How MSU Hockey Fared Against Elite Competition in First Home Series
Michigan State Spartans men's hockey is resurgent under head coach Adam Nightingale. Coming out of the abysmal Danton Cole era, which held much promise in the beginning because of Cole's ties to the National Training Development team in Ann Arbor, ended in five seasons and a 58-101-12 record.
Nightingale has been nothing short of stellar at the helm of the program, of which the former Spartan has led the program to heights never reached and never imagined possible.
Last season, the Spartans won their first-ever outright Big Ten conference title, and then in an overtime thriller against a dominant Michigan squad (typical, as the program has a pipeline feeding directly from the NTDP -- the best the country has to offer). An NCAA tournament berth.
The No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft, defenseman Artyom Levshunov.
The 2024 season would hold more promise with a strong recruiting cycle and the No. 4 rank in the preseason polls. The Spartans were tested early with a two-game home-opening series against national championship favorite and No. 2-ranked Boston College.
On Friday, the Spartans dropped the first game in a 3-0 final.
Nightingale had a blunt response to the loss.
"It looked like we wanted to be cutesy, and that’s not our game," he said. "We are a blue-collar hockey team, and if we try to play white-collar, we’re not that good of a hockey team."
On Saturday, the Spartans rebounded with a 4-3 statement win, splitting the series. Nightingale remarked that the team played more to its identity, a blue-collar effort in the win.
"I think our guys did a lot better job of going out and being us and playing how we need to play," Nightingale said after the win.
Michigan State sophomore forward Charlie Stramel scored two of the Spartans' goals, while senior forward Red Savage, and junior forward Daniel Russell each scored one, with Russell earning the game-winner late in the second period.
It was a come-from-behind victory, as Michigan State trailed at two different points -- down 2-1 going into the second and down 3-2 with just over 3 minutes gone in the middle period.
The Spartans shut down the visitors in the third, and ultimately went on to win what was their 600th victory in Munn Ice Arena.
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