Alisa Looker
The last time Michigan State hockey was in St. Louis was in 2007, when they won the national championship. On Friday night, Jeremy, a senior forward from Kalamazoo, came close to defeating the Western Michigan Broncos 5-4 in overtime. Davidson.
“It was special for sure. I grew up going to Western Michigan hockey games,” Davidson said. “It gets even better when we win.”
Michigan State is no stranger to comeback plays and has had many back-and-forth games in recent weeks. The Spartans may not have had the best time on the ice, but the team showed resilience and determination until the end, surviving and advancing against a tough Western Michigan team.
“Our group did a good job of staying evenly matched,” coach Adam Nightingale said. “All we ask is your best effort every day, your best attitude and being the best teammate you can be. Enjoy it now and get back to it tomorrow.”
The Spartans showed momentum in the first period. MSU had a good game, but the Bronco defense did a good job of putting their sticks in front of the crease to shut down second chances. Michigan State's costly turnovers in the defensive zone allowed Western Michigan to apply offensive pressure, resulting in junior forward Matteo Costantini taking a shot from senior defenseman Daniel Hilsendager. He chipped in and took the lead.
Western Michigan took the lead and dominated the ice to end the first game and begin the second. The Spartans had bad turnovers, but freshman goaltender Trey Augustin played a big role in keeping the score at 1-0. The Spartans regained some offensive momentum at the midway point of the period, but couldn't finish their shots. With a breakout chance, sophomore forward Daniel Russell used his speed to push past defenders and score the Spartans' first goal of the night.
With the score tied, Michigan State began to ramp up its attack, but was still only a quarter in and unable to capitalize on its chances. In a faceoff in the offensive zone, sophomore forward Isaac Howard passed the puck to David Gucciardi, who buried the puck in the back of the net to give the Spartans a 2-1 lead.
However, the Broncos were never a team that would lose without a fight.
The first penalty of the night was whistled to freshman forward Gavin O'Connell, and Western Michigan wasted no time going into the power play. Sixteen seconds into the game, freshman forward Alex Bumpf scored a goal from the back of the net, tying the game. Two minutes later, senior forward Sam Colangelo scored, and the scoreboard suddenly gave WMU a two-point advantage.
“We (MSU) didn't panic. We tried to play our game,” freshman defenseman Artyom Levshunov said. “We have to play the full game.”
The Broncos played the full 60 minutes, but the Spartans' chances came little by little. But for a team like Michigan State, every little explosion can have a dramatic impact on the game. By the time we were almost halfway through the final 20 minutes, Western Michigan had spread across Michigan. They were more physical, faster and had a cleaner game. The Spartans had no forecheck and were unable to get into the offensive zone. A small burst got the Spartans to the other end of the ice, and senior defenseman Nash Nienhaus energized the green and white to make it a one-goal game.
“We've been training very hard and I know it's paid off,” O'Connell said. “I know it will work out eventually, I have a lot of patience and I'm ready for anything.”
Nienhaus' goal was assisted by sophomore forward Tiernan Shordy and junior forward Tanner Kelly. The linemates, along with freshman forward Tomi Manisto, are playing well as the team's physical line, with an emphasis on maintaining the team's health and strength. But Kelly has been productive so far, contributing points in every postseason game the Spartans have played thus far. Michigan State's depth was a big factor again this time, with every player contributing to points and staying in the game.
“Fortunately, we're one of the top scoring teams in the country, and we don't have any teams in the top 70,” Nightingale said. “I thought there was still a lot of juice left in the tank.”
The teams were in perfect juxtaposition, even as every Spartans fan was on the edge of their seat in the final minutes. Even though the season was at stake, every player made smart moves and remained calm. With Augustin pulling back with a minute left, Levshunov coasted and served Carsen Dorwart for a puck-up, tying the game with 55 seconds to play and sending the game into overtime.
“I think it was huge for our group that we didn’t panic all year,” Dorwart said. “Everyone was calm. We knew we had what it took to reach that goal.”
The Spartans have now played overtime for the second straight week, where strength and conditioning coach Will Morlock's work has paid off. In overtime, Michigan State was the faster, stronger team on the ice. That determination and perseverance paid off as Jeremy Davidson scored a goal against his hometown team to keep the Spartans' season alive. Davidson's goal was assisted by Nienhuis and Augustine, earning him his first collegiate point and adding to his season honors.
Michigan State got the win, but this team has a lot to work on towards the end of the tournament. They struggled on the forecheck and had bad turnovers on defense. But this Spartans team knows what they have to do if they want to continue their season and inch closer to Frozen 4. It's more emphasized than ever that this team has to play the full 60 minutes.
“We’ve been training hard all year, and we just keep doing what we do best,” Kelly said. “We just have to play as a team and find any way we need to win.”
The Wolverines and Spartans will meet for the sixth time this season with the highest stakes yet, as the University of Michigan won its game against the University of North Dakota. The winning team will advance to the Frozen Four, while the losing team will have its season finished by an in-state rival. The teams will face off on Sunday, March 31st at 6:30 p.m.
