Spartans’ lead evaporates in final minutes; MSU falls to OSU in a shootout

By Nick Barnowski – 

EAST LANSING – For 58 minutes, a shut out victory for Michigan State seemed all but certain.

Two penalties – and two power-play goals given up – changed that, as a desperate Ohio State team forced the game to end in a 2-2 tie. They picked up the extra point in the Big Ten standings by winning in a shootout later in the evening.

The Spartans (8-13-5, 2-5-4-3 B1G) held the Buckeyes scoreless until the 18:26 mark of the third period when Tanner Fritz scored to pull OSU within one. Then, with 1.9 seconds remaining, Alex Szczechura jammed a puck in the crease home to force overtime.

Fritz scored the winning goal in the shootout for Ohio State.

“We didn’t play a full 60 minutes,” MSU head coach Tom Anastos said. “I thought we were managing the game pretty successfully and those late penalties put us in a tough spot.”

The penalties – one to freshman Joe Cox for interference and one to junior Matt Berry for hooking – gave the Buckeyes life when it seemed as if MSU goalie Jake Hildebrand was destined for a shutout.

OSU (14-9-2, 4-5-2-1 B1G) attempted 32 shots in the third period, with many of them coming during their two power plays near the end of the game in which they pulled their goalie for a two-man advantage.

“Disappointing for us not to be able to finish that game,” Anastos said. “Very disappointing.”

Despite giving up the two goals late, Hildebrand was positive about the way the defense played against an Ohio State team that scores 3.62 goals per game.

“We played a great 58 minutes, just not enough tonight,” Hildebrand, who made 40 saves, said. “We wanted to play well defensively and I think we definitely did that tonight. We kept a lot of their shots to the perimeter and the defense was taking away the backdoor and blocking shots.”

Anastos praised Hildebrand’s play.

“I thought he played really well,” he said. “When there was a big [shot] he was there, and that’s what he does for us. I thought it was another good effort for him.”

The Spartans were happy with the way they played for the first 58 minutes and despite giving up 42 shots to OSU led 2-0 halfway through the third period.

“A big part of it was staying out of the box for the majority of the game,” MSU captain Greg Wolfe said. “We were able to gain a lot of momentum, keep the puck in their zone. We blocked a lot of shots and Hildy played another great game.

“I thought we had a lot of jump tonight, a lot of energy.”

Wolfe was a factor in both MSU goals. Near the halfway mark of the second period, Wolfe found Lee Reimer in the slot with a pass from behind the net. Reimer fired a shot past OSU goalie Christian Frey to give MSU a 1-0 lead.

In the third, Wolfe grabbed the puck in the neutral zone and carried it all the way in on Frey before rifling one high on the glove side for his ninth of the year.

The Spartans nearly scored a third goal when Mackenzie MacEachern weaved through a Buckeye defender and went in on Frey but was stopped on the deke attempt. Frey made 25 saves.

Unable to grasp the victory in sight, Wolfe and Anastos know that it takes a full 60 minutes of hockey to win.

“When you put them on the power play twice, you give them a chance to get back in the game,” Wolfe said. “It’s just something we can’t do in the last couple minutes of the game. We’ve got to bear down.”

“They’re a good team,” Anastos said of OSU. “They have nice dynamics offensively and I thought we contained that for 58 minutes. We have to regroup, we have to dig deeper, and we have to play 60 minutes of hockey.”