Michigan defeats Michigan State in back-and-forth physical battle, 3-2

by Zach Goldstein

• Holly Burkhart/Daily. Buy this photo.
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• Holly Burkhart/Daily. Buy this photo.
• Holly Burkhart/Daily. Buy this photo.
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• Holly Burkhart/Daily. Buy this photo.
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Holly Burkhart/Daily. Buy this photo.

With the puck careening around the boards, Michigan State defenseman David Gucciardi was right there, waiting for the puck to arrive. That was until freshman defenseman Hunter Hady blasted Gucciardi in the chest with a thundering hit, sending him right to the ice.

A clean hit square to the chest, Hady’s hit is emblematic of the deep-rooted and bitter rivalry between the No. 10 Michigan hockey team and the No. 1 Spartans — the in-state adversaries simply don’t like each other.

That ingrained rancor was on full display for everyone inside Yost Ice Arena to see Friday night. In a back-and-forth physical battle in the 138th rendition of The Great Lakes State’s biggest rivalry, it took more than 60 minutes for the two foes to battle it out, as the Wolverines (14-8-1 overall, 8-5 Big Ten) defeated Michigan State (18-3-2, 8-2) in overtime, 3-2.

“First time we played them too (this season) and it’s really chippy, which is really fun to be in,” junior forward T.J. Hughes said. “And after everyone’s first shifts you knew it was gonna be a physical game, more physical than normal.”

Despite the expectation of physicality, though, it took some time before the clashes picked up. That’s because the Spartans lit the lamp early.

After Michigan State dumped the puck deep into the offensive zone, Hady couldn’t control it, leading to a battle on the boards. After a successful forecheck, Spartan forward Karsen Dowart ended up with the puck on his stick, and his shot from near the end line went through the five-hole of graduate goaltender Logan Stein.

Though the goal horn stayed silent for the remainder of the period, the rivalry didn’t.

The big hits galore and penalties going both ways proved the bad blood between Michigan and Michigan State was alive and well. Senior defenseman Ethan Edwards went to the locker room to be checked out for an injury, while the Spartans’ medical staff spent time evaluating skaters on the bench — both evidence of the brutal nature of the rivalry. Even the referees weren’t safe from the tenacity, as one fell to the ice after being hit by the puck.

“It’s really physical,” Stein said. “The net front is very chaotic, there’s a lot of bodies. It’s hard to see pucks. The forechecks are both very vicious. Both teams are punishing the other team’s D. So it’s a really tough series.”

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Those ferocious exchanges are exactly what got the Wolverines on the board, and all it took was Hady’s hit. With that aforementioned hit, Hady drew the attention of Michigan State defenseman Nicklas Andrews, who took a penalty as he slashed Hady’s stick out of his hands. 

On the subsequent power play, sophomore forward Evan Werner sent a one-timer missile toward the net. In front of Spartan goaltender Trey Augustine’s net, freshman forward Will Horcoff ever so slightly tipped the puck in.

While trading big hits and shoves, rushes and scoring opportunities, the rivals were tied up at one apiece. But Michigan State answered in the middle of the third period with a goal by forward Joey Larson, who found the back of the net after a crafty pass and a backhand flip of the stick.

Needing a response late, Michigan got one. After junior forward Jackson Hallum’s slap shot was blocked, junior forward T.J. Hughes was right there to corral the puck in front of the net. Utilizing a backhand shot, he flicked the puck right by Augustine.

“Obviously Augustine is a great goalie,” Hughes said. “He’s hard to beat. Hallum kind of popped up for the F-3 high and got it through. (The puck) was just kind of sitting there. So I just tried to elevate it on the backhand, and I was able to do it.”

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Heading into overtime with the stakes already high, the physicality slowed down into a battle of patience. And that was all the Wolverines needed as a pass found sophomore forward Garrett Schifsky right in front of the net, beating Augustine to win.

As Schifsky celebrated with an air violin, it came in a less-physical sequence, one that wasn’t emblematic of the game at large. While Schifsky was swarmed by his teammates and the crowd broke out into cheers, Michigan overcame the bumps and bruises in its first battle against the Spartans this season.