Isaac Howard nets double overtime winner for MSU hockey in Big Ten championship
By Madilynn Warren- The State News
It was déjà vu at Munn Ice Arena, echoing last season’s Big Ten championship thriller.
A late goal from the Buckeyes tied up the game.
And it came down to one last goal. Whichever team scored in double overtime was going to hoist the trophy.
And the hero? Hobey Baker top-10 finalist and Big Ten Player of the Year, Isaac Howard.
In a tense back-and-forth battle that stretched into double overtime, it was Howard who delivered the dagger. The junior forward rifled a shot from the left circle with under five minutes left, sending the puck into the back of the net — and Michigan State University hockey into celebration mode — with sticks, gloves and helmets soaring as MSU clinched a 4-3 victory and made history on home ice.
“I thought we just did a really good job of sticking with it. There was no panic,” head coach Adam Nightingale said. “A lot of times that happens, the wheels can fall off, and just got to believe in what we do and how we need to play to be a good hockey team.”
The Spartans entered the championship riding the momentum of their 1-0 semifinal shutout over Notre Dame — a game in which Howard netted the game-winner from the left circle on a power play, set up by a slick feed through the slot from junior forward Karsen Dorwart. MSU aimed to replicate that same execution.
After defeating the hottest team in the nation, the Penn State Nittany Lions, in a thrilling overtime victory when Gunnarwolfe Fontaine had the clutch breakaway to win it for the Buckeyes and take down Penn State, the 24-12-1 Buckeyes had a large task at hand: to take down the Big Ten regular season champions.
MSU stormed out of the tunnel with intensity to open the first period.
Sophomore defenseman Patrick Geary sparked the early energy with a breakaway chance, racing down the ice with a Buckeye defender in pursuit. But the blueliner couldn’t capitalize, fanning on the puck and missing the rebound opportunity.
Momentum tilted in MSU’s favor soon after, as the Spartans earned four consecutive power plays. Though they came up empty on the first chance, the next two were a different story — with the special teams unit showing its strength.
Both goals came from the same duo that sealed the semifinal win over Notre Dame. Howard slid the puck across the slot to Dorwart, who momentarily lost control but quickly recovered, lifting the puck under the crossbar and into the net.
And it would be the same two on the Spartans second goal of the night. Dorwart was able to win the faceoff draw to the right of OSU’s Logan Terness, cleanly swiping the puck behind him to Howard, who had a one-timer straight to the back of the net, giving the Spartans an early two goal lead.
But the Buckeyes had enough at the end of the first as Joe Dunlap was able to get into the slot, ripping the puck into the back of the net, cutting the OSU deficit to just one heading into the second period of game play.
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MSU’s string of power plays didn’t carry over into the second, as it was Ohio State’s turn with the man advantage. But the Spartans’ penalty kill stood tall, clearing pucks with ease and even generating a couple of shorthanded chances.
Both goaltenders stood tall in the second period, making key breakaway stops and impressive second-chance saves on rebounds. Augustine came up with sprawling, coast-to-coast saves, while Terness held firm against slot shots — an area that’s given him trouble before.
The Buckeyes, who had 13 blocks through two periods, consistently got into passing lanes and laid their bodies on the line. Their stick work disrupted MSU’s neutral zone flow and broke up several scoring chances.
Despite the second being scoreless, there were still plenty of opportunities. And for the Spartans these were off of faceoff wins, which have been a factor in MSU’s scoring the entirety of the season. Faceoffs allowed MSU to get to the net, send shots in from the blueline, and create a continuous flow of offense.
The third period started off with momentum all in the favor of the home team.
Just 42 seconds into the period Howard was able to pass a puck right to senior forward Tanner Kelly, who was positioned perfectly in front of Terness to tap in the puck and help MSU regain its two goal lead.
