It was difficult to gauge the Spartans in the first period, as the two teams racked up thirty ombined penalty minutes. Both of MSU’s special team units were relied on heavily in the period. The penalty kill unit played phenomenal, only allowing two shots on four power play attempts for the Lancers. 

On the other side of the ice, MSU’s power play unit left something to be desired. After failing to score on a 5-on-3 advantage, the Spartans went 0-for-2 on the power play and were left scoreless in the first period.

Heading into the second period with a 16-3 shot advantage, MSU was pushing hard to score the game’s first goal. Maybe pushing a little too hard, Windsor’s Spencer Pommells got behind the two Spartan defensemen and scored on the breakaway. Hildebrand did a nice job of staying with the skater, but Pommells had a nice forehand-backhand move and slide it between the goalie’s legs.

MSU didn’t take long to respond, as senior forward Brett Darnell scored the equalizer exactly two minutes later. After true freshman Carson Gatt forced a turnover in the neutral zone, he and Darnell skated in on a 2-on-1 break, Gatt saw his opening and made the pass over to Darnell at the top of the circle, and Darnell had a nearly wide open net to shoot at.

Later in the period, MSU got a power play opportunity and took the lead on it. Sophomore forward Mackenzie MacEachern passed the puck to senior defenseman Rob Boyd at the point, who let a wrist shot go from the left side that found its way into the net.

MSU carried a 2-1 lead into the third period, but Windsor tied it up just past the midway point of the third. The score would stay 2-2 for the rest of regulation and overtime, and Windsor pulled out the victory in the shootout.

One lasting impression made during the game was the play of the three freshmen: — defensemen Gatt and Josh Jacobs, and forward Dylan Pavelec. While Gatt registered an assist, the other two made themselves noticeable and found themselves on the ice in crunch time.

“I thought all three of them played really well,” Anastos said of the freshmen’s debuts. “They were all very noticeable…They have good engines. They can handle ice time and I thought they showed lots of poise for a first time on the ice at the college level.”

Even though MSU beat the Lancers two years ago by the score of 6-1, Anastos was pleased with his team’s play and thrilled about the exhibition in general.

“As a step to get ready for our first game, I wish we could play one more like that,” Anastos said. “I liked the looks that we had, I liked the way guys moved the puck…without, really, any organization to the game. So, there was a lot to build on from that.“

MSU will have a week to adjust their game before Massachusetts comes to East Lansing next week for back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday.