MSU hockey: Spartans cruise past USNTDP U18s in exhibition game, 5-1

EAST LANSING - The Michigan State hockey team powered past the U.S. National Team Development Program U-18 Team, 5-1, in an exhibition game on Sunday at Munn Ice Arena. Five different Spartans scored as MSU controlled the game from beginning to end, outshooting USA, 39-16.

“Generally speaking, we went into today’s game looking at it as a means to prepare for the Big Ten season starting next week and I think that it was helpful,” MSU head coach Tom Anastos said.

Thomas Ebbing gave MSU a 1-0 lead 5:04 into the first, knocking in a rebound. Ebbing followed up a shot from the high slot by Sam Saliba and was able to get enough of the rebound to get the puck past NTDP goaltender Dylan St. Cyr.

USA’s Joey Cassetti tied it up with an unassisted goal at the 6:47 mark, but the Spartans reclaimed the lead, ultimately for good, when Damian Chrcek scored at 11:12.

Chrcek beat St. Cyr from the left circle, near the hash marks with a wrist shot. Mason Appleton and Taro Hirose both picked up assists on the goal.

The Spartans controlled the second period, outshooting Team USA, 18-3, in the stanza and adding to their lead with a pair of goals.

Appleton made it 3-1 with a power-play goal 2:15 into the second, taking the puck from Villiam Haag and Hirose and walking to the center of the ice where he let a shot go that sailed past St. Cyr.

JT Stenglein made it 4-1 with a goal quickly off a faceoff with 4:12 to go in the period. Thomas Ebbing won the draw and after a shot on net by Joe Cox that St. Cyr stopped, Stenglein pounced on the rebound and swept it home.

Zach Osburn pushed the Spartan lead to 5-1 2:42 into the third with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle.

Freshman John Lethemon started in net for the Spartans and turned away 15 of 16 shots.

Hirose, Cox and Haag all recorded two assists for the Spartans, who posted their highest goal total against the USNTDP U-18 team since 2010.

“I looked at this game as kind of a tricky one,” Anastos said. “We’re coming off a big series at North Dakota, how are we going to approach this particular game that really has no meaningful value to it in terms of the RPI and conference? Yet, I liked our approach; I thought we started just a little slow, but we picked it up in the second period. Our goal going into this game was to get better. Generally speaking, I’d say it was mission accomplished.”

The Spartans (4-6-1) begin Big Ten play next weekend when they host No. 11 Minnesota on Friday (6:30 p.m.) and Saturday (8 p.m.) at Munn.

From the Michigan State Athletics Department