MSU hockey (10-12-2, 4-4-2-2 Big Ten) had its three-game winning streak snapped Saturday night losing 4-1 to U-M (16-8, 8-2 Big Ten) in the Hockey City Classic. MSU fell down 3-0 under the lights at Soldier Field and could not muster a comeback against its in-state rivals. Junior goaltender Jake Hildebrand finished with 33 saves and junior forward Matt DeBlouw scored the Spartans lone goal in the game.
U-M opened the scoring early when sophomore defenseman Michael Downing let go a slap shot from just outside the face-off circle. Hildebrand could not track the puck as sophomore defenseman Rhett Holland was blocking his sightline of the shot. Downing's goal came just 1:43 into the game.
The Spartans killed off their only penalty of the first period, improving the Big Ten's top penalty kill unit.
Freshman defenseman Cutler Martin gave the Wolverines a 2-0 lead 13:16 into the second period. U-M had sustained pressure in the Spartans zone and after a failed attempt to clear the puck out of the zone, Martin let go a wrist shot that beat Hildebrand to the blocker side.
It was the captain's turn after that, is UM junior forward Andrew Copp scored to make it 3-0 less than five minutes later. After it appeared Hildebrand made the save and had the puck between his pads, Copp followed up the play and swatted the puck in between Hildebrand's legs.
Five penalties were called in the second period - two on MSU, three on U-M - but none were converted into goals.
Junior forward finally put the Spartans on the board 5:51 into the third period. After the puck found its way to the front of the net, Wolverine goaltender Zach Nagelvoort failed to cover the puck giving DeBlouw a fairly easy chip-in goal. It was DeBlouw's sixth goal of the season and second in as many games.
Junior forward Justin Selman added an empty-net goal in the closing minutes of the game to seal the victory for U-M.
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