EAST LANSING, Mich. — Notre Dame hockey fell at the hands of the No. 1/1 Michigan State Spartans Friday night, 8-2, after a special teams battle saw six of the first seven goals scored while a skater sat on and watched from the penalty box.
The game got off to a chippy start as some extracurriculars after the whistle sent skaters from either side to the box just 27 seconds in. The Irish penalty kill unit was tested early as an additional roughing against Notre Dame gave the home team the advantage after the calls were sorted out. MSU would take advantage of the powerplay opportunity when a screen in front of the net allowed the shot past Luke Pearson in the crease and made it a 1-0 game just 1:16 into play.
At the 4:54 mark of the opening period another scrum behind the Irish net sent a skater from either side to the box and the Irish were awarded the powerplay opportunity. Despite a grade-A chance from Cole Brown late on the man-advantage, the Irish were unable to convert during the two-minute powerplay and the Spartans returned to full strength shortly before the first media timeout of the night.
A slashing call against the Irish gave MSU their second powerplay chance of the night at 7:17 of the first period. Pearson made three key saves on the Irish kill before the Spartans were whistled for a cross-check and gave the two sides 25 seconds of four-on-four before an Irish powerplay.
Michael Mastrodomenico evened the tally at the 9:44 mark of the opening period with a wrister at the bottom of the circle to make it a 1-1 game.
The Irish were once again whistled for a penalty at the 10:08 mark after a Spartan skated into an unsuspecting Sutter Muzzatti as they crossed the blue line and the latter was called for interference.
MSU and ND remained tied at the end of the Irish kill and the game looked to stay knotted as time wound down in the opening frame. A late shot off the stick of Muzzatti nearly gave the Irish the lead but the puck rang off the post and back into play to keep it locked 1-1 through 20 minutes played.
The Irish were called for boarding just moments into the second period and would capitalize 17 seconds later to take the 2-1 lead just 45 seconds into the frame.
A loose puck flew through the air about 90 seconds later and the Spartans banged the rebound home to make it a 3-1 contest. However, a challenge by the Irish on a previous play negated the goal and time was added to the clock after a contact to the head major was called on the Spartans and the Irish had five minutes of powerplay action. Despite several chances by both powerplay units, the Irish could not convert as time ticked off the clock on the man-advantage. With 44 seconds remaining on the Spartan major, MSU was called for a trip and the Irish would see nearly a minute of five-on-three action but play returned to full strength with the Irish still trialing by a goal.
The Spartans extended their lead at 11:13 of the second stanza when a breakaway chance for MSU saw the puck find its way over the goalline to make it a 3-1 game in favor of the home team.
A trip against the Spartans deep in their zone led to a long delayed penalty but the Irish did not convert before MSU eventually touched up at 13:04 of the middle frame and gave the Irish special teams another chance on the ice. A misplayed puck at the point sent play the opposite way up the ice and the Spartans would take the 4-1 lead, shorthanded, at 13:42 of the second. The special teams were not done on the penalty as Pano Fimis converted on a shot from the far circle to make it a 4-2 game at 14:18 of the frame to end the MSU infraction.
With 2:55 to go in the second, the Irish were called for interference after a collision at the blueline sent both skaters airborne. The Spartans converted on the man-advantage to make it a 5-2 game late in the second period.
A penalty on the Irish with 37.8 seconds left gave the Spartans one final chance on the man-advantage before the end of the frame but the Irish held on through the horn to keep it a 5-2 game through 40 minutes played.
With a fresh sheet of ice and 1:23 left on the kill to start the third, the Irish were able to hold off the Spartan pressure and returned to full strength unscathed on the penalty.
The score would hold stagnant halfway through the third as the Irish continued their fight to overcome the three-goal deficit with 9:59 to play and the first media break of the period paused play momentarily.
A lengthy shift in the defensive end for the Irish after a series of turnovers resulted in a Spartan goal at 12:14 of the third after Pearson made a handful of saves but was unable to freeze the puck and MSU capitalized on a fifth-effort chance.
After a chance off the stick of Brennan Ali nearly had the Irish on the board in the third period, an odd-man rush the other way down the ice gave the Spartans the 7-2 lead. They further extended their lead just 20 seconds later, making it an 8-2 contest late in the third.
UP NEXT
The Irish return home next weekend for their final series inside Compton Family Ice Arena, Feb. 27-28, against Penn State. Friday’s game, presented by Jordan Lexus of Mishawaka, is set for a 7pm puck drop on Peacock.
Prior to the regular season home finale Saturday at 6pm, Notre Dame will honor the six members of its graduating class in Niko Jovanovic, Axel Kumlin, Michael Mastrodomenico, Sutter Muzzatti, Luke Pearson, and Jack Williams.