Junior forward Matt DeBlouw takes the puck up the rink March 6, 2015, during the game against Wisconsin at Munn Ice Arena. The Spartans defeated the Badgers 3-0. Kennedy Thatch/The State News
—Not since the first week of the Big Ten season has MSU hockey (16-14-2, 10-6-2-2 Big Ten) laid claim to first place, but 15 weeks later it can do exactly that. The Spartans defeated Wisconsin 3-0 for the second night in a row in front of a spring-break crowd of 6,994 at Munn Ice Arena.
With UM getting swept by Penn State and Minnesota losing to Ohio State on Saturday night, MSU moved one point ahead of the previous conference leaders.
Junior goaltender Jake Hildebrand recorded 38 saves on Saturday night after completing a 21-save shutout the night prior.
“Obviously, Hildy had himself a heck of a weekend,” junior captain Michael Ferrantino said. “He’s been in some kind of zone lately playing well and I think our team has really grown around him.”
The always-humble Hildebrand now has six shutouts this season, which ties him for best in the nation. His 10th career shutout also gave him four blank slates in his last eight contests.
“I want to do everything I can to help the team win every night and luckily it’s been going my way lately,” Hildebrand said as promised.
Head coach Tom Anastos loves the humility of his Mike Richter Award nominee – a yearly award given to the nation’s top goaltender. However, that doesn’t mean Anastos won’t do a little bragging on his behalf.
“His teammates love him,” Anastos said. “He’s playing the best hockey since he’s been at Michigan State, he’s got a lot of great hockey ahead of him and he’s a humble, yet confident guy – and he should be.”
After losing 2-1 to Wisconsin in their first matchup, the Spartans have rattled off three straight 3-0 victories over the Badgers. Hildebrand was the backstop in all of those shutouts.
“He’s got their number for sure,” junior forward Ryan Keller said. “He’s been great for us since he’s been here and especially this year, he’s really thrown the hammer down and he’s been our anchor.”
Following a scoreless first period, senior forward Matt Berry scored an unassisted goal just 1:42 into the second. Berry’s 11th goal of the season and third of the weekend came off a 2-on-1 break where the defender took away the passing lane, and Berry beat the goalie to the blocker side.
Heading into the locker room for the second intermission, the Spartans started to get wind of what was at stake. With the Wolverines losing earlier in the day and the Gophers 5-2 loss just becoming official, MSU knew a win would put them in first place.
“I tried not to let it get out as much as I could and keep everyone focused on this game because you never know what can happen,” Ferrantino said. “But yea, we found out during the second (intermission).
“It might have motivated us a little bit actually. I thought we came out with a good third.”
It very well might have. Wisconsin started to pick up its offensive pressure in the second period, and Hildebrand was forced to make a handful of difficult saves.
Starting the third period, however, MSU scored two goals within one minute of each other. Sophomore forward Mackenzie MacEachern scored his 11th of the season 4:00 into the final frame, tying him with Berry and Ferrantino for the team lead.
Keller scored just 54 seconds after MacEachern’s goal to give MSU a comfortable 3-0 lead. Keller’s eighth goal of the season extended his career-long point streak to six games.
“Those were pretty big goals,” Anastos said. “I think that they took a little bit of pressure off and now really put pressure on them.”
Even with the seemingly tidy three-goal victory, Anastos was not pleased with how the Spartans played throughout the game. That being said, he thought it made the result that much more impressive.
“We made some bad decisions and turned pucks over. We didn’t have good rhythm,” Anastos said. “I thought it was kind of an ugly win today…but that’s a good thing. I think that’s a good sign for your team that you’re maturing a little bit.”
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The Spartans have matured a lot this season. After starting the season 4-8, MSU is now 9-3 over its last 12 games.
“It’s been a long time coming, we’re excited about it,” Ferrantino said. “(We’ve) put together a good stretch but one more week to go.”
And what a big week it will be. MSU has a home-and-home series against in-state rival UM. With MSU, UM, PSU and Minnesota all within three points of each other, the Spartans could finish anywhere from first place to fourth.
“You don’t start the season saying ‘Geez, on the second-to-last weekend of the year we want to be in first place.’ You’re goal is to do that at the completion of that regular season,” Anastos said.
The Spartans will host the Wolverines at Munn Ice Arena on Friday night before traveling to Yost Ice Arena on Saturday. Both games will be Senior Nights for the home team adding just a little more importance to the series, if that's even possible.
