“Our team needs excellent goaltending and he’s very capable of that, as he’s shown on a number of occasions,” head coach Tom Anastos said.

With the 3-0 win against U-M, MSU finishes in 3rd place in the Great Lakes Invitational, but the win against the hated rival felt like a lot more than simply a consolation prize to senior defenseman Jake Chelios.

“That’s the game you want to win, I don’t care what game you say it is, we’re playing against Michigan and for us, that’s our championship,” Chelios said. “I mean, obviously when the game ends you just have to get off the ice with no trophy and realize it’s not, but during it the emotion and energy is going into it is definitely a championship feel.”

After the game’s start was delayed because of weather, it didn’t take long for MSU to release some built-up frustration from the dramatic shootout loss the night before. The Spartans scored only 1:37 into the game off a sophomore forward Thomas Ebbing casual low shot from the top of the left wing circle.

The goal wasn’t the toughest of shots, with U-M head coach Red Berenson saying after the game that Wolverine goaltender Steve Racine would have liked that the goal back.

Freshman forward Joe Cox and sophomore defenseman John Draeger had assists on the play.

Hildebrand said the early goal was comforting and helped impact his play throughout the game.

“We scored a minute and 30 seconds into the game so that takes a lot of pressure off me,” Hildebrand said. “Most of the action was in their end so I was just trying to stay focused and be ready whenever I had the chance.”

MSU dominated the 2nd period, outshooting UM 17-5 in the period but came away with no goals, heading into the 3rd period leading 1-0.

MSU would finally cash in on the power play when junior forward Matt Berry put one home from the same spot as Friday night with 12:29 left in 3rd period. Chelios sent a cross ice pass from the right point to an open Berry who then put it below the Wolverine goaltender’s glove. Senior forward Lee Reimer had an assist on the play as well.

Anastos said the power play goal was a huge in the Spartans’ efforts in holding off the Wolverines on Saturday night.

“I walked over to (assistant coach Tom Newton) on that power play that we scored on, right before the power play, I told him this is a huge power play cause you score and now the dynamics change a little bit and you have a two-goal game,” Anastos said.

The goal was Berry’s second of the tournament and fourth in the last two GLI tournaments.

MSU’s power play had a solid evening moving the puck with ease in the offensive zone, finishing 1-4. MSU was perfect on the penalty kill, with only UM power play to kill off.

MSU would pad its lead late in the 3rd period when a Brent Darnell shot redirected off a UM defenders skate and slid through UM goaltender Steve Racine’s legs. The goal came on a one-on-one with 6:08 left in the period. Freshman forward Mackenzie MacEachern and junior defenseman RJ Boyd had assists on the play.

While both MSU and U-M are in the Big Ten, this game did not count in the conference standings.

MSU returns to the ice on Jan. 10 when the Spartans travel to Ohio State (8-6-0, 0-2-0 B1G) for a two game series in Columbus, Ohio. Both games are Big Ten conference games.

Berry said the win against the highly ranked rival will go a long way in helping boost the confidence as MSU moves forward in Big Ten play.

“It’s definitely big going into the Big Ten, especially getting a win against them and just going to have to carry the momentum into the season and hopefully when we play them again we can get the same result as we did tonight,” Berry said.