EAST LANSING – No. 7 Michigan State hockey returned to Munn Ice Arena for a ranked matchup against No. 20 Notre Dame.
In the final Big Ten game until Jan. 12, the Spartans took the first of two games on Friday evening, winning 5-2. Both offensive attacks came into play between the two Big Ten foes, as each team recorded a combined 93 shots on goal.
“That’s not going to happen every game for sure, but I thought there were sequences where we were hungry around the net,” said MSU head coach Adam Nightingale.
After a scoreless first period, with multiple scoring opportunities for both sides, MSU found momentum. In the second period, freshman forward Tiernan Shoudy put the Spartans on the board, making it 1-0.
The Irish responded right away, with a goal from senior forward Grant Silianoff.
It was all MSU the rest of the way. The high-octane attack took command in the second and third periods. Sophomore forward Joey Larson put the Spartans up 2-1 on a power play goal, giving his team all the momentum.
The transfer from Northern Michigan has already made a significant impact for Michigan State hockey, picking up his team-leading ninth goal of the season.
“I just think it’s been my linemates, and working with them every day, and just the systems we have,” Larson said. “Playing hard is the biggest thing. I think when our line is playing hard, our skill takes over.”
Just 18 seconds into the third period, freshman defenseman Artyom Levshunov fired a snipe into the top-right corner of the net for his fifth goal of the season, increasing the Spartans’ lead to 3-1.
Junior forward Hunter Strand gave Notre Dame its second goal with eight minutes to go in regulation, but it wasn’t enough, as MSU continued to pile on.
Sophomore forward Isaac Howard added to the MSU scoring parade with another power-play goal, making it 4-2.
“Special teams is a huge part of our success, and getting two power play goals is big for our team,” Howard said. “During the off week, we’re always working on our power play and penalty kill, and trying to dial it in as best as we can.”
Michigan State will be back at Munn Ice Arena for the second game of the series against No. 20 Notre Dame on Saturday evening. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m.
