Michigan State hockey drops series finale with Buckeyes

After scoring six goals in the series opener against Ohio State on Friday night, the No. 2 Michigan State hockey team struggled to find its offense in Saturday's rematch, falling to the Buckeyes 2-1 to take three points in the Big Ten on the weekend.

MSU was outshot 35-27 and lost the faceoff battle 40-23 as OSU was able to break a 1-1 tie in the third period on a goal by forward Davis Burnside with just under 12 minutes remaining. MSU peppered shots late in the third period to try and find an equalizer, but the Buckeyes held on before a big scrum ensued as the final horn sounded, resulting in both sides being sent to the locker room without handshakes.

MSU's Eric Nilson and OSU's Broten Sabo each received five-minute face-masking majors and game misconducts, while MSU forward Cayden Lindstrom was also assessed a 10-minute misconduct.

After a scoreless first period that saw the Buckeyes outshoot MSU 14 to three, OSU's Nathan Lewis beat MSU goaltender Trey Augustine for the game's first goal just under three minutes into the second period.

The Spartans were the recipient of a turnover in the Buckeyes' zone, and MSU freshman forward Porter Martone made no mistake, firing a shot past OSU goaltender Sam Hillebrandt to tie the game midway through the period. It was the third goal of the weekend for Martone, who rejoined MSU after captaining Team Canada at the World Juniors.

Freshman defenseman Matt Lahey recorded his first career assist on the play in his second official game with the Spartans.

Augustine made 33 saves, while Hillebrandt stopped 26 of MSU's 27 shots.

What's next

MSU will remain on the road for its next series, travelling to Madison to face Wisconsin.

Contact Nathaniel Bott at [email protected] and follow him on X @Nathaniel_Bott

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan State hockey drops series finale with Buckeyes