Spartans beat Princeton Friday night at Munn
By Alyssa Girardi –
EAST LANSING – A top-to-bottom effort by the MSU hockey team carried it to 4-1 win against Princeton on Friday — a strong confidence boost as the Spartans ready for Big Ten play next weekend.
Goaltender Jake Hildebrand made 31 saves, the defense scored its first goal this season and blocked 16 shots, and nine different forwards recorded a point.
“I just think for our team to try to find an identity to try to build some confidence, tonight’s effort was an important effort,” coach Tom Anastos said. “It was good to get this win that should help build a little bit of confidence and hopefully look toward a second one on Sunday.”
The Tigers will remain in East Lansing for a 1 p.m. puck drop Sunday at Munn Ice Arena.
Freshman Joe Cox (Chelsea) opened scoring at 4:02 when he backhanded the puck past goaltender Colton Phinney’s right glove for his third goal and fifth point this season.
“If you asked me before the game, I would’ve probably told you ‘Well, it’s not all that important (to score early), you gotta get the most goals,” Anastos said. “But I think it was an important one. I think it was important just for our team to build a little bit of confidence, to allow our fans to get into the game a little bit.”
About eight minutes into the second period, Princeton nearly tied it up following a scuffle around Hildebrand’s net, but the play resulted in a charging call on Princeton forward Tucker Brockett. Senior Jake Chelios (Bloomfield Hills) retaliated and was penalized for roughing.
With 2:30 remaining in the middle frame, sophomore Ryan Keller (Farmington Hills) found his first goal of the season. Senior captain Greg Wolfe (Canton) fed the puck across the crease to Keller, who buried it as he fell to the ice.
The play transpired as a result of a big save by Hildebrand at the other end of the ice.
“Hildy was great all night, and I think we rallied off that,” Keller said. “We capitalized on our chances, got shots to the net and just crashed the net and I think that’s what helped us.”
Jake Chelios and sophomores John Draeger and Travis Walsh (Haslett) blocked four shots apiece, and Jake Chelios scored the d-men’s first goal of the season with a slapshot in the third period.
Mackenzie MacEachern rounded out MSU’s scoring on a Spartan five-on-three when a pass from Draeger at the point found MacEachern at the right post and he scored five-hole. The goal is his fifth this season, and ties him with Wolfe for team leader.
Princeton’s Garrett Skrbich broke Hildebrand’s shutout with three minutes remaining.