MSU took 5 of 6 points from Penn State in a crucial matchup this weekend to put MSU’s chance at a B1G three peat into their own hands. Friday night saw the Spartans take care of business on a 6-3 win with
an Anthony Romani hat trick as Saturday Charlie Stramel hit the hat trick in OT putting the Spartans on top 5-4. This was an important series to try to take the conference title, in trying to secure a #1 seed come tournament time, and road wins against top ranked opponents have more weight. On the season the Spartans swept PSU and took 10 of 12 points. Let’s take a closer look at each game.
Friday night, or should I call it the Royal Rumble game, had the Spartans jumping on top quickly. Romani had the first goal on a sick move to the left of Joshua Fleming and then moved to the right at the last possible moment to get it past and put the Spartans up 1-0. Penn State did a great job denying MSU’s first power play. The Spartans had opportunities and got shots on net but Fleming and the PSU penalty kill came up big. MSU answered though coming up with two power play goals in the first. Owen West had the first which was shot from almost the blue line and got passed three people to hit the back of the net. Nice goal for West, his second of the season, who had his parents in the crowd. Romani got his second goal of the night late in the first on a power play with a nice stretch pass from Lindstrom that had Romani ahead of everyone on the ice. 3-0 after the first and that’s the way the score stayed until things got chippy.
Lindstrom came across the ice and absolutely annihilated Aiden Fink. The slow-motion replay really put the hit into context. Not a clean hit by Lindstrom in the slightest and at that moment is when the brawl started. Gavin McKenna took offense and went after his former teammate, Lindstrom with a cross check near the PSU bench. Players all gathered around and a scrum was going on there as Dowiak and Colin Ralph were exchanging blows just to the left. It took some time for the referees to pull everyone apart and sort out the mayhem. Game misconducts were handed out to Lindstrom, Ralph and McKenna. Aiden Fink later was penalized and threw equipment which increased hi time. Penn State finally got on the board with a power play goal by Jackson Smith. Martone responded a few minutes later with his 15th goal on the season to put MSU up 4-1 after two.
The third period saw Penn State cut the lead to one after an even strength goal by Laubach and a power play goal by DiMarsico. Action went back and forth for a bit before Penn State pulled Fleming and Romani got the hat trick on the empty netter. Daniel Russell got the last empty netter after near misses by Stramel and Martone. While the score was 6-3 the game was actually closer and if not for a cross bar shot by Penn State in the third, this game may have had a different feel. That shot ended up being a lucky miss as Augustine didn’t see it. The early lead took the crowd out of it and the penalties on Penn State made a difference as they struggled to get the flow of the game under their control. Penn State did dominate in the face offs but luckily, it did not effect the outcome.
Game 2 was the outdoor frozen extravaganza at Beaver Stadium. The snow and just all the white in general made this game look freezing but it didn’t faze the 70,000. I was at the Wrigley game last year and that was cold, but this one seemed even colder at 8 degrees with windchill. MSU started out very similar to Friday night as Stramel threw one at the net that trickled off of Russell’s skate and into the net at about the 2:30 mark. Nilson almost had a goal as he broke out to a near one on one but was stopped. MSU was doing great job of stopping Penn State’s speed and transition and dictated the style of play by forcing turnovers. The Spartans had the first power play and were looking to stay hot from last night. The Spartans have the worst power play percentage in the B1G. They were unable to connect. Play went back and forth and MSU was dominating in shots on goal. Romani got a penalty for cross checking late in the first and closed the shot gap. The spartans killed and Romani popped out of the box, had a great deke but was stuffed by Kevin Reidler. Period ends with MSU up 1-0.
The second period started and you blinked and suddenly it was 1-1. McKenna to Dowiak to Fink who had a nice top shelf goal over Augustine’s right shoulder. DiMarsico just missed for Penn State about a minute later and Penn State was putting some tempo and pressure on MSU to kick off the second. Owen West shut down that push with a beautiful stretch pass to Martone and Stramel took the rebound and stuffed it in to put MSU back on top. Gavin McKenna ties it up midway through the second with a goal that went past the right of Augustine. With about 3:35 left in the period Aiden Fink gets his second from a pass from McKenna after a Spartan turnover. Geary heads to the box right after the goal as Fink almost had a hat trick. The Spartans were able to kill and were the beneficiary of a power play to end the second. With two seconds left in the period Stramel scores his second goal to tie it up at 3.
Five minutes into the third PSU takes the lead after a turnover in the neutral zone and Shea Van Olm puts it in the far side after Augustine challenged. Quite a celebration from Van Olm, as he responded like it was the game winner. After Penn State had trouble clearing the zone at the 12:22 Mark Basgall tied it up from just in front of the blue line. The teams went did a lot of skating but not many shots on goal the remainder of the period. Overtime.
Overtime was a few flurries on each end but mostly insignificant until Geary found Stramel all alone in the slot and Stramel hit the hat trick with the top shelf game winner.
Huge win for MSU. Michigan took the OT victory Saturday against OSU which sets up a great weekend of two teams separated by one point in the conference, ranked 1 and 2, and both with 6 game win streaks and 9-1 in their last ten. Something will obviously have to give next week but it will be very exciting and very good hockey.
