Spartans post impressive win over No. 3 Minnesota

By Michael Caples –

EAST LANSING – Another weekend, another big win over a top ranked team for Michigan State.

The No. 20 Spartans posted a 4-3 win over No. 3/2 Minnesota Friday night at Munn Ice Arena. The win now gives MSU a 3-0 record against Top-5 teams over the last three weeks – a stretch in which they are also 4-1 overall.

“I think everybody brought their ‘A’ game,” said assistant captain Anthony Hayes. “We knew the caliber of team Minnesota was coming in, and we also know the caliber of team that we think of ourselves. So regardless of where they were ranked, we expected a good match, and we knew we were going to do everything in our power to give us the best chance to win, and that’s exactly what we did. I couldn’t be happier with the effort.”

Junior Kevin Walrod led the Spartans offense on the night, posting MSU’s first and third goal. Freshmen Brent Darnell and Matt Berry added the other goals for the Spartans. Senior Drew Palmisano posted 40 saves to earn his third win of the season.

Making the win even more impressive for the underdog home team was the fact that they were playing without captain Torey Krug and second leading scorer Greg Wolfe. The two were suspended for one game from an on-ice altercation at the end of the Spartans’ last game at Northern Michigan.

“Krug and Wolfe are both phenomenal players,” Hayes said. “They’re two guys you never want to have out of your line-up. I don’t really think you can actually replace either one of those guys, but Coach mentioned it before, and with those guys out of the line-up, it gave other guys a chance to step up, and maybe take some responsibilities that they hadn’t had before, everybody who watched the game saw that. We had guys step up and kind of take their game on their shoulders and it really worked out for us.”

The trio of scorers underscored Hayes’ statement of players taking on added responsibilities. Walrod had three goals coming into the night, while Berry had two. Darnell’s goal in the first period for the Spartans was his first collegiate goal.

Florida prospect Nick Bjugstad had two goals for the Golden Gophers, with Seth Helgenson adding one, as well. Goaltender Kent Patterson made 19 saves in his fourth loss of the season.

MSU coach Tom Anastos, who is now 8-4-0 as bench boss in East Lansing, said he was very pleased with his team’s effort Friday night.

“We’re obviously very happy with the result tonight,” Anastos said. “That’s an awfully good team, a very explosive team that has lots of depth, without question so far up until this point of the season the best team we’ve played. I thought our guys competed real hard.

“Really would have liked to see us figure out a way for us to give up less shots in the first and third period, but I thought guys made it difficult to get shots through, and made plays when we had to make plays, and we had some real good individual efforts. Especially Palmy’s effort, with just a ginormous save at the end of the game there to keep the score where it was. So overall, we’re really happy with the effort of the team, and it’s a good way to start the weekend for sure.”

The Spartans took control of the game early, with two goals in the first 12:25 of play. Junior Kevin Walrod opened the scoring on the power play when he skated out of the corner and beat Minnesota goaltender Kent Patterson. Brett Perlini assisted on Walrod’s fourth goal of the season.

Four minutes later, MSU gained possession off a face-off in the Gophers’ end, and it turned into a quick goal. Brent Darnell grabbed the puck within the face-off circle, and took a quick shot on goal. Dean Chelios managed to get a stick on the rebound, causing the puck to return to Darnell, who scored on his second chance. It was Darnell’s first collegiate goal.

Yet strikes from Helgeson and Bjugstad 47 seconds apart evened the score, and silenced the Thanksgiving-weekend crowd at Munn.

The teams played to a scoreless second period.

Early in the third, nearing the conclusion of a Gophers power play, Walrod won a footrace to the puck in the neutral zone, then put a deke on defenseman (and Red Wings prospect) Ben Marshall at the blue line. The move freed Walrod up for a wrist shot, and he beat Patterson to the top-right corner for his second goal of the game. The goal regained the lead for the Spartans, and energized the Munn Ice Arena crowd.

Then, less than two minutes later, Matt Berry grabbed a loose puck in front of the Spartans’ goal, and started the rush up ice. A give-and-go with Brett Perlini gave Berry the puck with space inside the Gophers’ zone. The freshman forward fired a shot on goal, and once again, the Spartans beat Patterson to the top-right corner.

Bjugstad added his second goal of the night at the 13:02 mark, but the Spartans managed to withstand the Gophers’ final push to earn their eighth win of the season.

The two Big Ten schools will meet again tomorrow night.