For most of today’s regional final, it felt like a polar opposite of the Spartans’ win two days earlier against UConn. In that game, MSU escaped a game they really had no business winning. It took a career high in saves for Trey Augustine for Michigan State to escape that game. In the game against the Badgers today, the Spartans were ready to play.
The first period was played conservatively as both teams were feeling each other out. It was like a boxing match with both fighters throwing jabs but never
sustaining pressure on the opponent. After 20 minutes, there were no goals.
It did not take long for the scoreless affair to end as Wisconsin notched a goal just 18 seconds into the 2nd period right off a faceoff win. Trailing by a goal, the Spartans began to pick up the intensity, and that led to a Wisconsin penalty just past six minutes into the period. MSU used almost the entire power play before a deflected shot from Gavin O’Connell floated over the Badger goalie and dipped under the bar for the equalizer with four seconds left in the man advantage.
Just 31 seconds later, the Spartans struck again, this time on a 2-on-2 rush. Tommi Männistö slid the puck to defenseman Patrick Geary who found the back of the net to put Michigan State up by a goal. The game would go to the second intermission with MSU up 2-1. The bad news from this period is that top-line center Charlie Stramel left the game with a knee injury which occurred when MSU was down 1-0. It was announced later in the period that he would not be returning.
Up a goal, the strategy by the Spartans was to try preserving the lead. I don’t think the NCAA maintains records for icing calls in a period, but the Spartans were going after it. The strategy perhaps was to lull the Wisconsin skaters into assuming that MSU would continue just dumping the puck down the ice. When the Spartans finally attempted to move the puck up methodically, they drew another Badger penalty. And this time, they did not wait long as captain Matt Basgall wristed a shot from the top of the zone which got through traffic and ringed off the post into the net. MSU was up 3-1.
After that, MSU resumed the prevent defense and it appeared to be working. The 2-goal lead was held until there was five minutes left in the game. At that point, Wisconsin hit the gas and scored off a rebound with 4:47 to go. And then, just 34 seconds later, they scored the tying goal off another rebound. With 4:13, we were suddenly tied.
Suddenly not playing with the lead, MSU tried to attack again and they took the puck into their offensive zone. Daniel Russell went into the corner with a Badger defenseman with the puck and was taken off his skates. Russell got back up as the two battled for possession, and then Russell was pushed back down by the larger defenseman, who still had all his weight on Russell’s back. The ref blew the whistle and we all assumed MSU was going to a third power play. Instead, they called matching minors, giving Russell an embellishment penalty. At the three-minute mark, the two teams played 4-0n-4 for two minutes, and then a final minute of regulation before the buzzer sounded with the game tied 3-3.
After a third intermission, the two teams resumed action. The water from the zamboni didn’t even have a chance to freeze as Wisconsin gained possession early, brought the puck into the zone, and sent a shot from the blue line toward the goal. The puck took an early redirection and knuckled through the air and squeezed its way into the top corner of the MSU goal. And just like that, the season was over.
Another loss before making it to the Frozen Four. Another disappointing end to the hockey season. And another late collapse by Trey Augustine (the loss last year also featured some late uncharacteristic goals allowed).
After last night’s loss to UConn in basketball and then this loss in a game we were very much in control of, I feel this was the most painful 24 hours in the history of Spartan sports. I’m really sad right now. It was a great past 5 months covering basketball and hockey for TOC, and it all went away in the blink of an eye. I’m going to go cry now.
