Michigan State Hockey Escapes With Critical Victory at Wisconsin
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Michigan State hockey needed this one.
The fourth-ranked Spartans held on late for a huge win on the road at No. 2 Wisconsin, 4-3, surviving a strong third period of the Badgers and a late push to tie the game. MSU picks up three critical Big Ten points with the victory in regulation, bringing it up to third in the conference standings and just one point behind Wisconsin for second.
Senior forward Charlie Stramel had another big performance, scoring Michigan State's fourth goal that ended up being the game-winner and assisting on the Spartans' third. Stramel has scored seven goals and three assists for 10 points across MSU's last five games. Adding to the meaning of his performance is that Stramel transferred to the Spartans after spending two seasons with the Badgers.
Michigan State and Wisconsin will see each other again on Friday. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. ET on B1G+. Another regulation victory would put the Spartans above the Badgers in the conference standings, and an overtime or shootout win would tie the two teams.
More on Thursday's Game
This heavyweight clash started out slow enough. Early momentum seemed to favor MSU, then it started to go Wisconsin's way, and so on. It was the Spartans who reached one first, though, as Ryker Lee picked up his eighth goal of the season by deflecting in a shot from Colin Ralph that appeared to be saved by Badgers goalie Daniel Hauser. Ralph's shot went off Hauser's blocker, but Lee was closing in for any sort of rebound, and it went off his chest and in.
Pace in the second period was definitely frenetic. Wisconsin tied the game at one apiece a little less than three minutes into the middle portion of the game, but then MSU regained the lead 67 seconds later. This goal went to Gavin O'Connell, who converted after finding some space near the crease, also getting some help on a centering pass from Cayden Lindstrom.
The Spartans then added goals three and four later on in the period.
Daniel Russell made it 3-1 about 13 minutes in on a crazy play where he needed some tremendous stick-handling to get a shot off. The initial attempt went off the post, but it nestled right in front of the goal line, and Russell was in position to finish it off. Stramel followed it up a few minutes later, sprinting across the blue line, splitting the two defensemen, and then beating Hauser at the net.
Wisconsin didn't go down quietly, despite the three-goal deficit. The Badgers responded to Stramel's goal a little more than a minute later to draw within two before the third.
They continued that momentum and really outplayed Michigan State that entire period. UW used a golden three-on-one chance to make it a one-goal game with more than 13 minutes to go. MSU was able to hold on, but it nearly didn't. One Wisconsin shot hit the post during the final minute of the game, but that was that.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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