No. 4 Michigan State left South Bend without a win from its Big Ten-opening series, falling 3-2 in overtime on Thursday and 1-1 in a shootout on Friday at Compton Family Ice Arena. Both games went past 60 minutes, and the Spartans picked up a point in the conference standings each night. They are 6-3-1 overall and 0-1-1 in Big Ten play, while Notre Dame improved to 5-6-1.
The weekend in brief
Thursday belonged to Shane Vansaghi, who scored both Michigan State goals to match his career high before Sammy Nelson ended it 21 seconds into 3-on-3 overtime. Friday was a goaltending duel: Joshua Ravensbergen and Patrick Quinlan each made 34 saves, and the only regulation goals came 35 seconds apart late in the third, Evan Werner for Notre Dame and Tommi Männistö for the Spartans. Nelson then scored the lone goal of the shootout.
Ravensbergen faced 68 shots across the two nights and stopped 64 of them. The Spartans outshot the Irish 70-68 for the series but were held to three goals and did not score on the power play in either game.
What changed
Michigan State won the faceoff battle Thursday, taking 29 of 55, but lost it badly Friday, winning just 34 of 83. Thursday’s offense came from one line, with Eric Nilson and Jack Hextall assisting on both Vansaghi goals; on Friday, Ryker Lee led the team with seven shots without scoring, and the Spartans went scoreless on three shootout attempts.
What’s next
Michigan State faces No. 2 Michigan in a home-and-home next weekend, at Yost Ice Arena on Friday, Nov. 20, and in East Lansing on Saturday, Nov. 21.
Read the game recaps: Michigan State at Notre Dame (Nov. 12) and Michigan State at Notre Dame (Nov. 13).
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