Spartans Earn Win at Miami, 5-3
Oxford, Ohio – Michigan State earned a 5-3 victory at Miami on Friday night to open the two-game non-conference series. MSU improves to 10-4-1 overall, while Miami falls to 5-8-2.
Jeremy Davidson had a four-point effort – his highest offensive output of the season – and was joined by linemates Miroslav Mucha (1g, 2a) and Nicolas Muller (2a) as multiple-point scorers on the night. Dylan St. Cyr had 30 saves for the Spartans, who have won six of their last seven games.
MSU started with a burst of offense for the second straight game, putting three goals on the scoreboard to head into the locker room with a lead for the ninth time in 15 games this season. Jesse Tucker scored before the three-minute mark, followed by Cole Krygier and Davidson for the early advantage. Miroslav Mucha added a second-period goal that afforded MSU a 4-2 lead in the second intermission. Less than a minute into the third, Davidson scored his second of the game when he backhanded a pass from Mucha to make it 5-2. John Waldron scored a nice goal from the top of the right circle to bring the Red Hawks back within a pair, but that was the last goal for either team as Dylan St. Cyr turned away a total of 12 shots in the period.
Ludwig Persson had 30 saves for Miami.
The teams meet again on Saturday at 5 pm.
STATISTICS OF NOTE
- Jeremy Davidson had two goals and four points on the night, his first multiple-goal and multiple-point game of the season.
- Nicolas Muller had a pair of assists and was a +4. He has multiple-point efforts in three of his last four games.
- Miroslav Mucha scored his fifth goal of the season and added two assists, and was also a game-best +4.
- Cole Krygier had a first-period goal, his fourth goal of the year. He has tied his career best for goals in a season, and has a point in each of the last three games.
- Powell Connor returned to the lineup after missing 10 games and led the Spartans with three blocked shots.
- Dylan St. Cyr had 30 saves, his eighth straight game of 30+ stops.
- MSU was 0-for-5 on the power play for a total of 13 minutes as the home team was able to kill off a major penalty in the first period. MSU killed off three of four chances against, all minors.
First Period: MSU wasted little time getting on the board, as Jesse Tucker swiped one home at just 2:32 of the opening frame. Miami was trying to clear the zone but the puck was intercepted by Tanner Kelly in the high slot. He pushed it ahead for Tucker, who’s backhand swipe was initially stopped by goalie Ludvig Persson, but the puck trickled loose and over the goal line for the Spartan lead. The home team got the goal back as a penalty expired at the 11:14 mark, as Jack Olmstead picked up the puck as it squirted out of the zone, and streaked in alone for the breakaway goal to tie things up. The Spartans did not trail for long – Cole Krygier ripped a shot netward from the half wall and it found its mark for his fourth of the season to make it 2-1. At 16:40 – seconds after the Spartans killed off their first penalty of the night – MSU made it 3-1 on a goal by Jeremy Davidson. Mucha collected the puck along the right wall in the neutral zone and pushed it ahead for Nicolas Müller who split the defense and threw a cross-slot pass to Davidson on the left side, and he scored his second goal in as many games.
Second Period: The Red Hawks killed off a major penalty in the opening ten minute of the period, and just over the halfway mark, the Spartans sent the puck out of the zone, as Davidson looked for Mucha, who went into the zone with a D in his face and lifted the puck over the shoulder of Persson for his fifth goal of the season. The Red Hawks got a second power play chance on a hooking call at the 14 minute mark, and with 16 seconds remaining, Matthew Barbolini flipped the puck over the glove hand of St. Cyr at the top of the paint to put a second goal on the board for Miami.
Third Period: The Spartans scored before the period was a minute old, as Davidson potted his second of the year with some poise right on the doorstep – he skated to his left and backhanded his second of the night and third of the season. At the midpoint, John Waldron scored a nice goal from the top of the left circle to once again bring the Red Hawks within a pair, but that would be the final goal for either team as the Spartans skated away with a 5-3 win.
