Frozen Four bound again — Michigan hockey beats MSU, 5-2, in the one that mattered
Michigan entered an NCAA quarterfinal against Michigan State having gone 1-4 against the Spartans after losing a controversial Big Ten title game in East Lansing game. The Wolverines got the last laugh, though, hammering the Spartans with four, third-period goals for a 5-2 victory that will send them to the Frozen Four once again.
Michigan will play Boston College, the overall No. 1 seed and a 5-4 overtime winner over Quinnipiac, Thurs. April 11. Boston U. will play Denver in the other semifinal.
Michigan fell behind 1-0 in the first period despite outshooting the Spartans 13-11. MSU’s Gavin O’Connell, in front of U-M goaltender Jake Barczewski, tipped in a shot from the point right around the shoulders — officials upheld the goal after checking for a high stick, and the Spartans took that lead into the period.
U-M, though, responded in the second. Ethan Edwards took a pass from Dylan Duke and buried it with 14:19 remaining in the period to tie it at 1. Both teams had 11 shots in the period, but neither would score again in the stanza.
Top 10
- 1
JuJu to Colorado
Elite QB recruit Julian Lewis commits to Coach Prime
- 2New
Sankey fires scheduling shot
SEC commish fuels CFP fire
- 3Trending
Travis Hunter
Colorado star 'definitely' in 2025 draft
- 4Hot
Strength of Schedule
Ranking SOS of CFP Top 25
- 5
Marcus Freeman
ND coach addresses NFL rumors
The floodgates opened in the third. The Wolverines took their first lead on a goal from Warren Marshall. The Spartans tied it on the power play with 9:34 left, but U-M responded quickly. Dylan Duke’s first of two goals, a beautiful rush and finish from the right side made it 3-2 … only 12 seconds later, Frank Nazar set up Gavin Brindley with an incredible pass on a 2-on-1 break. Brindley buried it for his 25th goal of the year, and Michigan was smelling victory.
Duke all but iced it on the power play with 2:19 remaining. The Spartans were applying pressure with an empty net before taking a slashing minor. Duke tipped in a shot from Brindley to make it a 3-goal game, and the Wolverines ran out the clock to advance to their third consecutive Frozen Four.
