In front of a sold out crowd at Joe Louis Arena, MSU hockey (10-11-2, 4-3-2-2 Big Ten) defeated in-state rival UM (15-8, 7-2 Big Ten) by a 2-1 score. Sophomore forward Villiam Haag and Junior forward Matt DeBlouw scored for the Spartans, while junior goaltender Jake Hildebrand made 29 saves in the victory. The Wolverines were riding a seven-game winning streak coming into the contest.
The Spartans got on the board early in the first period after a missed shot by the Wolverines wrapped all the way around the boards and sprung MSU on a 2-on-1 break. Haag picked up the puck near the Spartans blue line and shoveled it forward to the fleet-footed sophomore forward Joe Cox. After Cox got into the offensive zone and drew the Wolverine defender towards him, he flipped a saucer pass over the stick of the sprawling Wolverine and found Haag in front of the net. With a defender draped all over his back, Haag took the pass and flipped it over Nagelvoort’s glove in one single motion. Haag’s fifth goal of the season came just 3:09 into the game and was the Spartans first shot on goal.
UM was able to tie the game late in the first period after the Spartans got caught with six skaters on the ice. On the ensuing power play, freshman forward and Detroit Red Wings prospect Dylan Larkin fired a wrist shot past the blocker of Hildebrand. With two Spartan defenders trying to block the shot, Hildebrand did not have much chance in seeing the shot come through.
The Wolverines controlled the second period as they outshot the Spartans 12-9. Not among those shots were a Alex Kile wristshot that got behind Hildebrand but rang off the post, and an apparent goal by the UM captain Alex Copp that was waved off on the ice and upheld after review.
MSU regained its lead less than two minutes into the final period. Sophomore defenseman Rhett Holland let a slap shot go from the point that found DeBlouw’s stick right outside the goaltender crease. DeBlouw was able to get enough on the puck to redirect it into the net at 1:58 of the third period.
Hildebrand would go on to make 13 saves in the final period. MSU had to kill off a late penalty after sophomore forward Mackenzie MacEachern took a hooking penalty with 3:23 left in the game.
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