Prior to No. 4 Michigan State hockey’s matchup against No. 2 Wisconsin, MSU head coach Adam Nightingale said the road series would be a test — a test the Spartans passed.
On Thursday night, MSU scored three goals in the second period to earn a 4-3 win. The Spartans didn’t let up the following night; rather, they improved with disciplined defense, strong execution and a stellar goaltender performance, en route to a 4-1 victory and a road sweep.
"We had success the night before, and to respond and play the way we did, it was a good weekend for us," Nightingale told the media following the series.
The weekend contrasts the Spartans’ previous series against Ohio State, where MSU struggled to play well after a successful first game. MSU was 8-for-8 on the penalty kill this week, shutting down the Badgers’ No. 4-ranked power-play unit.
With the sweep, MSU improves to 17-5-0 overall and 8-4-0 in conference action. The Spartans now rank second in the Big Ten with 24 points.
MSU will return home to host Minnesota on Friday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. EST to kick off a two-game series.
Thursday, Jan. 15
The Spartans took a 1-0 lead late in the first period when freshman forward Ryker Lee deflected a shot from sophomore forward Colin Ralph into the net.
Wisconsin tied the game 1-1 in the second period after MSU sent too many players into a puck battle, leaving the defense exposed when the puck popped free. That issue was corrected the following night, as MSU defensemen stayed back to prevent transition chances.
The tie lasted just a minute, as junior forward Gavin O’Connell scored on a rebound shot, notching just his second goal of the season, and the first of three Spartan goals in the second period.
Senior forwards Daniel Russell and Charlie Stramel added goals of their own — Russell finishing a 2-on-1 with Stramel and Stramel weaving through the Badgers’ defense. With two points (1 goal, 1 assist), Stramel reached 28 points on the season, a career high.
The spurt was a good response from the Spartans, as Nightingale said the team could improve its second-period performances prior to the series.
Junior goaltender Trey Augustine made 24 saves for an .889 save percentage. Aside from the opening goal, Wisconsin scored only on an odd-man rush and a transition chance in the third period.
Friday, Jan. 16
For the second straight night, the Spartans struck first, using crisp passing to set up a goal by sophomore forward Shane Vansaghi, his second of the season. With the sweep, MSU improved to 16-2-0 when scoring first.
From the first shot, Augustine made vital transition and rebound saves, a performance that continued throughout the night. The netminder finished the night with 30 saves for a .968 save percentage.
The Spartans went a perfect 6-for-6 on the penalty kill, highlighted by a shorthanded goal from Russell in the first period, as he and Stramel skated through the neutral zone. Russell finished the series with three goals.
While Russell and Stramel have produced all season, along with linemate freshman forward Porter Martone, the seniors’ chemistry was highlighted in moments throughout the series. The duo were linemates last year, with former Spartan Isaac Howard.
Still in the first period, MSU extended its lead on a power-play goal. Lee created the opportunity by wrapping the puck around the net to find Russell, who made it 3-0, prompting a Wisconsin timeout and a goaltender change. The Spartans added another goal in the second period, as freshman forward Anthony Romani deflected a shot from fellow freshman Matt Lahey into the net.
Throughout the night, the Spartans continued to generate scoring opportunities and perform smart defense. When penalized, MSU had an aggressive penalty kill. However, rather than overcrowding on the forecheck, the Spartans kept defensemen back to prevent transitions, shutting down Wisconsin’s offense.
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MSU allowed some shots to slip through its defense on Thursday night, something that will prevent winning games, Nightingale told the media after the series. He added that Augustine is a great goalie and the team defended hard in front of him, performing at a high-offensive level, too.
MSU’s defense blocked 15 shots, and Augustine would have earned a shutout if not for Wisconsin’s goal in the final 49 seconds — a difficult shot with traffic in front of the net. Augustine was strong all night, making key saves on breakaways and high-quality chances, the type of opportunities MSU converted on. He is now 13-5-2 against top-five-ranked opponents.
While MSU played better on Friday, Wisconsin’s lineup also looked different. The Badgers were missing forward Gavin Morrissey, their point and assists leader. Morrissey suffered a lower-body injury on Thursday night when blocking a Spartan shot. Wisconsin also started goaltender Eli Pulver in net, who gave up three goals in the first period, rather than goaltender Daniel Hauser, who played Thursday.
The Spartans’ strong two-night effort, highlighted by timely scoring and lockdown defense, secured a weekend sweep over Wisconsin and continued their push toward a Big Ten showdown.
