Red Hot Spartan Hockey Sees Winning Streak Snapped
BIG RAPIDS – The Michigan State hockey team's three-game winning streak ended Saturday night at Ferris State in a 4-1 loss to the Bulldogs at Ewigleben Ice Arena. The Bulldogs scored twice in the opening period and added two more in the second, while Logan Lambdin scored the Spartans' lone goal.
"There's a certain way that you have to play the game and I thought there were too many battles that we lost and too many times we cheated on the wrong side of the puck, and unfortunately kind of left Drew (DeRidder) hung out to dry on some of those," MSU head coach Danton Cole said. "But we'll get better, we'll learn. It's just some better application of some things. I look at it and all four of their goals we had chances to clear the puck."
Ferris State got its first goal 3:52 into the game. The Spartans extinguished an early penalty but the puck stayed in the MSU zone following the kill and the Bulldogs' Jason Fernsler was able to scoop a rebound into the net from just off the right post.
The Bulldogs built their lead to 2-0 with under nine minutes to go in the opening period when Zach Yoder found a wide-open Oskar Andren in front of the net, who tapped the puck past DeRidder.
The Spartans (4-2) used their power play to get on the board in the closing minutes of the first period as it took just nine seconds for MSU to score on its first man-advantage. Following the faceoff and a flurry in front, Logan Lambdin was able to put the puck home to make it 2-1 with 2:30 to play. Sam Saliba and Jake Smith picked up assists on the goal.
Michigan State had two early power plays in the second, but wasn't able to get the equalizer and Bulldogs added a pair of goals later in the period to extend their lead to 4-1.
After the Bulldogs took control of a loose puck in the neutral zone, Liam MacDougall scored the third FSU goal on a shot from the slot just past the midway point of the period.
FSU's Jake Transit made it 4-1 with 4:12 to play, putting a wrister into the net after a scrum in front that had DeRidder down.
The Spartans had three power play opportunities in the second and another in the third, but weren't able to dent the Ferris lead.
"We had a back door open netter that we missed and hit two crossbars - that's the difference between a 3-for-5 night and a 1-for-5 night," Cole said.
Michigan State killed all four Ferris State power plays.
FSU outshot the Spartans in the first and third periods and finished with a 34-28 advantage in shots on goal.
Michigan State heads to Arizona State next weekend to meet the Sun Devils on Friday and Saturday in Tempe, Arizona.
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