Michigan State hockey falls to Michigan in shootout

EAST LANSING – Coming off a 3-0 win over Michigan on Friday night in Ann Arbor, Michigan State had moved into a tie with the Wolverines at 1-6 in the Big Ten and the Spartans were looking for a weekend sweep Saturday night to put their rival at the bottom of the league standings.

After 65 minutes of play and still no winner, Michigan finally bested MSU in a shootout and took its turn as road spoiler.

Cooper Marody weaved down the ice and then ripped the game-winning shot past MSU goaltender Edwin Minney after the teams finished 2-2 at the end of regulation.

“I hate to lose in a shootout, but I generally liked our body of work,” MSU coach Tom Anastos said of the weekend home-and-home series. “I’m not going to let the shootout ruin six periods of hockey even though I hate losing.”

Michigan (8-13-2, 1-6-1-1 Big Ten) began the game’s scoring on the power play early in the first period as MSU’s Villiam Haag went to the penalty box for tripping with just a little more than four minutes into the game.

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The Spartans (5-16-2, 1-6-1-0), who have been toward the bottom of the NCAA in penalty kill percentage this season, managed to get through the power play but could not clear the puck a final time as they got back to full strength and Michigan took advantage.

Nolan De Jong registered a goal on a shot that went through a crowd on a path toward the net and Minney, who had shut out Michigan on Friday.

MSU answered four minutes later with Dylan Pavelek’s first goal of the season and just the fourth of his career to tie the game 1-1. A shot from the corner bounced off the pad of Michigan goaltender Zach Nagelvoort and right to the junior, who deposited the rebound for a score. Logan Lambdin and Sam Saliba were credited with assists.

“I’ve worked very hard and we battle every week to get in the lineup and to be rewarded like that is just something special,” said Pavelek, who also netted his first goal of the season last year against the Wolverines. “Saliba did a good job of bringing it to the net … and it got tipped to me and I just buried it. It was a great feeling – one of the more exciting goals I’ve had."

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MSU controlled possession in the first period and was the aggressor offensively, registering eight shots to just three for Michigan. However, the teams went into the first intermission tied.

Michigan went ahead with Alex Kile’s goal in the second, as defensemen Sam Piazza took a pass to the top and sent the puck back on net. Kile was parked in front of Minney and managed to direct it into the net.

The goal was reviewed to see if Kile interfered with Minney or was in the crease, but the score stood.

MSU then had a goal of its own that went through a review. A third-period shot from Sam Saliba on goal was deflected in by Patrick Khodorenko. Officials looked to see if the deflection was played with a high stick as it skimmed off the freshman’s stick handle, but the play was ruled legal for a goal.

The two sides went through a scoreless overtime and two shootout frames before Marody’s winner in front of an announced sellout.

“I don’t want (Minney) to leave with that taste in his mouth because I thought he played really well,” Anastos said. “I thought Michigan played a much stronger game and a much harder game than they did (Friday night). I thought that was a good college hockey game. … It was a great crowd. I hate having them leave without the right taste in their mouth. They saw us fight to come back and tie the game and I was hoping like heck we could come back and finish that in overtime.”

MSU will be home again for its next action when it hosts Wisconsin on back-to-back nights beginning Feb. 3.