MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. – The Michigan State University hockey team has had a lot of Michigan's best this season. The Spartans would happily trade him one of those wins for this one.
For the sixth time, MSU and the University of Michigan took to the ice in the NCAA Tournament regional finals outside St. Louis, this time against the Frozen Four.
With the game stalled with just over seven minutes remaining, the Wolverines scored two goals in a 12-second span to take the air out of the Spartans, avenging a four-game losing streak and knocking MSU out of the NCAA Tournament with a 5-2 victory. Ta.
The University of Michigan advances to the Frozen Four for the third consecutive year, and the Wolverines will face top-seeded Boston College on April 11 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
MSU finished the season 25-10-3, winning the Big Ten regular season and tournament championships, winning in overtime against Michigan in the second half and winning the program's first NCAA Tournament game since 2008. It ended with a loss.
Follow the madness: NCAA Tournament brackets, scores, schedules, teams, and more.
Junior forward Dylan Duke found the back of the net and was able to slip the puck past MSU freshman goaltender Trey Augustine. In the ensuing faceoff, University of Michigan forward Frank Nazar caught MSU on a 2-on-1 with a between-the-legs pass to sophomore forward Gavin Brindley, who fired a shot past Augustine.
Duke added another goal on a power play in the second half to take the final score to 5-2.
With the score tied 1-1 entering the third period, Michigan defenseman Marshall Warren found open ice deep in the right circle, Michigan's Jacob Truscott successfully funneled the puck, and Warren hit Augustin with the ball. The win gave the Wolverines a 2-1 advantage.
MSU responded with a power play midway through the third when sophomore forward Joey Larson pounced on a spilled puck on target and fired a one-time shot past Michigan goaltender Jake Barszewski to tie the game. Ta.
Michigan was the fast team to start, but an early penalty gave the Spartans a chance to take the lead. MSU freshman forward Gavin O'Connell redirected sophomore defenseman Matt Basgal's point shot and the puck slipped past Barczewski to give MSU the lead.
Michigan tied the score early in the second period with a 3-2 rush. Forward Dylan Duke slid a pass to defenseman Ethan Edwards, who fired a one-timer past Augustin.
Michigan was without star sophomore defenseman Seamus Casey, who had seven goals and 38 assists for the Wolverines this season and was named first-team All-Big 1. MSU was without junior defenseman David Gucciardi, who scored in Friday's regional semifinal win over Western Michigan.
Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on Twitter @Nathaniel_Bott.
