MSU hockey (12-13-2, 6-5-2-2 Big Ten) dropped a disappointing contest to a struggling Wisconsin (4-19-4, 2-9-2 Big Ten). The Badgers jumped out to a 2-0 lead after two second period goals, and only sophomore forward Joe Cox could score in the third period on way to a 2-1 loss.
Junior goaltender Jake Hildebrand finished with 16 saves on the night, while UW’s Joel Rumpel notched 33 saves in the Badgers victory. MSU has not won at the Kohl Center since 2004.
"Our performance wasn't good enough tonight. I didn't think we had everybody going," head coach Tom Anastos said. "We're not a good enough team to win games against anybody if you don't have 20 guys going every night."
The Spartans and Badgers played a tight, scoreless first period. With both teams clogging the neutral zone and playing sound defense, the best opportunity came on a UW power play.
However, it was the shorthanded Spartans that had the scoring opportunity. After a Badger turnover along the boards, junior captain Michael Ferrantino found himself on the receiving end of a 2-on-1 break. With the defenseman taking away the pass, Ferrantino fired a wrist shot that rang off the outside of the post.
The Badgers finally opened the scoring 6:16 into the second period. On a faceoff following an icing by MSU, the Badgers won the puck back to the blue line. UW captain Chase Drake let a low wrist shot go from the point that found its way through traffic and pass Hildebrand.
The Spartans got two power play opportunities following the Badger goal. They were able to generate good pressure on both opportunities, but a deflection off the post from senior forward Matt Berry was as close as they got to beating Rumpel.
"We left too much on the table tonight," Anastos said. "We weren't able to score when we needed to score, and as a result we got what we deserved."
Close to heading into the final period trailing by just one goal, the Spartans were deflated by a late period goal. UW defenseman Kevin Schulze buried a one-timer from the faceoff circle that found its way to the top corner.
"The way the goal evolved is [senior defenseman] Rhett Holland got stripped of the puck," Anastos said. "So now all of a sudden you're scrambling. It's a bad goal to give up."
MSU answered back early in the third period after UW took a penalty 25 seconds into the frame. Junior forward Ryan Keller carried the puck behind the net and threw a pass through the crease to Cox, who buried the one-timer from in close.
"We'll have to regroup," Anastos said. "I'm more concerned with our mental approach to the game...while we've been talking about it all week that [UW] is very capable of beating us - we're playing on the road - apparently we didn't get that message through, and as a result we learned it the hard way."
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