Spartans fall to Wisconsin on Senior Night in East Lansing

MSU senior captain Greg Wolfe in action on Senior Night in East Lansing. (Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey)

 

By Alyssa Girardi –

EAST LANSING — One senior notched a goal. Three others tallied assists. Another made 18 saves.

Each contribution by the MSU senior class Saturday put the Spartans in a better position to achieve a complete comeback on Senior Night. But their valiant effort fell short; they couldn’t overcome an early lead by Wisconsin and ended up falling 4-3 to the No. 5-ranked Badgers.

“You go down 4-0 in the first period, it’s easy to roll over, throw in the towel,” senior captain Greg Wolfe (Canton) said. “But we battled and gave ourselves a chance to get back in the game.”

The MSU coaching staff made the decision to start senior goaltender Will Yanakeff, who backstopped the team to a 4-3 comeback win against Michigan last Saturday.

However, Wisconsin got off to a strong start with a four-goal first period, outshooting the Spartans 9-3. Less than three minutes into the game and only 16 seconds into a Badger power play, Nic Kerdiles one-timed the first tally from the high point.

A minute and a half later, Gavin Hartzog scored a flukey goal from the blue line that hugged the inside of the left post past Yanakeff. Sean Little made it 3-0 with a rebound lifted over Yanakeff’s right pad, and a shot by Grant Besse banged off the pipes into the net for the final goal of the period.

“We didn’t want to act like we were down 4-0, because that just leads to no good,” senior Jake Chelios (Bloomfield Hills) said. “We just forgot that first period, came out even stronger the next two and mustered up a few goals but not enough.”

MSU had an opportunity to pull the game within one when Wisconsin’s Mark Zengerle received a five-minute major and game misconduct for hitting from behind at 6:49, but the Spartans didn’t manage any shots on net.

It was a stark difference from Friday’s game, where MSU went three-for-three on the power play.

MSU played the second period as an entirely different team, getting 17 shots on net and keeping the majority of play in the Badgers zone.

“During the first period, we were frustrated,” said Wolfe, who had an assist. “We got in (the locker room) and we were like, ‘There’s nothing to be frustrated about. We’re not going to get back in this game by pointing the finger and getting down on each other.’”

Matt Berry (Canton) scored his third in two games at 1:26 of the period. He took a shot from deep in the left circle, and the rebound bounced around the crease of Joel Rumpel. Berry joined the scuffle, and the puck eventually jumped up over Rumpel’s shoulder into the net. Wolfe and senior Lee Reimer were awarded assists.

About midway through the period, Dean Chelios (Bloomfield Hills) scored MSU’s second.

RJ Boyd skated the puck from end to end, and the puck popped free onto the stick of Chelios as a Wisconsin defenseman challenged Boyd. Chelios’ shot from the top of the right circle squeaked in through Rumpel’s five hole.

At 14:15, Joe Cox (Chelsea) was awarded a penalty shot after being tripped on a shorthanded breakaway. He quickly pulled the puck to his backhand then back to his forehand. He had Rumpel beaten, but lost control of the puck.

“We had so many point-blanks tonight,” Wolfe said. “You get that many grade A’s you hope you can get more than three, but I mean I guess we got a couple bounces too. So it kinda evened out.

Villiam Haag made another step in the comeback five minutes into the third period. He skated the puck in along the left side after a pass from Jake Chelios and snapped a wrister high-glove side.

MSU pulled Yanakeff in the final minutes, but couldn’t solve Rumpel a fourth time to force overtime.

The Spartans will vie for a chance at making the NCAA Tournament next weekend at the Big Ten Tournament at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. MSU will face Ohio State in the first game of the one-and-done weekend Thursday.