MSU Stunned by Cornell in First Round of NCAA Tournament
TOLDEO, Ohio -- The Michigan State Spartans arrived in Toledo, Ohio as the No. 2 overall seed, drawing a feisty Cornell squad from the ECAC for their first-round matchup.
Right from puck-drop, the Spartans threw their weight around and were able to get some decent offensive zone time. 6 minutes into the first period, the Spartans led the shots margin, 5-2, after a centering pass to Spartan center Charlie Stramel that was mishandled.
The Spartans were able to strike first as a bad turnover by Cornell in their own zone found the stick of Joey Larson, who was able to feed it to Gavin O'Connell, who put it in the back of the net with 12:40 left in the first period.
With 4:58 left in the first, Cornell was able to knot it up after a physical defensive play allowed Cornell forward Ryan Walsh to beat Spartan goalie Trey Augustine on his blocker side.
Just 50 seconds before the end of the first period, Cornell received a cross-checking penalty, leading to a power play goal by Michigan State's Daniel Russell with assists from Charlie Stramel and Isaac Howard. Stramel was just getting off the ice when the buck found him, and he was able to wrap it around a defender to set Russell up with a chip-shot goal.
The Spartans led, 2-1, heading into the first intermission. They outshot the Big Red, 12-5, in the first 20 minutes.
As the second period began, Michigan State came out firing and was able to put pressure on the Cornell defense but didn't find the back of the net. Cornell struggled to control the puck and generate chances, not getting a shot on goal through almost 12 minutes.
That all changed as Cornell was able to score on a snipe from distance by freshman Charlie Major with 3:30 to go in the period, but the Spartans answered with a goal of their own just 17 seconds later by Karsen Dorwart as Cornell goalie Ian Shane was out of position behind his own cage. Spartans led 3-2 at the 2nd intermission, only allowing 8 shots in the game thus far.
As one would expect, the intensity was at an all-time high in the third frame. Cornell went on the attack, putting six shots on goal in 6 minutes, but no goals.
Coming out of the media break, Cornell was able to put another one by Augustine when Ryan Walsh was able to put a rebound in for his second goal of the night to tie it up at 3 apiece with 7:21 left in the game.
With 1:39 to go in the game, Michigan State's Matt Basgall was put in the penalty box for tripping, setting up a power play in which Cornell's Sullivan Mack found paydirt with just 8.5 seconds remaining to win the game.
Cornell moves on to play Boston University on Saturday for a spot in the Frozen Four.
Stay up to date with Michigan State athletics news when you follow our Spartan Nation page on Facebook WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and also make sure to join our community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
Graham, the founder of High School Football Frenzy, covers high school football, hockey, and basketball across the Big Ten. He provides in-depth reports on prospects at all levels and builds strong relationships with coaches and players. Joining the On SI team as a Big Ten Recruiting Beat Writer, Graham brings extensive knowledge of the Big Ten region, recruiting prospects, and high schools.