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Tom Izzo talks Michigan State's 63-54 win over Maryland

MSU Beats Michigan, 3-2, For 3rd Straight Win Over Wolverines

The Spartans take season-series over the Wolverines and maintain first place in the Big Ten Conference standings...

Looking to win the season series against their in-state rivals, No. 9 Michigan State hockey traveled to Detroit on Saturday to take on No. 11 Michigan in the “Duel in the D”. In the final guaranteed matchup between the Spartans and Wolverines, MSU came out on top in a very tight 3-2 game.

Unlike the first game of the weekend series, Michigan State got on the board first when forward Tanner Kelly opened the scoring in the first period just after the eight-minute mark. After fellow MSU forward Tommi Mannisto and a Wolverine defender each turned over the puck on Michigan’s end of the ice, Kelly was there to snap home a quick shot to beat U-M goalie Jake Barczewski and put the Spartans up,1-0.

Michigan struck even on a power play goal early in the second period. After U-M forward T.J. Hughes dumped the puck in MSU’s zone, Michigan’s Gavin Brindley beat Spartan defenseman Matt Basgall to the puck and sent a quick pass towards the slot. U-M forward Dylan Duke was there, and he beat Michigan State goalie Trey Augustine on the glove side to even the score.

Five minutes later, sophomore forward Tiernan Shoudy put the Spartans back on top. After MSU defenseman Nash Nienhuis put a low shot on net, Shoudy was there for a quick rebound goal before Barczewski could find it. Later in the second, Spartan forward Isaac Howard found a wide open Kelly cutting to the net. Kelly made a move on Barczewski, but the Wolverine goalie stayed with him, opening the door for an assist from Kelly to forward Karsen Dorwart who scored on a wide open net to increase Michigan State’s lead to 3-1 in the second frame.

Around the midway mark of the third period, Brindley pulled the Wolverines closer after U-M forward Rutger McGroarty got a loose puck in the corner and threw it to the net. Brindley beat MSU’s Maxim Strbak to the puck behind Augustine for an easy goal for Michigan. In the game’s final minute, Duke had a wide open shot after a rebound caused a scramble, but he was overpowered by the Spartans’ defense swarming to get the puck out of scoring position, keeping a 3-2 score in MSU’s favor.

With the weekend sweep, the Spartans have seated the Wolverines in three consecutive games for the first time since 2009-10. Michigan State also earned a program-best fifth sweep of Big Ten opponents this season, which added to its first 20-win season since 2007-08. The Spartans will have a weekend off before welcoming Ohio State to Munn Ice Arena on Feb. 23-24.

Full highlights from the Michigan-Michigan State game in Detroit can be viewed below:

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