him be their best.
“I think that’s something you want to portray to your team,” he said, “obviously so they have confidence in you, and you show confidence in your team…gives me confidence with the way our team played this weekend.”
Despite his performance, St. Cyr was still quick to recognize those who had put in more time in a green and white sweater than him.
“Obviously here on senior night,” St. Cyr said, “for the guys who put in four years and even the grad transfers who’ve come in, it’s obviously really special. And then to do it against a team like Notre Dame in an important time of the year, it’s all awesome.”
One of those seniors is forward Nicolas Müller, who had a sensational two-goal, two-assist weekend. He teamed up with fellow senior Erik Middendorf and junior Jeremy Davidson for the Spartans’ second goal of the game.
Nico Muller with the go-ahead goal! His second of the weekend and fifth of the season (Extended cut with all the replays, because you need to see them.) pic.twitter.com/o96olxARSn
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) February 4, 2023
“Middy made a nice play,” Davidson said, “dropped it through his legs, and I kind of picked it up. I knew I had a guy on my back, and I just kind of tried to get it to the front of the net. Nico (Müller) happened to be there, and it was right on his tape, so it’s pretty fortunate.”
Müller is now tied with Karsen Dorwart for the team lead in points (25), but, like the rest of the team, he tries not to concern himself with statistics.
“I definitely get a lot of opportunities that I’m really thankful for,” Müller said after Friday’s 3-0 win, “but I think it’s just fun playing with the team and adding the wins. I think individually, it’s always also nice, but it’s a lot of fun playing with the team and (to) get those wins.”
Most importantly, Nightingale is thankful for how his seniors have impacted the underclassmen. According to him, seniors like Müller and St. Cyr have helped establish the culture that the new coach wants for his program.
“We’re judging them on effort,” Nightingale said, “we’re judging them on attitude, judging them on being a great teammate, and those guys have done it every day for us.”
That culture allows Nightingale to develop the underclassmen, who he says have stepped up in a big way down the stretch.
“I think they’re playing their best hockey right now,” he said, “and it’s a great sign for our program…once you get a group of people like that, that are motivated and self-driven, that’s a good sign for your program.”
A prime example of that development is sophomore defenseman David Gucciardi. Gucciardi blasted a puck from the blue line past Notre Dame goalie Ryan Bischel, which eventually became the game-winner.
Gucciardi's one-timer gives MSU back the lead. Absolute laser. pic.twitter.com/DLeDGCiUQx
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) February 4, 2023
Entering the series, Gucciardi had recorded one point since Nov. 26. Despite the lack of production on the scoresheet, Nightingale praised Gucciardi for his overall improvement away from the puck.
“He’s a young defenseman,” Nightingale said, “ and I think (he’s) learning what a real defenseman looks like. He’s an elite skater, and to use his skating to defend and close and eliminate time and space, and then be able to make quick decisions offensively…less focus on points and more being a real, world-class defenseman.”
Michigan State still has four regular season games left, including two against rival Michigan. In a tight race in the Big Ten standings, the Spartans will continue to lean on their seniors for leadership.
However, their legacy goes beyond the box scores of this season.
“We’re not done yet here this year,” Nightingale said, “and I think we’ll continue to get better, but they’re laying the foundation for what I think is the greatest program in college hockey, and we’re trying to build it back.”
Spartans goalie Dylan St. Cyr shuts out his former team: ‘It’s an extra fire that’s lit’Breaking down No. 15 Michigan State at No. 2 Minnesota: players to watch, predictions and moreMichigan State’s top line continues to impress: ‘We seem to gel together really well’
EAST LANSING — Michigan State goalie Dylan St. Cyr isn’t one to brag about his accomplishments. After a 3-0 shutout win on Friday over Notre Dame, St. Cyr’s former school, he was quick to deflect the attention away from himself and towards his teammates.
“Our team played really well (Friday),” St. Cyr said. “Penalty kill was awesome. So they kind of made it easy kind of getting into the game, and I think that led me to find my groove better.”
His teammates would disagree with him.
“He always tells (us) that it doesn’t really matter for him,” senior forward Nicolas Müller said, “but deep inside of him, I think it matters a little bit, and it’s pretty cool for him. We’re just glad that we’re able to get him the shutout.”
St. Cyr said he still knows about half of the Fighting Irish roster from his time there, which he said gave him extra motivation heading into the contest.
“Obviously it’s a fun night to see those guys,” he said. “Any time I get to see those guys, they’re still friends, but when you kind of get in the ice, it’s an extra fire that’s lit under (you).”
St. Cyr made 32 saves en route to his third shutout of the season. It was a much-needed redemption after a weekend where he allowed 11 goals in five periods at Minnesota. He was pulled after the two periods in the first game in that series, so he was happy to find his rhythm again.
“I think it’s just with kind of getting back into it,” St. Cyr said, “after a weekend like last weekend and finding comfort playing in front of our fans at home.”
While the Spartans struggled to defend against a high-powered Minnesota team, they were able to limit chances and frustrate the Fighting Irish for much of the game. Notre Dame took five penalties, one of which led to a Jagger Joshua deflection that broke the scoreless tie.
This Jagger Joshua PPG gets MSU on the board early in the second period. pic.twitter.com/50f1IfoLYK
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) February 4, 2023
The Spartans never looked back. While a goal from senior Erik Middendorf gave them the insurance they needed, St. Cyr shut the door on the other end. While he was never forced to make the sprawling, highlight-reel saves that fans have become accustomed to, he stepped up when necessary.
Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale prefers it that way.
“His rebound control was really good,” Nightingale said of his goalie. “So it seemed like, any time they got any type of pressure, he was able to kind of calm it down, and that’s when Dylan’s playing his best.”
The most pressure St. Cyr faced came right at the end, when Notre Dame pulled goalie Ryan Bischel with over five minutes left, meaning the Fighting Irish would throw all the pressure it could at Michigan State with the remaining time.
“Usually,” St. Cyr said, “that’s something they would do thinking they didn’t have any five-on-five chances as much. So obviously, that speaks to the way our team was playing.”
While the Spartans stood tall on defense, Müller was able to put away the game with a heave from the red line, and so the Spartans would walk out with a much-needed three points in the Big Ten.
With five games left in the regular season, the race for playoffs is heating up. The second-place team, Penn State, is only four points ahead of Notre Dame, who’s in sixth. The Spartans, currently fifth, will need to finish fourth or better if they want home-ice advantage in the Big Ten tournament.
With only two more home games left, wins like Friday’s are critical in making that happen. Michigan State is now 10-4-1 at home, so it will look to make the most of the home ice it has left.
“Down the stretch, that’s going to be an important (five) games,” St. Cyr said. “I think to play in front of our home crowd in that environment was definitely something special.”
Breaking down No. 15 Michigan State at No. 2 Minnesota: players to watch, predictions and moreThree takeaways from weekend series against No. 5 Penn StateMichigan State’s top line continues to impress: ‘We seem to gel together really well’
Ryan Radosevich, Jacob Phillips and Jacob Stinson are back with another week of BTM! In the episode, they recap the rough weekend MSU hockey had at Minnesota and preview a very even matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a top-20 ranked matchup. The guys also talk about how the Big Ten standings may shape up in the last month of the regular season, as spots 2-6 are up for grabs. That and much more on this iteration of Behind the Mask!
MINNEAPOLIS — After taking four of six points against Penn State, Michigan State has proven that it can hang with the best teams in the Big Ten. However, the Spartans get their biggest test yet. Following a bye week, they take on Minnesota, the No. 2 team in the USCHO poll and one of the premier teams in college hockey.
Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. ET Friday from 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis. Saturday’s rematch will begin at 5 p.m. ET.
The Golden Gophers traveled to East Lansing for a series in early December, and they won two lopsided games, 5-0 and 6-3. That extended Minnesota’s win streak over the Spartans to 11, dating back to the 2019-20 season. Only four current Spartans — including senior Nicolas Müller — were on that team.
“I remember freshman year,” Müller said, “it was a little bit more evened-out talent, I think…Our team has been not really good the last couple of years, but I think this year we have a pretty good group.”
The Golden Gophers are led by one of the most dangerous lines in all of college hockey, featuring Logan Cooley, Matthew Knies and Jimmy Snuggerud. In last weekend’s split with Michigan, the trio combined for three goals and four assists.
On the other end, junior Brock Faber and senior Jackson LaCombe anchor the defense. Faber is a premier shutdown defenseman, the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and the team captain. LaCombe is an excellent playmaker with 25 points in 26 games. Faber, LaCombe and Knies all were nominated for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, given to the best overall player in college hockey.
“Obviously they’re a very good team,” Michigan State captain Miroslav Mucha said. “They’re a top team in the country, so we’ve got to treat it that way…They have a lot of skill on their team. They play with a ton of pace.”
So what will it take for Michigan State to break the losing streak? How does this series impact the playoffs? Here’s the breakdown:
Back on the ice tonight in Minneapolis! We start a two-game set with league-leading No. 2 Minnesota.
Want to watch/listen/follow? Head here: https://t.co/ntijbndsl3 pic.twitter.com/92BuuhQllj
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) January 27, 2023
What does this series mean for the postseason?
For Minnesota: The Gophers have a commanding lead on the Big Ten. Mathematically speaking, they can finish as low as sixth, but let’s be realistic. They have a 10-point lead on the teams in second place. They’re 12-3-1 in the conference. They have NHL prospects up and down the roster. Winning this weekend only increases the odds that Minnesota secures a bye in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.
We’re also at the point in the season where PairWise rankings are starting to matter. In short, PairWise is an advanced metric that combines record, strength of schedule and head-to-head records to rank every team in college hockey. The NCAA gives six automatic bids to the winner of each conference tournament. After that, the 10 remaining spots go to the schools with the highest PairWise rating.
Right now, Minnesota has the No. 1 spot. If the Gophers finish there and win the Big Ten tournament, then they would get the top overall seed, giving them the easiest path back to the Frozen Four.
For Michigan State: On the other hand, Michigan State’s fate is very much in limbo. Realistically, the Spartans can finish anywhere between third and sixth in the Big Ten. If they finish fourth or better, however, then Munn Ice Arena will host postseason hockey for the first time since Big Ten hockey began in 2013-14.
For the first time in a long time, MSU also has reason to pay attention to the PairWise rankings. The Spartans sit at No. 13 right now, putting them on the bubble. If they don’t win the conference tournament, then they will need an at-large bid to make it. Pulling off an upset against the top team would give a big boost to Michigan State’s tournament odds.
What’s one storyline from each team to pay attention to?
For Minnesota: Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale pointed to Minnesota’s defense as a key reason why his team struggled in the first series. However, last weekend against Michigan, the Gophers allowed eight goals over two games, which is tied for the most they’ve allowed this season. While it shouldn’t be much reason to panic — it was Michigan, after all — the Gophers will need to tighten up on defense to be successful.
For Michigan State: Junior defenseman Nash Nienhuis has been out of the lineup since he sustained an injury against Ferris State on Dec. 27. With an extra week’s worth of rest for the team, there’s a chance he could come back this weekend. Nightingale hasn’t given confirmation on Nienhuis’ status, but getting back one of the team’s best two-way players would give a big boost to the defense. He has 13 points this season, which, despite missing five games, is the most by any MSU defenseman.
Who’s one player to watch, beyond the obvious stars?
For Minnesota: Freshman defenseman Ryan Chesley has been an underrated part of the Gophers’ blue line. While he gets overshadowed by Faber and LaCombe, Chesley is a strong two-way player. He’s both a Washington Capitals prospect and represented the United States in the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship. His season numbers don’t jump off the page, but he’s got two assists in his last three games, and he’s starting to find his footing on the ice.
For Michigan State: It’s worth paying attention to junior Erik Middendorf. He was recently moved up to the second line with Müller and Jeremy Davidson, and he’s looked solid in that role. He started the comeback with a goal in the first game against Penn State, and he’s worked his way back onto the power play as well. He’ll be getting more opportunities, so expect Middendorf to make more of an impact on the score sheet.
Impact staff predictions
Stinson: Minnesota sweeps. Michigan State played well against Penn State, but the Gophers are on a different level. The Spartans simply don’t have the personnel to match up with Minnesota. In order to win, MSU will need to play almost entirely mistake-free, and I don’t think that’s realistic.
Jacob Phillips, Hockey Beat Reporter: At best, expect a split. Michigan State looked much better hosting Penn State than they did before the semester began. Couple that with a few Gopher missteps over the last few weeks, and the Spartans could take one win back to East Lansing.
Ryan Radosevich, Hockey Beat Reporter: Both teams split. It will be a hard-fought series but MSU will eke out a win and earn the split they desperately need if they want to host a Big Ten tournament series. When these two teams matched up in December, Minnesota seemed to want it more. They were faster and played a nearly perfect series. That’s exactly what MSU has to do if they want to earn a split.
Three takeaways from weekend series against No. 5 Penn StateMichigan State’s top line continues to impress: ‘We seem to gel together really well’‘He’s been incredible for us’: Cole Krygier overcomes tumultuous start with overtime winner
Ryan Radosevich, Jacob Stinson and Jacob Phillips talk all things MSU hockey and much more. The guys go in-depth on what the Spartans have to do in order to subdue the Golden Gophers, discuss MSU’s chances of hosting a Big Ten tournament series at home and, of course, had some fun with the still ultra-close Pick Em’s race. All that and more on this episode of Behind the Mask!
Ryan Radosevich, Jacob Stinson and Jacob Phillips break down the highly entertaining overtime and shootout wins the Spartans achieved against No. 5 Penn State last weekend. With the results, MSU now sits in a three-way tie for second place in the Big Ten with only five weeks to go in the regular season. The crew also got into a heated debate for this week’s Pick Em’s. All that and much more as MSU heads into the bye week ranked No. 15 in the country.
EAST LANSING – One common phrase heard from Michigan State hockey head coach Adam Nightingale is focusing on the next one – the next game, the next goal, the next shift. After a tough series loss to No. 8 Ohio State, the Spartans had only to look forward to hosting No. 5 Penn State. A five-game losing streak raised a lot of questions about the potential in the second half of the season.
This past weekend, MSU answered with a resounding sweep of the Nittany Lions with one win in overtime and another in a shootout.
Here are three takeaways from the weekend.
Danny Russel and Matt Basgall celebrate after Russel’s shootout goal during Michigan State’s tie with No. 5 Penn State on January 14, 2023. Photo Credit: Sarah Smith/WDBM (Sarah Smith)Jagger Joshua does it again
Jagger Joshua has not been short of surprises by any means this season. Not only is the senior left winger leading in goals after this series, but he’s also the first Spartan to reach double-digit goals on the season. He now sits at the top of the goal sheet with 11 scored through 14 games. That’s three more than his first three years at Michigan State combined.
Joshua, who is 6-foot-3, is no stranger to playing the body in front of the net, and that’s what has made him such a valuable player on offense this season.
“I think my body and the work I put in the gym makes it a little hard for the opponents to get me out of the way,” Joshua said. “It just comes down to my work ethic and using my body to my advantage.”
That physicality in front of Nittany Lions’ goaltender Liam Souliere was a crucial part of Michigan State’s offense. In game one, Souliere dropped the puck in the slot setting Joshua up to score on his own rebound. Game two saw even more production from Joshua as he scored his second hat trick of the season, the first since Michigan State hosted Long Island University on Oct. 22. That makes him the second player in college hockey to have multiple hat tricks this season.
With a tough slate of games ahead, Jagger Joshua is one player that MSU can look to for offensive production. Expect to hear his name a lot more as the season continues.
Speed kills on defense
PSU is an incredibly fast hockey team, and the Spartans found themselves in trouble on the transition from offense to defense. Dylan St. Cyr is a reliable goalie, but he isn’t a brick wall. MSU’s defensemen were too often outskated by PSU even when the Spartans had numbers. This gave the Nittany Lions easy breakaways and backdoor looks.
“I thought there were times when we were really good,” said Nightingale. “I thought there were other times where they didn’t work up the ice and set their gap and then they’ve got a ton of speed coming at them.”
The best example of this came in game two in the third period. Danny Dzhaniyev was able to beat out MSU defenseman Michael Underwood in front of the Spartans’ net. All PSU needed was one lateral pass from Ashton Calder to give Dzhaniyev a wide-open shot for the lead.
This isn’t to say MSU struggled on defense. In game two, especially, they were able to stick with their opponents for longer, limiting breakaways. However, with two top-ten matchups on the horizon, the Spartans will need their defensemen to skate with some of the best players in the country.
“Munn was electric”
The past few years haven’t been the best for MSU hockey to say the least. Last season alone, MSU managed to end the year with a 12-23-1 record, one already surpassed in Nightingale’s first season. One of the many reasons for such a sudden turnaround for this program is the energy of Munn Ice Arena. The team shows up to Munn ready to play high-quality hockey against skilled opponents, and the fans recognize the potential. In turn, the players feed off that energy like nothing else, and the cycle continues.
“Munn was electric,” said Nightingale. “It’s unbelievable.”
In December, the Spartans only notched one win against the Michigan Wolverines. That was the last game they played at Munn before returning to host the Nittany Lions over an entire month later. Coming away with an overtime win and a shootout win against a top-ten team demonstrates the importance of Munn’s atmosphere to MSU hockey.
“That’s really where Michigan State is different. This is a real hockey fan base… our guys feed off that.”
Stinson: The response to Jagger Joshua is an embarrassment to the Big Ten, Ohio State and hockey as a wholeMSU hockey splits road series with No. 12 Notre DamePreview and predictions for No. 13 MSU hockey’s series versus No. 4 Minnesota
EAST LANSING — When putting together a top forward line, most people would expect a combination of skill and experience, pairing skilled goal-scorers with veterans that know where to find them. Most wouldn’t expect two freshmen and a senior with eight goals in his first three years to mesh well.
For Michigan State, however, it’s worked beautifully.
All three stars of the Spartans’ shootout win over No. 5 Penn State play on the top forward line: Jagger Joshua the first star, Karsen Dorwart the second and Daniel Russell the third. The trio combined for three goals, three assists and two shootout goals to earn the extra point and take both games at home Saturday night.
There are a lot of reasons why that top line has been so effective. Still, one of its biggest strengths is a mutual understanding of each player’s respective roles, which Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale says allows each player to play to their potential.
“Player development is understanding who you are and what makes you great,” Nightingale said. “You combine those three together when they’re playing their best, it looks like that.”
Joshua’s role is the most clearly defined of the bunch. Before this season, he had always fit the enforcer role above anything else. While he was 6-foot-3 and an imposing player, he only had 20 points over his first 98 games, mostly relying on his physicality instead. However, when Nightingale and his staff took over in May, they saw something different.
“I didn’t spend much time analyzing Jags’ game before,” Nightingale said. “We kind of just got here and looked at what we had. I saw a big, powerful guy that wants to play a power game and that’s maybe got better hands than people give him credit for, and maybe that he thought.”
That powerful game was on full display Saturday. Joshua scored three goals — his second hat trick of the season — all within feet of goalie Liam Souliere’s crease. The first two came on nearly identical plays, where Joshua set up shop on the far post and tapped in two slick passes from Dorwart, tying the game at three apiece.
Here's the equalizer from Jagger Joshua, his second of the night. pic.twitter.com/Eoq25Y3k4b
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) January 15, 2023
“Ironically, that was something that was an emphasis this week in practice,” Joshua said. “Our coaching staff did a great job of pre-scouting and putting me in the right spot, and I was just lucky to have an opening out there.”
Penn State would take the lead again on a Danny Dzhaniyev goal in the third, but it wouldn’t last for long. It took 11 seconds for Joshua to tip in the equalizer, which would ultimately send the game to overtime.
Since focusing on his hands with Nightingale, Joshua’s game has clearly reached a new level. With his frame, he’s repeatedly been able to get to the front of the net and score from tight angles, and defenses have had trouble stopping him.
“I think my body and the work I put in the gym makes it a little hard for the defending opponents too, I guess, get me out of the way,” Joshua said. “I think it just comes down to my work ethic and using my body to my advantage.”
While Joshua was the star Saturday, that’s not to say that all credit falls on him. He took the time to credit both freshmen for finding him in great spots to score.
“Playing with two great players like Russell and Dorwart has helped me out tremendously,” Joshua said. “I mean, just like you saw the first two goals, that wouldn’t happen without my linemates.”
Dorwart got the primary assist on Joshua’s first two goals, making the same pass to the same spot on the ice. As the center, he takes plenty of pride in his playmaking, which he says flourishes because of the space his line creates for him.
“Those two guys are both incredible players,” Dorwart said. “They both have a lot of speed, so when they’re flying down the wall it opens up a lot of space…So I think (I’m) just getting the puck into their hands and just letting them do their thing.”
When the game reached overtime, however, the Spartans turned to three freshmen. Nightingale started a lineup of Dorwart, Russell and defenseman Matt Basgall to set the tone.
“I think it shows the belief the coaching staff has in all of us freshmen, not just me. Then, you know, playing with Russ and Bazzy there in overtime, you have confidence playing with guys like that just because, you know, they’re so good.”
With the open ice that a 3-on-3 overtime provides, teams often opt for speed and quickness with the puck, and that’s what Russell provides.
“Russ is so shifty,” Dorwart said. “Like, no one can hit him.”
While neither team scored, the group delivered with stout defense after a slash on Joshua gave Penn State the 4-on-3 advantage. Russell delivered with a strong forecheck that slowed down the most uptempo team in college hockey.
Russell’s two-way impact is hard to match. He and Dorwart are tied for the team lead in points (22), and he has the second-highest plus/minus rating of any Spartan (+11). For as shifty and agile as he is with the puck, Russell rarely stops moving away from it.
“Russ really works, you know,” Nightingale said.
While Saturday’s game would go in the record book as a tie, the shootout presented an opportunity for the Spartans to pick up an extra point in the Big Ten standings. After Tanner Kelly scored on his signature forehand-to-backhand move, Dorwart was up next.
“I can’t give away my secrets,” he said, “but, I don’t know, (I was) just trying to come in with a little speed and get a quick shot off. The ice was kind of chopped up, so I wasn’t trying to do anything too fancy.”
With a quick wrist shot and not much stickhandling, Dorwart put the Spartans up 2-0 in the shootout. Connor MacEachern would score on the Nittany Lions’ next attempt, leaving Russell with a chance to win if he scored.
The shootout winner from Daniel Russell! #V4MSU #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/cZopG5zmFz
— Munnsters (@MSUMunnsters) January 15, 2023
He fumbled the puck slightly, but he recovered and buried it. Souliere broke his stick over the crossbar, and the Spartans walked out with both the extra point and three of four wins over Penn State.
With that point, Michigan State now sits in a three-way tie for second place in the Big Ten, and it has the first line to thank for all but one goal and one shootout goal.
According to them, it all comes back to each member playing well within their respective roles.
“The biggest part is playing with two players that understand my game, and I understand theirs,” Joshua said. “We seem to gel together really well.”
Preview and predictions for No. 13 MSU hockey’s series versus No. 4 MinnesotaStinson: The response to Jagger Joshua is an embarrassment to the Big Ten, Ohio State and hockey as a wholeMSU hockey splits road series with No. 12 Notre Dame
EAST LANSING — Entering his fifth year, few expected Cole Krygier to contribute much on offense. With only 10 goals to his name over 122 career games, that was a fair assumption.
“I haven’t scored too many goals in my career,” Krygier said. “So this year has been a different one for me.”
Now he has eight on the season and is tied with Jagger Joshua for the team lead. Both Joshua and Krygier, who have been putting up career numbers, scored Friday night to complete the comeback against No. 5 Penn State, with the latter scoring the overtime winner.
“Jags put his work in in the weight room, in practice, and his habits are getting better, and he’s getting rewarded with it on the ice,” Michigan State head coach Adam Nightingale said. “And then Cole’s had a really good year. He’s done a really good job of being a leader for our team.”
Penalty trouble doomed the Spartans for much of the game. Penn State jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to a pair of 5-on-3 goals. The Spartans would take 39 total penalty minutes. Krygier accounted for 12 of those, earning a 10-minute misconduct to pair with a holding minor for abuse of an official.
“That’s kind of how it goes sometimes,” Krygier said. “Obviously, the penalty I thought was a little soft. I just told him to put the whistle away and he didn’t like that.”
With only about a half of a period left, the clock was ticking for a comeback, and with the amount of penalties the Spartans had been taking, there wasn’t much reason for optimism. MSU, who normally dresses seven defensemen, was down to only four after both Krygier’s penalty and sophomore David Gucciardi getting ejected for a cross check. Junior Nash Nienhuis had also missed the game with an injury he sustained Dec. 27 against Ferris State.
The Nittany Lions had generated plenty of chances against the depleted blue line, but a stellar game from goalie Dylan St. Cyr — who finished with 42 saves — kept it within reach.
Dylan St. Cyr, man.
Just … Dylan St. Cyr. pic.twitter.com/qjCA0wwrj2
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) January 14, 2023
“Dylan’s just unbelievable,” senior forward Erik Middendorf said. “He makes those saves every day in practice, too. You just question it. Like, how is he doing this? How is he moving like that?”
After serving his misconduct, Krygier made his return to the bench and the comeback began. He assisted on a Middendorf goal that got the Spartans on the board with 11:22 left. From there on, it wasn’t always pretty, but Michigan State got the bounces it desperately needed. From Middendorf’s goal to the end of regulation, Penn State outshot the Spartans 10-5. However, Joshua tied the game after getting his own rebound, and the Spartans would skate into overtime with the momentum.
“Go out and enjoy it,” Nightingale said to his team heading into the overtime period. “You guys have gotten back in this game. Heck of a job staying with it, but we’re not done.”
Then it was Krygier’s time to shine. With the clock winding down in overtime, he would collect the puck, and fire a wrist shot from a tough angle below the face-off dot and over the near shoulder of Penn State’s Liam Souliere to secure the win.
“I just figured (Penn State forward Danny Dzhaniyev) was kind of flat footed,” Krygier said. “I just got his feet to turn and went around him. I’ve been trying to go upstairs there all year, so it was lucky to go in.”
COLE KRYGIER WINS IT IN OT! pic.twitter.com/Oe6macFEjo
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) January 14, 2023
“We were joking with him about sitting for 12 minutes and coming out and being the best player on the ice,” Middendorf said. “So I think it was a strategy in a way for him, coming out like that. He’s incredible for us.”
For Krygier, however, moments like these were a long time coming. While he credited Nightingale for the system that gets him more involved, Krygier knew he had spent the time to prepare himself for when the opportunity came.
“I’ve done a lot of work in the offseason,” Krygier said. “I’ve gotten stronger. I’ve been shooting a lot of pucks in the shooting room. Little things like that where you don’t think they’re going to pay off right away. But then as you go on, they start to stack, and you end up having a really good time.”
The other half of Krygier’s preparation, the mental side of the game, turned out to be as important as the physical.
“As you go through it, obviously you’ve got to handle your emotions,” he said. “I could have gotten pissed off and threw myself out of the game, but I just stayed calm and focused on it.”
Krygier’s overtime heroics led Nightingale to define Friday’s game as a “character win” for his team, highlighting their mental toughness. He noted that all of the Spartans’ remaining home games are standing room only, which he says is a result of fans noticing what they have accomplished through these culture-defining wins.
“I think Michigan State people…they’re proud people who really respect work ethic and team play,” Nightingale said. “So to see our guys get rewarded and have that energy in Munn, I thought it was awesome and honestly probably made the difference in that game.”
Back on home ice, No. 17 Spartans hope to return to ‘the best version of us’ vs. No. 5 Penn StateWith Sadlocha’s return possible, No. 14 Spartans focused on moving forward at No. 12 Ohio State“We’re really here to make it a real rivalry”: Spartans make a statement in win over Michigan
EAST LANSING — In a recent interview with the Pucks In Deep podcast, Penn State junior defenseman Jimmy Dowd Jr. was asked about the strength of the Big Ten, and he responded with a question of his own.
“Can I get a hot take here?” Dowd said. “I think Michigan State’s the best team we’ve played in the Big Ten so far.”
The podcast episode aired Monday, so it’s easy to laugh at Dowd for putting Michigan State, who have now lost seven of its last eight games, ahead of top-ten teams like Minnesota, Michigan or Ohio State.
Naturally, the hosts pressed him on what made Michigan State better than the rest.
“Everything,” Dowd said. “Their forecheck, their discipline defensively, and then just their ability to create on the line rush. At least that weekend, they were on.”
If his answer alone didn’t prove that his interview was dated, Dowd went on to mention an upcoming series with RIT. That series was played Dec. 30-31, meaning that Dowd hadn’t gotten to see MSU since then.
From the time that interview was recorded, the Spartans went on a lengthy road trip, and the results weren’t great. After two losses in the Great Lakes Invitational, they resumed their conference schedule traveling to Ohio State, where they were humbled with 3-1 and 6-0 defeats.
The latter was Michigan State’s most lopsided loss of the season. The things that Dowd highlighted as strengths — forechecking, discipline and breakouts — all became weaknesses the Buckeyes exploited.
Spartans coach Adam Nightingale attributed the performance to his team straying from its identity.
“It was the first time I really felt like we got away from being us,” he said. “And that’s our focus now. We’ve got to go and continue to be us and be the best version of us.”
Nightingale described that “best version” similarly to Dowd, focusing on his team’s high-tempo, aggressive style of play.
“We play fast, we play physical, we play in teams’ faces,” Nightingale said. “When we have the puck, we’re fast and attacking, and when we don’t have it, we’re closing and playing fast.”
Following a five-game road trip, the Spartans hope they can rediscover that identity on home ice. This weekend marks the first game at Munn Ice Arena since Dec. 9, a win over in-state rival Michigan. With another sold-out crowd, the team is hoping for a similar energy level in the rink this weekend.
Current student section line to get into @MSU_Hockey vs. Michigan tonight: pic.twitter.com/ch4ZK3FGCS
— Jacob Stinson (@jacobfstinson) December 9, 2022
“It’s always a little difficult playing on the road,” sophomore forward Jesse Tucker said. “Playing on our home turf here is obviously something that we always want to do. It’s going to be special to come back and get all the Munnsters riled up.”
Michigan State will need all the support it can get with Penn State in town. The Nittany Lions possess the most aggressive offense in the country, averaging the most shots on goal (39.9) and shot attempts (73.3) per game in the NCAA. With that pace of play, opponents cannot afford to get trapped in the defensive zone for long, which the Spartans have taken to heart.
“We know that they like taking a lot of pucks to the net,” freshman defenseman Viktor Hurtig said. “We’ve got…three good goalies, so we’ve just got to help them do their job.”
Michigan State played a series at Penn State in November, where the road team took one of two contests. After a last-minute goal gave the Nittany Lions a 4-3 win, MSU responded with a dominant 7-3 victory the following night. After only scoring 1.4 goals per game since the start of December, the Spartans believe this matchup is just what they need to get back on track.
“We want to sweep again,” Hurtig said. “We played good against them when we were on the road. We could have won both games…I think we’ve got a lot of revenge on our team from the last couple of games we played.”
For Hurtig’s wish to come true, both him and Tucker emphasized the need to play smart team defense. They said that the team had been practicing defensive angling and stick work — things that were issues in Columbus.
“We’ve faced the problem,” Tucker said. “Obviously, we figured it out, and that’s why we’re practicing so hard to get back after figuring things out. Hopefully that kinda gets us out of that slump that we had in the past.”
Despite the recent struggles, the Spartans aren’t worried that it will become a trend.
“I feel like all teams have a dip sometime,” Hurtig said. “I guess ours is right now, which I feel like could be pretty good so we can get back up on a winning streak when we get to the playoffs later this year.”
Players to watch
Karsen Dorwart, F, Michigan State: Dorwart, much like the rest of Michigan State’s offense, has gone quiet, with only three points in his last eight games. For him to return to form, Penn State would be a great team to do it against. Last time in State College, Dorwart posted two goals and two assists, earning him Big Ten’s Second Star of the Week.
Dylan St. Cyr, G, Michigan State: St. Cyr got pulled for junior backup Pierce Charleson for the first time this season at Ohio State. Although he’s been remarkably consistent all year, a three-goal first period landed him a seat on the bench Saturday. Expect him to be eager to bounce back, but he’ll have his work cut out for him against Penn State’s uptempo offense.
Kevin Wall, F, Penn State: Wall leads the charge for Penn State on both sides of the puck. He leads the team in goals (11), points (20), plus/minus rating (+18), and he has blocked the most shots of any PSU forward (21). No matter where he’s at on the ice, count on Wall to make his presence felt.
Impact staff predictions
Stinson: Both teams split. Home ice advantage is critical this weekend with Michigan State coming off a five-game road trip. I think that a full Munn will give the Spartans the jolt they need, but Penn State is too good to drop both games on the road. Expect another high-scoring series.
Jacob Phillips, Hockey Beat Reporter: Both teams split. Penn State has been on a roll the entire season, and don’t expect that to change this weekend. But even with MSU losing their momentum from November, their first series back at home in a month will make a big difference. If they can clean up the mistakes seen against Ohio State, expect a one-goal win late on Saturday to split the series.
Ryan Radosevich, Hockey Beat Reporter: Penn State sweeps. It’s hard to imagine MSU will lose seven in a row, but with how solid PSU has looked over the course of the season paired with MSU’s shaky team defense and lack of goal scoring, the Spartans would need to play a nearly flawless game to pull out some wins. It’s the first time MSU has played on home ice since Dec. 9, and that will help, but will it be enough? I’m not convinced. This series will be a battle in both games for the full 60 minutes.
With Sadlocha’s return possible, No. 14 Spartans focused on moving forward at No. 12 Ohio State“We’re really here to make it a real rivalry”: Spartans make a statement in win over MichiganNo. 12 Michigan State set to host No. 6 Michigan
We’re back! In the first episode of 2023 Ryan Radosevich, Jacob Stinson and Jacob Phillips recap the sour start to the second half of the season for MSU and talk about what the Spartans need to improve on to get back into the winning column as they play a home series against No. 5 Penn State University. We had a lot to recap with the Pick Em’s as well. Seriously we had a lot to say. Check it all out now on the first episode of Behind the Mask in 2023!
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Throughout the season, Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale has repeatedly praised his team’s camaraderie.
“I think the want to be a team has been really good,” Nightingale said. “That makes it really fun for our coaching staff and the players to want to come to the rink. We’ve got a group of guys that want to be a team.”
Sometimes, however, the strength of that team gets tested by forces both on and off the ice. For example, when the Spartans hosted Ohio State in November, Buckeyes forward Kamil Sadlocha was ejected and given a game misconduct for using a racial slur against MSU’s Jagger Joshua, who is Black. When no further action had been taken by either the Big Ten or OSU, Joshua issued a public statement on Twitter detailing the situation.
Acts of racism do not belong in hockey.. pic.twitter.com/nm9AnIjSgV
— Jagger Joshua (@jaggerjoshua8) November 21, 2022
“The inaction has left me feeling confused and pessimistic about the movement of diversity within hockey culture,” Joshua said in his statement. “The ignorance of racism does not belong in our game, and I feel that I need to make people aware that this incident occurred, because without acknowledgement, the problem gets worse.”
After Joshua’s statement garnered national attention, and both the Big Ten and OSU gave a series of statements, Sadlocha was dismissed from the team and sent home and has not appeared in a game since late November.
This weekend, however, the Spartans head to Columbus for a road series against the Buckeyes, and there’s a chance they could see Sadlocha.
An Ohio State spokesperson confirmed to WDBM this week that Sadlocha is back with the team, although they did not comment whether he would be available to play this weekend.
Nightingale hopes that everyone involved can use the incident as a learning experience, allowing both teams to focus on the game in front of them.
“Everyone makes mistakes,” he said, “and I don’t think it should be the end of anyone, you know, and I have faith in Ohio State and their ability to help people change…It’s about moving on, and so I trust that they’ve gone through a process where they feel he’s ready to be back on the team.”
Nightingale said that Joshua shares a similar feeling and is focused on the two games in front of him.
“Jagger’s whole deal with it wasn’t about any one person or any one team. It was about the principle of how you speak to others, and I don’t think he was looking to go after anyone or anything like that. So I think he’s moved on. He’s done a great job of putting his head down and working and I’m proud of him for that,” said Nightingale.
The concept of moving on was a theme in Nightingale’s press conference Tuesday, both off and on the ice. After two losses in the Great Lakes Invitational, the Spartans finished December with a 1-5-0 record. The Spartans will need to have a short memory heading into the back half of conference play.
That’s not to say the last month was all bad, however. Even in the losses, the Spartans repeatedly put themselves in a position to win. Despite losing 4-2, they outshot Ferris State 47-22 in the GLI opener.
“I really liked us in the Ferris State game,” Nightingale said. “I think if we play that way, we’re going to win a lot of hockey games.”
Then in the consolation game against Michigan Tech, Michigan State held the lead late before a pair of power-play goals — one with 1:13 left in regulation and one in overtime — let the Huskies complete the comeback.
“We gave ourselves a chance to win,” Nightingale said. “I think they’re a really good team, you know, they’re a top 20 team for a reason. Obviously we got in some penalty trouble at the end and weren’t able to kill it off, but it’s about responding.”
The response Nightingale is looking for will depend largely on how well his team can get pucks to the inside and get high-quality shots on Ohio State goalie Jakub Dobeš. A reigning Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year, Dobeš has proven he’s capable of stealing games for his team. He’s started to find a rhythm, too, posting a .931 save percentage and a 2.00 goals against average over his last four starts.
However, the Spartans have proven they can solve the puzzle that is Dobeš. They scored four goals in each of their November wins against the Buckeyes, led by four points from senior Nicolas Müller.
Muller is opportunistic and pounces on the loose puck for his second of the season, pic.twitter.com/6nrZyiwpI7
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) November 12, 2022
Michigan State will need an equally strong showing on offense to break out of its current slump. The Spartans converted on only 5.1% of their shots on goal in December, well below their 9.0% season average. Here’s the breakdown of the totals in those games:
Despite the cold shooting streak and recent lack of wins, Michigan State is still focused on long-term improvements.
Created by Jacob Stinson“As the season goes, we want to keep building our game out and get better every game,” Nightingale said. “The reality is it’s not always a straight path. Sometimes you take a step back. But I think that builds resolve in our group. You still got to believe in what we’re doing and keep doing things the right way.”
The series between Ohio State and Michigan State will begin on Friday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m. EST from the Schottenstein Center in Columbus. The rematch will be the following afternoon at 4 p.m.
Players to watch
Cole Krygier, D, Michigan State: Krygier has impressed all season and that continued in the GLI. He has three goals in his last four games — including two against Ferris State — which ties him for the team lead this season with seven. He’s made his mark this year inserting himself into the offense and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.
Mason Lohrei, D, Ohio State: Lohrei is a great example of how Ohio State likes to use its defensemen. The Buckeyes don’t place much emphasis on blocking shots — they average the least blocks per game in the conference (9.6). Instead, they like their defensemen to quickly get the puck and push in transition. Lohrei is one of the most consistent examples of this and he has 15 assists on the year to prove it. It will be important for Ohio State to get in transition quickly and not get trapped in the defensive zone, so pay attention to Lohrei, the team’s best puck mover, to make that happen.
Cam Thiesing, F, Ohio State: Thiesing is the polar opposite of Lohrei. He attempts more shots than any of his teammates, and isn’t a strong playmaker but he makes up for it with his scoring. He has nine goals this year despite only two assists. He hasn’t assisted on a goal since Oct. 21, so look for Thiesing to keep throwing pucks on net.
Impact staff predictions
Stinson: Both teams split. Michigan State has been piling on enough shots recently to win most games it plays. I like that matched up against an Ohio State defense that doesn’t block much. However, beating a team four times in a season is extremely difficult, and I think that the Buckeyes come out with at least one win at home.
Jacob Phillips, Hockey Beat Reporter: Most likely, this will be a split. Sadlocha news aside, both teams have a lot to play for. MSU’s performance in the GLI was far from the best we’ve seen in the first half of the season, but they’ve bounced back from worse games before. Look for them to take at least one game in Columbus.
Ryan Radosevich, Hockey Beat Reporter: Split. This is going to be an…interesting series. MSU is coming off a disappointing GLI, but the Buckeyes haven’t played a game since Dec. 17. Look for the Spartans to be hungry to get back into the win column, but since it’s at OSU’s barn I see this ending up as a series split.
“We’re really here to make it a real rivalry”: Spartans make a statement in win over MichiganNo. 12 Michigan State set to host No. 6 MichiganLate rally not enough to overcome Spartans mistakes in loss vs. No. 4 Minnesota
EAST LANSING — Tiernan Shoudy had been dreaming of this for a while. A native of St. Clair, Michigan, he grew up watching the Michigan State-Michigan hockey rivalry. The freshman was able to get his first taste of the action Friday.
“It’s so much different being in it,” Shoudy said. “Obviously, being on the outside is really fun, but being a part of it, it’s indescribable.”
Shoudy was born in 2002, so those games he grew up watching featured a much different Michigan State team. The Spartans won a national championship when he was five years old. At that time, Michigan State was a national contender and competed year after year with powerhouse programs like Michigan.
The more recent history of the rivalry, however, has been anything but close. The Wolverines beat the Spartans six times last season and won 11 of the previous 12 meetings.
Now, after scoring the game-winning goal in a 2-1 upset over No. 6 Michigan on Friday, Dec. 9, Shoudy got to make his mark on the rivalry.
“It’s just a dream come true,” Shoudy said. “I don’t know how many nights I’ve sat up thinking about scoring the game-winning goal.”
As the score would suggest, the game was as close as you could ask for. After TJ Hughes put Michigan up 1-0 midway through the first period, Cole Krygier would answer back with a shot that bounced off the glove of Wolverines goalie Erik Portillo and into the net, tying the game heading into the first intermission.
When the second period rolled around, Shoudy got his chance. Almost eight minutes in, Shoudy would find a loose puck off multiple shots from Tanner Kelly, and he’d tap it in to give the Spartans the 2-1 advantage.
The freshman Tiernan Shoudy gets his first goal in the rivalry he grew up watching as a kid. pic.twitter.com/FkX7eHHyNW
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) December 10, 2022
From that point on, the win was a complete team effort. The Spartan defense held Michigan to only five shots on goal in the third period. The forwards were able to stymie the Michigan breakout and draw Portillo out of position multiple times, leading to grade-A scoring chances.
“(Michigan doesn’t) like it to be hard,” Shoudy said. “So when you’re hard on them, hit them, forecheck them, they don’t like it, and they’re going to turn it over…And then we kind of just locked it down, too, which was the biggest part about it.”
Perhaps most important to the win was the play of goalie Dylan St. Cyr, who saved 22 of 23 shots, making a highlight reel’s worth of saves along the way. He made every type of stop in the book: routine saves, sliding across the crease, and seeing the puck through traffic.
His big night reached its peak at the end of the second period when a pair of diving saves from the graduate student sent Munn Ice Arena into a frenzy and galvanized his teammates for the rest of the way.
“You get so much confidence,” Shoudy said. “It’s not even just tonight. He’s been doing that all year…He has a really good feel for the game, and you get so much confidence when you see him. It gets the guys going on the bench for sure, and we want to go win for him when he’s making saves like that.”
With the win, the Spartans are hoping to forget about the rivalry games of years past and establish a new chapter in a series that’s been one-sided for so long.
“I think it’s important that we do our part in making it a rivalry,” MSU coach Adam Nightingale said. “The state of Michigan is a great hockey state and it’s important that both programs are going.”
In recent history, Michigan State hadn’t done much to make the series competitive. Dating back to the 2017-18 season, the Spartans had a 5-15-3 record against their in-state rival. Michigan ended MSU’s season last year with a sweep in the Big Ten tournament, outscoring the Spartans 12-1 over the two-game weekend, including an 8-0 blowout in the second game in Ann Arbor.
“I think everybody kind of knows the way that the Spartan-Michigan rivalry kind of is,” St. Cyr said. “We were just trying to come in here and start that new rivalry. This is kind of the start. We want them to know it’s not going to be easy, and that’s kind of the way we wanted to get it started. Obviously, in our barn with that crowd, it’s pretty exciting.”
Like St. Cyr said, the crowd at Munn Ice Arena helped provide a spark. The game was a sellout, and fans were lining up in droves well before the doors opened.
Current student section line to get into @MSU_Hockey vs. Michigan tonight: pic.twitter.com/ch4ZK3FGCS
— Jacob Stinson (@jacobfstinson) December 9, 2022
“There’s no doubt in my mind that they had a huge help in that game,” St. Cyr said. “I think that’s something that we really want to build here and continue to have. We really want to produce a good product that they want to come support and watch. I think that helps us and frustrates other teams.”
Nightingale is now the first Spartan hockey coach to beat Michigan in his first attempt. However, he’s more concerned with the players who had been on the losing end of this rivalry for so long.
“It’s not about me,” Nightingale said. “It’s about the guys, and you know, they’ve been on the other end of it, and so I was happy for them to get the win.”
In typical Nightingale fashion, he’s focused mostly on what winning big games like this does for the future of Michigan State hockey.
“It’s an important game,” Nightingale said. “At the end of the day, it’s Big Ten points…Yes, we want to win this game, and yes, the Big Ten points are where we want to keep building. We’re trying to lay a foundation of being a great program, and we’re starting to get there, but we’ve still got a ways to go.”
No. 12 Michigan State set to host No. 6 MichiganLate rally not enough to overcome Spartans mistakes in loss vs. No. 4 MinnesotaNo. 4 Minnesota scores five in win over No. 13 Michigan State
EAST LANSING — Last season, Michigan and Michigan State, the most-played rivalry in college hockey, faced off six times — four times in the regular season and twice in the Big Ten tournament. All six went to the Wolverines.
The last of those, an 8-0 blowout in Ann Arbor, forced the Spartans to take a long look in the mirror. If Michigan State wanted to be a competitive college hockey program in the near future, it was going to need to make some changes.
So that’s what happened. Michigan State brought in an entirely new coaching staff, headed by Adam Nightingale, to go along with 12 new players on the roster.
The results have been better than expected, to say the least. Michigan State already has more points than it accrued a season ago. The Spartans are 11-6-1, rank No. 12 in the latest USCHO poll and sit at third place in the Big Ten.
That early success has forced the college hockey world to take notice, including the same team that embarrassed the Spartans in early March.
“It’s better for the rivalry,” Michigan forward Jay Keranen said. “We know where they’re at, and…where we’re at. There’s huge points on the line, that makes the rivalry that much better.”
Similar to Michigan State, Michigan also has a new head coach. Brandon Naurato is serving as the interim head coach after Mel Pearson was let go in August.
Both the Wolverines and Spartans are led by a plethora of young talent. Despite the departure of Owen Power, Matty Beniers and Kent Johnson to the National Hockey League, Michigan has retained plenty of pro-level talent. Luke Hughes, who was picked fifth overall in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, both anchors the defense and quarterbacks the power play. Fellow first-rounder Mackie Samoskevich is having a career season, already outscoring his goal total from a year ago. A top prospect for 2023, freshman Adam Fantilli has also made an immediate impact as one of the country’s most dangerous scorers.
While Michigan will be without Fantilli – who will be representing Team Canada in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship – the identity of the Wolverines remains the same.
“(It’s the) same Michigan,” Nightingale said. “They have a lot of talent, a lot of speed and want to play with a lot of skill. (They’re) a really good team.”
For Michigan State, the biggest surprise has been its first line, led by two freshmen: Daniel Russell and Karsen Dorwart. Both are scoring at nearly a point-per-game pace, which leads the team. To complement Russell and Dorwart on the wing, senior Jagger Joshua, who had been known primarily as an enforcer, found his scoring touch, turning in career highs in both goals and points.
The similarities don’t stop there, however. Despite the hot start, both teams suffered rather humbling series the weekend before.
Michigan State suffered its first consecutive losses of the season in a sweep by Minnesota. The Spartans were outscored 11-3 on the weekend, and the first goal for Michigan State didn’t come until the last period of the final game.
Michigan, who sits at fifth place in the Big Ten, split its weekend series with Wisconsin, giving the Badgers their first conference win of the season in a shocking upset.
Both teams will want to put the previous week behind them. And there’s no better distraction than a rivalry game, with each team getting to play on home ice.
“Outside of the rivalry for us, these are still two huge games in the Big Ten,” Michigan assistant coach Rob Rassey said. “These are conference games for us, and we haven’t had a great start to the conference…They’re two huge games, and we’re making sure our guys know that.”
“Obviously this is a big weekend for us,” Nightingale said. “We want to keep growing as a team.”
Friday’s game will take place at Munn Ice Arena, whereas Saturday’s contest will be at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor. The puck will drop for both games at 6:30 p.m. EST.
Players to watch
Luke Hughes, D, Michigan: If you’ve heard Hughes’ name before, it’s likely for one of two reasons. Either you’re familiar with his brothers, NHL stars Jack and Quinn, or you watched him dominate Michigan State a season ago. Like his brothers, Luke is an elite skater and playmaker. That skillset makes him one of the main engines for the Michigan offense, especially breaking out of the defensive zone or running a power play. Last season, he scored 13 points in six games against the Spartans, so expect him to be a big part of the Wolverine offense again.
Rutger McGroarty, F, Michigan: Rivalry games are almost a guarantee to become scrappy. That’s where big, physical power forwards like McGroarty come in. A first-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets, McGroarty has put up big numbers thanks to his combination of power and finesse. He’s strong with both a powerful shot and good stickhandling. He’s Michigan’s third leading scorer and has seven points in his last four games.
Jeremy Davidson, F, Michigan State: After struggling early on, Davidson has started to find his groove for the Spartans. He has seven points in the last five games, including two scores in the second game against Minnesota. He’s been making smart decisions around the net and positioning himself well to put back rebounds, which should set him up for success against a Michigan team that’s had lackluster goaltending from starter Erik Portillo to this point.
Impact staff predictions
Stinson: Both teams split. I don’t believe that Michigan State would drop four games in a row, and Michigan is too talented for me to think a Spartan sweep is realistic. While the Spartans will need a much stronger effort than what they showed against Minnesota, I think the sold-out crowd at Munn will help them do that Friday.
Jacob Phillips, Hockey Beat Reporter: Expect a hard-fought series ending in a split. Home ice advantage will never mean more than in this series, and both teams will need support to take advantage of crowd support. These are good teams, and I don’t see either coming out on top in both.
Ryan Radosevich, Hockey Beat Reporter: It’s a home-and-home rivalry series and I’m expecting a split. Michigan State will pull out a gutsy win at home and break the six-game losing streak to the Wolverines. Michigan, despite some ups and downs early this season, are a very talented team that should take care of the Spartans on home ice.
Late rally not enough to overcome Spartans mistakes in loss vs. No. 4 MinnesotaNo. 4 Minnesota scores five in win over No. 13 Michigan StatePreview and predictions for No. 13 MSU hockey’s series versus No. 4 Minnesota
EAST LANSING — In order for No. 13 Michigan State to pull off the upset over Minnesota on Saturday, the team would have to be nearly perfect.
The combination of speed and skill that the Golden Gophers possessed would make the Spartans pay for nearly every mistake they made. A 5-0 beatdown the night before proved such.
“We thought we took a backseat to them (Friday) a little bit,” junior forward Jeremy Davidson said. “They can be an intimidating team with all the skill they have and the depth they have.”
The first two periods were anything but perfect.
In the early stages of the game, the Spartans had no answer for Minnesota. Late in the first period, a Justin Jallen turnover led to a 2-on-0 breakaway with Logan Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud — first-round NHL draft picks each with 20+ points to their names. Players with that pedigree will make any team pay given that opportunity, and they did.
Cooley & Snuggerud in alone?
Good luck! pic.twitter.com/wAW9xMQhT7
— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) December 3, 2022
Whenever Michigan State seemed to generate momentum, Minnesota would jump at the first hiccup the Spartans made. Just over seven minutes into the second, Bryce Brodzinski got a breakaway of his own to give his team the 2-0 lead.
The Golden Gophers’ onslaught continued for the rest of the second period. Both Jaxon Nelson and Matthew Knies found the back of the net. Down 4-0, some fans started to make their way to the exit.
"Allow me to leave the tip"
– @matthew_knies pic.twitter.com/C0VntvHahi
— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) December 4, 2022
“Obviously we dug ourselves a hole,” Michigan State coach Nightingale said. “But I liked our push in the third. We talked to our guys about going out and winning the third period. I was proud of our guys for that.”
Just over two minutes into the final frame, Christian Krygier would connect on a cross-ice feed with sophomore Jesse Tucker, who would one-time his fourth goal of the season.
Jesse Tucker had been denied on the previous rush – so he made sure he buried this one – his fourth of the season. pic.twitter.com/4FCaHoXv2O
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) December 4, 2022
From that point on, Michigan State started to crawl its way back into the contest. Davidson would fire in a loose puck, and the Spartans started playing with an energy that was absent for most of the game.
“I think we just totally got back to our game,” Tucker said. “It was things like getting pucks deep, getting on the body and just playing to our system…not making soft turnovers and things like that.”
Minnesota, however, knew just how to respond to the Spartans’ push. Less than two minutes after Davidson’s goal, Mason Nevers would push Minnesota back up by three, cleaning up a stray rebound of his own. Golden Gophers captain Brock Faber would score his third of the season just a few minutes later.
While Davidson would also score his second of the game, it was too late, and Minnesota completed the sweep of the Spartans with a 6-3 victory — the first back-to-back losses for Michigan State with Nightingale behind the bench.
Despite the loss, the rookie coach saw the weekend as a learning experience, choosing to emphasize his team’s late push to make the game competitive.
“If I pay money to watch a team play,” Nightingale said, “and I see them push like that when it would have been easy for them to roll over, I think that says a lot about our group of guys.”
The players shared the same sentiment. Going into next weekend — a home-and-home series with No. 5 Michigan — the Spartans want to build off the strong third period to prove they can compete with the best teams in the country.
“There were times in the game where I felt like the momentum was tilted our way,” Davidson said, “and that kind of gave us some hope. Hopefully, we can carry that into next weekend and just have the belief that we can play with those high-end teams because I believe we can.”
EAST LANSING- No. 13/11 Michigan State met its best competition of the season Friday night and it showed, falling 5-0 to the No. 4/1 Minnesota Golden Gophers.
“It’s part of the growth of our group is you have to come to the rink and believe you can win and then two, we got to keep learning and growing,” said head coach Adam Nightingale.
The scoring started early for the Gophers as freshman forward Logan Cooley was able to shift one past MSU goaltender Dylan St. Cyr eight minutes into the contest.
“I think early in the game we were a little light on our stick, those are areas for our program that are non-negotiable and gotta be better,” said Nightingale.
We will have our annual Teddy Bear Toss tonight – bring a new stuffed animal to toss on the ice in the first intermission.
The No. 4/1 Minnesota Golden Gophers are in town to wrap up the weekend series. Visit our website for all gameday links! pic.twitter.com/ybiSdLAZ1b
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) December 3, 2022
Leading in shots 12-5 after 20 minutes, the Gophers kept the offensive pressure on and added a second tally courtesy of top-line left winger Rhett Pitlick to go up 2-0 late in the second period.
This was the second time all season that MSU has been held scoreless through two periods.
“They’re a very talented team and I think we turned a lot of pucks over that fed right into their game,” said graduate transfer captain Miroslav Mucha.
MSU had to come up with a big offensive spark entering the final frame and they did as they were able to pester Minnesota goaltender Justen Close, but the netminder kept the gold and maroon in front.
“I think we had to do a better job at getting in front of him. You know I think any goalie in the big ten if you can see the pick is probably gonna stop it so that’ll be a focus for tomorrow,” said Nightingale.
Then the floodgates opened and MSU’s momentum was squandered as Minnesota scored three goals in the final 10 minutes of the game to hand MSU a 5-0 loss, their second loss in the last ten games.
“I go back to the way we played at the start of the third, we gotta find a way to do that for a full 60,” said Nightingale.
Close picked up his third shutout of the season saving all 25 shots he faced, pushing Minnesota to 12-5-0 on the season. Meanwhile, MSU falls to 11-5-1 and looks to snap the 10-game losing streak to the Gophers Saturday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Preview and predictions for No. 13 MSU hockey’s series versus No. 4 MinnesotaStinson: The response to Jagger Joshua is an embarrassment to the Big Ten, Ohio State and hockey as a wholeMSU hockey splits road series with No. 12 Notre Dame
EAST LANSING – Ranked No. 13 nationally and second place in the Big Ten standings are the Michigan State Spartans.
Who’s first in the Big Ten? The Minnesota Golden Gophers. Both of them will clash this Friday and Saturday for the top spot in the conference.
MSU (11-4-1) is coming off a red-hot November, winning seven out of its last eight matchups. The only loss coming on the road against No. 6 Penn State. Last month, MSU averaged 4.625 goals per game. The best in the nation for the time period.
Meanwhile, No. 4 ranked Minnesota (11-5-0) has won seven of their past nine contests and is coming off a split against the Arizona State Sun Devils.
Dylan St. Cyr, starting goalie and graduate transfer for the Spartans, is putting up great numbers in his first season for the green and white. He’s currently sitting at a 2.13 goals allowed average and a 0.934 save percentage which is fourth best in the nation. However, the Spartans face their hardest offensive test of the season as they face a Golden Gopher team that scores 3.90 goals per game, third best in the nation.
Jimmy Snuggerud, a freshman forward for the Golden Gophers and first-round draft pick of the St. Louis Blues, is leading the charge with 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 16 games played. He’s been an offensive dynamo for Minnesota in his young career. Look for him to put some points up this weekend.
Coming off a hat trick last weekend against Miami (OH) and 10 points (6 goals, 4 assists) in his past six games, MSU freshman Karsen Dorwart is somebody to keep an eye out for. His 17 points on the season is second on the team, just one point behind his freshman linemate Daniel Russell.
Minnesota dominates the all-time series 129-50-16 and have won the past nine matchups, but MSU has only lost two out of nine games on home ice this season.
Impact Staff Predictions Ryan Radosevich: Series split. MSU will break its losing streak against the Gophers. Minnesota is a very talented team especially with freshman Logan Cooley and Snuggerud putting up big numbers early on. Both teams’ play styles match each other well, and I do not see a world where one team wins both games. Should be a great series.
Jacob Stinson: Series split. Minnesota is a young team with really talented freshmen in Cooley and Snuggerud, but they’re 4-3-0 on the road. Meanwhile, MSU has won its last six in a row at home. While Minnesota is a more talented team, the Spartans play great team hockey, making this an exciting matchup.
Jacob Phillips: Series split. Both teams have performed well up to this point, and neither has proven themselves undeniably better. If Minnesota and MSU both play its best, each can take a game away from this weekend.
Puck drop is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. on Saturday. Both games will take place at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing.
EAST LANSING – One day after Jagger Joshua released his statement regarding the use of racial slurs by an Ohio State hockey player, Ohio State University announced senior forward Kamil Sadlocha will be removed from the hockey team for an indefinite amount of time.
“Over the last week, the Department of Athletics has worked through this on-ice incident and spoken with Kamil Sadlocha and the rest of the team, and Kamil is returning home and will not practice or compete at this time,” said OSU athletic director Gene Smith in a statement released on Nov. 22.
Statement regarding Ohio State men’s hockey pic.twitter.com/AcDyZOpoBi
— Gene Smith (@OSU_AD) November 23, 2022
According to Smith’s latest statement, the OSU hockey team will have to complete further education on racial sensitivity, diversity, equity, inclusion and the use of respectful dialog.
“The department and I will support them through this important process,” Smith said in the statement.
Although Joshua’s statement did not identify the OSU skater by name, the box score of the game shows that only one player received a game misconduct penalty – Sadlocha. The statement from OSU marks the first time Sadlocha has been officially identified as the skater in question.
Sadlocha’s removal from the OSU team is also the first disciplinary action taken since the original penalty during the game between the Buckeyes and the Spartans on Nov. 11.
In its first statement, OSU explained it had cooperated with a Big Ten investigation into the incident to “come to a resolution in response to the allegation of misconduct.” However, at that time, the university did not specify as to what actions were taken. Between the game on Nov. 11 and Joshua’s statement, Sadlocha was allowed to play both OSU games against Notre Dame.
When asked about what changes he hopes are made in response to his statement, Joshua said, “I’m more focused on changing the culture, and I think the best way to do that is to talk about it and bring light to the situation.”
Stinson: The response to Jagger Joshua is an embarrassment to the Big Ten, Ohio State and hockey as a wholeJagger Joshua calls out Big Ten’s lack of action after being called a racial slur by Ohio State playerMSU upsets a top-ten OSU team and now sits atop Big Ten
Before Jagger Joshua said anything, the damage had already been done.
On Monday, Joshua tweeted a statement alleging that an Ohio State player had used a racial slur multiple times in a game against him before receiving a game misconduct penalty and thus being ejected.
Acts of racism do not belong in hockey.. pic.twitter.com/nm9AnIjSgV
— Jagger Joshua (@jaggerjoshua8) November 21, 2022
When looking back at the box score from the MSU and OSU game on Nov. 11 that Joshua referenced, the penalty log tells a starting story. OSU forward Kamil Sadlocha received a game misconduct 10:39 into the second period. Sadlocha was the only player between the two teams to receive a game misconduct penalty in the game.
Jagger Joshua’s statement said an Ohio State player received a game misconduct penalty for using a racial slur repeatedly during the game on Nov. 11. Here’s the penalty breakdown of that game pic.twitter.com/Ssij47DZoc
— Jacob Phillips (@JDPhillips125) November 21, 2022
Hockey has ongoing issues with diversity and inclusion, more so than other sports. The National Hockey League is more than 97% white, according to USA Today. There are currently less than two dozen Black players.
Despite having so few minority players, the NHL still finds itself struggling with how fans treat its athletes of color. Nazem Kadri received racist death threats from St. Louis fans during last year’s playoffs. Some in Chicago told Devante Smith-Pelly to stick to basketball, implying that he should leave to play a more stereotypically Black sport and keep hockey a white man’s game.
Perhaps the most relevant parallel to all this is the situation of Mitchell Miller. In the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, the Arizona Coyotes used a fourth-round draft pick to select Miller, a defensive prospect who in 2016 had been found guilty in a juvenile court of racially abusing a Black classmate with developmental disabilities. After the Arizona Republic issued a report on it following the draft, the Coyotes renounced Miller’s draft rights, and he was removed from the University of North Dakota hockey team.
Exactly one week before the MSU-OSU game, the Boston Bruins signed Miller to a three-year, entry-level contract, despite him showing no real signs of remorse. The only apology from Miller to the classmate was court-ordered.
Similar to Miller, the player who received the game misconduct on Nov. 11 has not taken significant public steps to demonstrate growth. Since Joshua’s announcement, it’s been radio silence from him, and his personal Twitter account is private. No acknowledgment of what happened. No apology. No sign of remorse.
People like Miller or Sadlocha should not have a place in hockey. It falls on the people in power to make the changes necessary to prevent things like this from happening again. However, these things persist, and they do so because those at the top enable it.
There wasn’t much that either the Big Ten or OSU could say that wasn’t too little, too late. The fact that the Big Ten hadn’t publicly acknowledged the incident before Joshua said something was proof the conference wanted to sweep it all under the rug, and was not going to say something if he kept quiet. The expectations for any response from OSU or the Big Ten were modest at best.
Somehow, both groups still failed to meet the already low bar.
Following Joshua’s tweet, the Ohio State athletics department released a statement in which it said the team “worked collaboratively with the Big Ten Conference to come to a resolution” following the incident.
What was this resolution? Was it a suspension of Sadlocha? Nope. He still played in both games the following weekend.
Was it any public apology or show of support for Joshua? Wrong again.
Was it any sort of action plan to educate Sadlocha or correct his mistakes? Strike three.
The statement didn’t give an answer as to what the “resolution” was. Rather, the athletics department used the rest of the space to tout its “remarkable diversity” and the “outstanding job” of its Buckeye Inclusion committee — language that, given the context, comes off as nothing but hollow, self-aggrandizing and tone-deaf.
While Ohio State’s statement was frustratingly vague, the Big Ten released a statement soon after that provided more clarity why the conference did nothing.
The Big Ten now has a statement out on why there was no further punishment for Ohio State’s Kamil Sadlocha beyond a game misconduct for alleged racial targeting of Michigan State’s Jagger Joshua. pic.twitter.com/zIlKNHHO6I
— Todd Milewski (@ToddMilewski) November 22, 2022
While the whole statement is three paragraphs long, there are only two sentences worth reading, and both come at the end of the second paragraph.
First, the Big Ten, based on its investigation, “supports the decision by the official to levy a game misconduct penalty on OSU.” Second, the conference did not discipline the player due to an “absence of indisputable evidence.”
These two statements are contradictory. Either the Big Ten believes the referees or they don’t. The only other evidence the conference could ask for would be a recording of exactly what was said. However, if the conference’s own official — arguably the most neutral third party possible — heard enough and saw it fit to give the game misconduct at that moment, then something clearly had to have happened. Game misconducts are not given out on a whim.
It is my own belief that people like Sadlocha do not deserve the privilege of playing Division I hockey. Although, without concrete, indisputable evidence, a total removal from the team could open up the conference to lawsuits, so I would understand a lesser sentence, such as a suspension.
However, a complete lack of action tells more than enough about the conference and the people in charge.
The issues with the situation go far beyond Sadlocha and this one instance. This is an indictment on everyone involved — head coach Steve Rohlik for letting Sadlocha play the week after, the OSU athletics department for not acknowledging any wrongdoing, and the Big Ten for not disciplining Sadlocha. Each person or group had opportunities both before and after Joshua said something to do what was right. Each one of them failed.
“Inaction in the face of racist comments and actions allow these behaviors to continue,” Joshua said.
I would argue that what the Big Ten and Ohio State have done here is worse than that. There’s a difference between simply not doing anything and saying that you won’t do anything. Publicly announcing that neither the conference nor Ohio State is taking disciplinary action not only allows this behavior but condones it. Saying that things are fine the way they are only sets them up for more of the same down the road.
The question isn’t whether not the Big Ten or Ohio State believes Joshua. They do. If they didn’t, the conference, which worked with OSU on this “resolution,” wouldn’t come out in support of the referee’s decision.
They believe Jagger Joshua. They just don’t care.
Jagger Joshua calls out Big Ten’s lack of action after being called a racial slur by Ohio State playerNightingale, No. 17 Michigan State looking to ‘earn a lot of respect back’ at No. 6 Penn StateMSU upsets a top-ten OSU team and now sits atop Big Ten
EAST LANSING – Michigan State hockey player Jagger Joshua addressed the media for the first time after announcing on social media that an Ohio State player called him a racial slur during the Nov. 11 game against the Buckeyes.
The Big Ten responded to the allegations in a statement saying, “Due to the absence of indisputable evidence presented to the conference, the conference has not imposed further disciplinary action.”
“I’m not too happy about the result with the Big Ten’s decision to not go further with action,” Joshua said. “I wouldn’t say it’s been a good two weeks for me.”
Joshua said he cooperated with the Big Ten’s investigation.
Acts of racism do not belong in hockey.. pic.twitter.com/nm9AnIjSgV
— Jagger Joshua (@jaggerjoshua8) November 21, 2022
Michigan State issued a statement regarding the situation on Nov. 21, right after Joshua posted his own statement.
Joshua said the referee in the game heard what the opposing player said, and gave him a game misconduct penalty.
“I never communicated once to the ref that he said something or something was said and he handled it on his own,” Joshua said. “What I told my coaching staff on the bench was that the ref heard it and reported it, so there was no gray area in terms of what was said or what was heard.”
The Big Ten now has a statement out on why there was no further punishment for Ohio State's Kamil Sadlocha beyond a game misconduct for alleged racial targeting of Michigan State's Jagger Joshua. pic.twitter.com/zIlKNHHO6I
— Todd Milewski (@ToddMilewski) November 22, 2022
“Ohio State is focused on providing an inclusive and supportive environment for all,” OSU said in a statement.
The box score shows Buckeye forward Kamil Sadlocha was the only player given a game misconduct. Sadlocha played a week later in Ohio State’s two-game series against Notre Dame.
“Him [the referee] taking action right away gave me confidence and the ability to come forward,” Joshua said.
“That kind of behavior is unacceptable, and we’re standing by Jagger,” said MSU hockey forward Miroslav Mucha.
Joshua said on Tuesday that this was not the first time he has heard such abusive language on the ice.
“Over the years, I’ve been the lone African American in locker rooms and it is something that I guess you get used to,” Joshua said. “I love hockey because it’s almost a distraction and those things aren’t welcome on the ice.”
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Before each season begins, the Big Ten conducts a coaches’ poll. In addition to picking the preseason All-Big Ten teams, each team’s coach predicts how the conference will play out. At the bottom of the list this season: Penn State and Michigan State.
Coming #B1GHockey
Minnesota was tabbed the favorite in the 2022-23 Big Ten hockey preseason coaches’ poll. https://t.co/bxMCUFPI8y pic.twitter.com/L3zdyMKsKt
— Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) September 21, 2022
Fast forward to now, and those two teams will play each other this weekend for the top spot in the Big Ten.
While the poll looks bad now, the rankings made sense at the time.
Penn State was one of the worst defensive teams in the country last year. Despite that, the Nittany Lions didn’t make any significant defensive upgrades in the transfer portal. The team was trusting junior Liam Souliere, who posted a .904 save percentage the year before, as the lead goalie.
For as bad as Penn State’s defense was, Michigan State’s offense might have been worse. The Spartans lost 15 of 16 to end last season, due in large part to a lack of offense and being unable to maintain possession of the puck.
Both teams have turned those narratives on their heads. Penn State is out to a 10-2-0 start behind coach Guy Gadowsky’s fast-paced, aggressive offense. His team paces the NCAA in shot attempts with 890, despite every other team in the top four playing more games.
“They’re a shot-volume, put-you-on-your-heels team,” Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale said. “It can create a lot of chaos when you throw it in their home rink. That’ll be really huge for us is how we manage those moments, because they will push, and they’re good in transition.”
While the Nittany Lions’ early schedule wasn’t much of a test — their first four opponents have a combined record of 11-35-1 — they’ve started to prove themselves in November. Splits against Michigan and Minnesota, both ranked No. 1 at the time, have vaulted Penn State into sixth place in the latest USCHO poll.
“Obviously they’re a confident team now,” Nightingale said. “They’ve knocked off a couple of really good teams. I’m super excited because I think this is when you find out what your group’s about.”
Michigan State has been playing like an entirely different team from a year ago. Nightingale’s system has given the Spartan offense a new life. Michigan State has scored 18 goals over its past four games, including eight in a sweep of No. 10 Ohio State.
Those four wins have led to an 8-3-1 record and a No. 17 ranking. That marks the first time Michigan State has been ranked since early February 2020, not that Nightingale is concerned.
“It’s nice to be ranked, but it doesn’t really mean anything,” he said. “I want our team’s focus always to be ‘just get better today.’ We’ve got to earn a lot of respect back in college hockey, and I think our guys have started to do that. We still have a ways to go, but we don’t look too much into the polls.”
Players to watchNicolas Müller, F, Michigan State: There’s been a few Spartans returning from last year who have had breakout seasons under Nightingale. Müller is certainly one of them. His two-goal, two-assist series against Ohio State earned him Big Ten First Star of the Week honors. His career-best 10 points are tied for the second most on the team this season. Normally a playmaker, Müller has shown he has the ability to score when called upon. Look for him to build on that this weekend.
Liam Souliere, G, Penn State: If there was a “Most Improved” award in college hockey, Souliere would have to be near the top of the list. His improvement year after year has been remarkable. After a lackluster 2021-22, he’s anchored Penn State to one of the best starts in the country. Souliere’s performance will be key to Penn State’s success this weekend. We’ve already seen how Gadowsky’s system works when the goaltending isn’t playing well, and the results aren’t good.
Liam Souliere’s stat lines in each of his three seasons at Penn State./ Credit: Jacob StinsonConnor McMenamin, F, Penn State: When McMenamin is scoring, Penn State is rolling. He’s had multiple three-point games, including three assists in his team’s upset win over Minnesota. He has seven points in the last five games. His line with fellow seniors Connor MacEachern and Ashton Calder has accounted for 14 goals and 28 points as the top line this year. Penn State will need a similar effort from McMenamin and company this weekend.
Impact staff predictionsStinson: Both teams split. Both Michigan State and Penn State have been outplaying expectations all season, which is what makes this matchup so intriguing. Penn State has split with every Big Ten team not named Wisconsin, and I think the same holds true this weekend. The key for Michigan State is slowing the game down and not letting Penn State control the pace of play. I feel like the Spartans will be successful doing so one night, but not both.
Jacob Phillips, Hockey Beat Reporter: Both teams split. I think MSU takes game two. Penn State has been doing really well this year and has a significant home-ice advantage. MSU had trouble on the road against Notre Dame, but the Spartans have held themselves well against other conference opponents. Expect at least one close-scoring game where MSU can come out on top by a goal.
Ryan Radosevich, Hockey Beat Reporter: Both teams split. These two teams’ play styles are very similar to each other, and both have produced early-season success, so it’s hard to think one will have the edge over the other. This series falls on goaltending for me; whoever has the more solid goaltender over the weekend might be able to take two games. It should be a great series to watch.
The Spartans’ first contest against Penn State will come Friday at Pegula Ice Arena at 7 p.m. EST. The puck will drop for game two the following night at 7:30 p.m. EST.
EAST LANSING – After No. 10 Ohio State opened the scoring, Michigan State was able to claim a 4-2 victory in the first game of the series. MSU’s top line of Jagger Joshua, Karsen Dorwart and Daniel Russell combined for seven total points and pushed the Spartans to the win. “When another team is better...
EAST LANSING – Michigan State is coming off an impressive series sweep against Wisconsin. The 6-3-1 Spartans wrap up their four-game homestand as they welcome in No. 10/11 ranked 7-2-1 Ohio State for a Thursday-Friday series. OSU is currently tied for second in Big Ten standings at nine points while MSU has eight points in...
EAST LANSING – Erik Middendorf laughed in disbelief. As the senior forward took his place at the podium following a 5-0 win over Wisconsin, staffers announced that his four-goal performance was one that had not been done by any Spartan since 1998. He didn’t have any words and all he could do was chuckle over...
EAST LANSING – Michigan State returns to Munn Ice Arena this weekend to host the Wisconsin Badgers Friday and Saturday. Last weekend’s series against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish proved rough for the Spartans. Not only was it their first full-road series of the season, but it was also their first conference matchup. Game one...
This week Ryan Radosevich, Jacob Stinson and Jacob Phillips recap MSU’s first Big Ten action in the Nightingale Era with a split against No. 12 Notre Dame. The crew also showcases MSU’s next series against a struggling Wisconsin Badgers team and talks about what both teams need to do if they want to pick up...
EAST LANSING – Michigan State hockey traveled to Notre Dame for its first road series of the 2022-23 season. After a 5-0 loss on Friday, game two went down to the wire with MSU tying Notre Dame 1-1 and eventually earning a shootout win. Both goalies put up incredible performances over the weekend. Notre Dame...
Michigan State has dominated the third period all season. The Spartans have proven to be capable of mounting a comeback, outshooting their opponents 88-39 in the third. However, they probably hope they won’t have to do it as often. Last weekend marked the first time that Michigan State scored the opening goal in a game....
In this week’s episode Ryan Radosevich, Jacob Stinson and Jacob Phillips talk about the first sweep in the Nightingale era as MSU took care of business 3-1 and 8-4 against Long Island University. They also previewed the start of Big Ten action as MSU heads to South Bend to take on No. 12 Notre Dame.
EAST LANSING – Michigan State opened its home series against the Long Island University Sharks Friday night. After a tightly-contested first period, the Spartans opened up the scoring in the second and closed out a 3-1 win to start the weekend. “For us, it doesn’t matter if it’s non-conference or conference. We want to keep...
EAST LANSING — While Michigan State had its homecoming last weekend, former Spartans forward Adam Goodsir will get his own Friday. Goodsir, an Okemos native, transferred to Long Island University in May after four seasons with Michigan State. As a result, he has taken a larger role within the Sharks’ offense, posting a goal and...
EAST LANSING – Michigan State failed to sweep their home series against No. 16 Umass Lowell, losing 3-2 on Friday night. Despite the loss, freshman defenseman Matt Basgall scored his first goal of the season. “I think it for sure gave us life and energy and all. I think it’s important that you’re never out...
EAST LANSING- The Michigan State Spartans bested No. 16 Umass Lowell River Hawks 4-3 on Thursday evening. With his family in attendance, graduate transfer forward Miroslav Mucha from Slovakia, was able to net his first two goals as a Spartan and propel them to victory. “We’re a team that’s learning how to win and this...
EAST LANSING – Michigan State hockey hosted its first game of the regular season with a bout against the Bowling Green Falcons. It proved to be a tough match with much of the action coming in the third period. After a close game, MSU lost to the Falcons 3-1. “I thought as the game went,...
EAST LANSING, MI – The 2022-2023 college hockey season has begun and with it, a whole new era of Michigan State hockey. Head Coach Adam Nightingale coached his first game for the green and white Saturday along with an entirely new coaching staff. Despite the 4-3 exhibition game loss to the United States National Team...
EAST LANSING – Michigan State University began its 2022-23 season by hosting an exhibition game against the U.S. National Team Development Program U18 at the newly renovated Munn Ice Arena. Michigan State looked to s off its new season strong under new head coach, Adam Nightingale, but the 2023 Michigan State goalie commitment, Trey Augustine,...
EAST LANSING — Adam Nightingale has been named the new head coach of Michigan State hockey after former head coach Danton Cole was dismissed from his duties in mid-April. “It brings me great pride to bring Adam Nightingale back to Michigan State University as the new head coach of Spartan hockey,” said MSU athletic director...
EAST LANSING — The American Hockey Coaches Association held its annual convention last weekend in Naples, Florida. The convention was a who’s who of NCAA coaches. Monday, The Rink Live college hockey reporter Jess Myers, tweeted that he noticed a private plane flying someone directly from Naples to Lansing. The person that Myers is referencing...
EAST LANSING, Mich— MSU senior defenseman Cole Krygier is returning for his fifth season. The announcement comes a day after the Spartans parted ways with former head coach Danton Cole. Krygier, a 6-foot-2 defenseman from Novi, had 11 points (and four goals) this past season for MSU. He also appeared in 35 games for the...
EAST LANSING, Mich— MSU has added former Cornell goaltender and Nate McDonald via the transfer portal. I will always cherish my time at Cornell and am forever grateful for the friendships and memories made over the last four years. It was an honour to play in front of the Lynah Faithful and represent the Big...
EAST LANSING, Mich— Michigan State hockey coach Danton Cole has relieved of his duties, effective immediately. “Over the last month, I spent time evaluating where we currently stand as a hockey program. It’s become clear to me that it’s in the best interests of the program to make a change in leadership and begin a...
EAST LANSING, Mich— Michigan State has added its third transfer since March 28. On Wednesday evening, former Clarkson defenseman Michael Underwood announced that he would be transferring to MSU via his Instagram page. A graduate transfer, Underwood notched five goals and 13 assists over the past four seasons for the Golden Knights. Clarkson hockey is...
EAST LANSING, Mich— The mass exodus continues for MSU hockey. On Monday afternoon, sophomore forward Kristoff Papp became the sixth Spartan to enter the transfer portal since the conclusion of the 2021-22 season. The Spartans have seen forward Josh Nodler and defenseman Aidan Gallacher both enter the portal since Wednesday, March 30. Papp proved himself...
EAST LANSING, Mich— Michigan State coach Danton Cole has added his second transfer in the past week, this time with the addition of former Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute forward Zach Dubinsky. Thank you @RPI_Hockey for two great years, but I’m excited to announce that I’ll be transferring to @MSU_Hockey ! Looking forward to the next two...
EAST LANSING, Mich— The hits keep on coming for Michigan State coach Danton Cole’s squad. On Friday afternoon, junior forward Josh Nodler entered the transfer portal. The Oak Park native is the fifth Spartan to enter the portal since the conclusion of the 2021-22 season, following goaltender Drew DeRidder, forward Adam Goodsir and defensemen Christian...