No. 12 Michigan State knocks off No. 6 Michigan, 2-1
East Lansing, Mich. – On the back of a lights-outs performance from graduate transfer goalie Dylan St. Cyr, No. 12 Michigan State knocked off archrival No. 6 Michigan 2-1 Friday night at Munn Ice Arena. This was another major step for Michigan State towards re-establishing itself as a nationally relevant hockey program under first-year head coach Adam Nightingale.
Michigan State scored the go-ahead goal and eventual game-winner midway through the second period. Freshman Tiernan Shoudy (5-9, 180, Fr., St. Clair, Mich.) found the back of the net after a scrum in front of Michigan’s net.
The Spartans held onto that lead until the final whistle behind 22 saves from St. Cyr, including two goal-saving stops during the second period before a packed house of 6,555.
Michigan State, one of the surprises of the college hockey season, improved to 12-6-1 overall and 6-4-1 in the Big Ten under Nightingale. Michigan State was picked to finish last in the Big Ten after going 12-23-1 last year, ending with the firing of Danton Cole after five years at the helm of the Spartans.
Michigan had won six straight games against Michigan State, and 11 of the last 12 in the most-played rivalry in college hockey.
“It’s huge,” Nightingale said. “We talked to the group and we have to do our part in making this rivalry real and I thought that was a good step forward tonight.”
St. Cyr, a graduate transfer from Quinnipiac by way of Northville, has started 18 of MSU’s 19 games this year, with a goals-against average of 2.45.
“Dylan is a huge part of team,” Nightingale said. “He’s a battler and a competitor. He’s got a great hockey mind, so his ability to read the plays and get across and make the saves was huge for us.”
Shoudy’s game-winner was assisted by sophomore Tanner Kelly (5-10, 175, San Diego) and graduate transfer defenseman Michael Underwood (6-2, 205, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), a transfer from Clarkson.
It was Shoudy’s fourth goal of the season.
Kellly has 10 assists on the year and 14 points, ranking fourth on the team in both categories.
Michigan State outshot the Wolverines 31-23 on the night, and matched its win total from the 2021-2022 season.
“I thought we did a better job of hanging onto pucks,” Nightingale said. “A lot of times when you talk about offensive zone play, you can get lost in strategy, where a lot of times it comes down to puck protection and puck races and just competing for loose pucks, and I thought we did a good job of that.”
The Spartans fell behind early in the first period, as T.J. Hughes put the Wolverines in front 1-0. Roughly four minutes later, Michigan State’s fifth-year defenseman Cole Krygier (6-3, 205, Sr., Novi, Mich.) tied the score on a shorthanded goal.
It was Krygier’s fifth goal of the year, already a single-season best for him.
“What we’re trying to build here is: You’ve got to respond,” Nightingale said after the game. “No one should panic. You’re playing a good team. You know they’re going to push and we are going to push. But to get that response and see the puck go in was a good thing.”
Krygier was assisted by a duo of freshmen in Karsen Dorwart (6-1, 191, Sherwood, Ore.) and Daniel Russell (5-9, 160, Traverse City).
Keying Michigan State’s top line, Russell leads the team in points with 19, with six goals. Dorwart leads the team in goals with seven.
The two teams will battle again on Saturday night at Yost Arena in Ann Arbor for what will be the second of four regular-season matchups between the two rivals. Puck drop is expected to be at 6:30pm ET and the game will air on Big Ten Network.
“It will be a great test and obviously the building will be rocking and we’re looking forward to it,” Nightingale said.
