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Crazy kind of hockey: Spartans’ special teams key sweep of Wildcats

Spartans’ special teams key sweep of Wildcats

By Steve Brownlee 7 min read

EAST LANSING -- In a crazy kind of weekend for the Northern Michigan University hockey team, Michigan State showed why it's the nation's No. 3-ranked college hockey team with a sweep of the Wildcats.

NMU fell to 1-3, while MSU opened its season at 2-0.

The opener was a penalty-filled affair, with Northern being whistled for 50 minutes in penalties among the 76 minutes in total, and the Spartans cashing in with five power play tallies for a 6-2 victory.

When the teams returned Sunday afternoon, a day and a half after their opener, they played a much calmer game -- at least it looked that way on the scoresheet -- with just three minor penalties called on each team, though MSU again cashed in with its special teams, finding two more power play goals plus a shorthanded tally in a 5-1 triumph.

The Wildcats may get a bit of a break while returning home this weekend for a final nonconference series before the Central Collegiate Hockey Association season starts in two weeks.

NCAA Division I independent Stonehill comes to the Berry Events Center for their first-ever meeting. Stonehill, located in Easton, Massachusetts, about 20 miles south of Boston, is 2-0 after sweeping Colgate at home last weekend, 2-1 and 4-2.

The Skyhawks play a range of schools, including NMU, Massachusetts, both Alaska teams, and even Miami (Ohio) and Notre Dame.

Here are details on the MSU series:

MSU 6, NMU 2

On Friday night, the game didn't really devolve into a penalty fest until the third period, though the Wildcats' Medrick Bolduc was called for a five-minute major for hitting from behind and a 10-minute game misconduct early in the second period.

The third, however, saw a dozen penalties called, including seven in the final 1.4 seconds when what was termed a massive brawl broke out. That scrum led to the referees calling a major and misconduct on NMU's Jason Davenport and double-minor and misconduct on the Spartans' Shane Vansaghi.

The majors didn't lead to any power play goals for State, but they had plenty of chances on all the minors called, too.

NMU Sports Information in its account of the game called it "one of the most physical contests you'll see," with MSU cashing in on 5 of 8 power play chances while going 5 for 5 on its penalty kill.

With all the special teams play, it's not surprising that the Spartans held a 42-18 advantage in shots on goal, Northern's Oliver Auyeung-Ashton making 36 saves, including 15 in the scoreless second period.

MSU's Joshua Ravensbergen was only called on to make 16 saves, never more than eight in one period.

The Spartans scored three times in the first 10 1/2 minutes from Anthony Romani -- State's only even-strength goal of the night -- Cullen Potter and Cayden Lindstrom.

But the Wildcats attempted a comeback quite quickly, with senior Branden Piku scoring unassisted with 6:49 left in the opening period.

He had the third of three breakaway chances by Northern during the early going, according to NMU SI. While Ravensbergen stopped Bolduc and teammate Aapo Katavisto, Piku converted after his 1-on-1 with the goalie, making a decisive move to the backhand and elevating the puck over the freshman goalie's glove hand, according to NMU SI.

Piku, a transfer during the offseason from Lake Superior State, scored his first goal for Northern.

Scoring dried up after that through the second period, good news for the Spartans with a 3-1 lead, but the Wildcats made their move right away in the third.

In the second period, Bolduc drew his major, which for about 90 seconds at the end of it was a 5-on-3 with NMU drawing another minor. And that was not Northern's first foray into killing off a 5-on-3 that night.

But by killing that latest one off, Northern built momentum, outshooting their hosts 11-1 for the final seven minutes of the second. Freshman Coster Dunn, the reigning CCHA Rookie of the Week, had a good look from the circle when he was left unattended on a Wildcats' power play but couldn't get one home.

Just 40 seconds into the third period during another NMU power play, junior Grayden Slipec scored after taking a pass from Dunn, who had weaved his way through the defense and made the pass from his knees.

And who should get the second assist on the goal? None other than All-American candidate Auyeung-Ashton.

Now down just 3-2, Northern was again whistled for a penalty just 26 seconds after the catchup goal, and 28 seconds after that, MSU's Gavin O'Connell made it a two-goal game again at 4-2.

More power play goals ensued from Romani and Jack Hextall for the final margin.

MSU 5, NMU 1

On Sunday afternoon, the Spartans cashed in on half the game's power plays, two of their own and one when they were shorthanded.

Despite that, the Wildcats had the game tied 1-1 for just over eight minutes in the first half of the second period before a renewed MSU onslaught of scoring.

As the penalties were even 3-3, the shots were also much closer. Auyeung-Ashton made 28 saves, while a different MSU goalie, Quentin Sigurdson, had 29 stops.

State's Jimmy Clark scored the only goal of the opening period just before the halfway point after a counterattack led to a 3-on-2 situation against Auyeung-Ashton.

Then 1:45 into the second, an Auyeung-Ashton save sprung teammate Mathew Ward on a breakout, and Ward found a streaking Mikey Burchill behind the Spartans defense as the sophomore fired his shot home on the far side of the net for his first goal of this season and sixth of his college career.

Auyeung-Ashton picked up his second assist of the weekend on the play.

The 1-1 tie lasted until the 9:49 mark -- that's 10:11 left -- of the second period. Before that, however, Katavisto sent a shot just over the net that would've give Northern its first lead of the weekend.

Instead, MSU's first power play of the night turned into the game-winning goal by Ethan Belchetz. A teammate's blast from the point hit Belchetz in his midsection and ricocheted into the net.

Twice more in the next seven minutes State would score, making it 4-1 by the end of the period after goals by Ryker Lee and Romani.

The Spartans also had the only goal of the third by Jack Hextall with about eight minutes remaining.

Mich. St. 6, NMU 2

Friday at East Lansing

Summary:

First period -- 1. MSU, Anthony Romani (Belchetz, Peddle) 1:48; 2. MSU, Cullen Potter (Romani, Lee) ppg 9:33; 3. MSU, Cayden Lindstrom (Nilson) ppg 10:24; 4. NMU, Branden Piku (unassisted) 13:11

Second period -- No scoring

Third period -- 5. NMU, Grayden Slipec (Dunn, Auyeung-Ashton) 0:40; 6. MSU, Gavin O'Connell (Reid, Lee) ppg 1:34; 7. MSU, Romani (Reid, Lee) ppg 12:13; 8. Jack Hextall (Nilson, Bleyl) ppg 15:28

Penalties-minutes: NMU , MSU

Power-play opportunities: NMU , MSU

Goalie saves: NMU, Oliver Auyeung-Ashton 36 (10-15-11); MSU, Joshua Ravensbergen 16 (5-8-3)

Mich. St. 5, NMU 1

Sunday at East Lansing

Summary:

First period -- 1. MSU, Jimmy Clark (Peddle, O'Connell) 9:33

Second period -- 2. NMU, Michael Burchill (Ward, Auyeung-Ashton) 1:45; 3. MSU, Ethan Belchetz (Hextall, Reid) ppg 9:49; 4. MSU, Ryker Lee (Clark, Hextall) 13:13; 5. MSU, Anthony Romani (Potter, Sigurdson) shg 16:30

Third period -- 6. MSU, Jack Hextall (Bleyl, Nilson) ppg 12:02

Penalties-minutes: NMU 14-50, MSU 9-26

Power-play opportunities: NMU 0 of 3, MSU 2 of 3

Goalie saves: NMU, Oliver Auyeung-Ashton 28 (13-7-8); MSU, Quentin Sigurdson 29 (11-11-7)

Story contents based on a pair of Northern Michigan University Sports Information press releases reviewing the games. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee's email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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