MSU 5, Air Force 1: Game Recap/Box Score
EAST LANSING – One night after its disappointing season-opening overtime loss, Michigan State bounced back with an impressive performance on Saturday night.
With the power play clicking for three straight goals, penalty killers not giving up a goal, two forwards each scoring two goals and defense and goaltending playing at a high level, the Spartans skated to a 5-1 victory over Air Force, earning a split in their non-conference series.
MSU did a lot of things better than it did in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Falcons, and the announced crowd of 4,918 at Munn Arena had to enjoy seeing the red light flash five times behind the Air Force goal.
"It was much more of a complete game, a complete effort and mentally being on the same page and working in groups of five to win a hockey game,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said. "It's a real good step for us.''
A pair of forwards – fifth-year senior left wing Mitchell Lewandowski and junior transfer Griffith Loughran – each scored two goals in a game that was a lot closer than final score.
Sophomore goalie Pierce Charleson earned his first collegiate victory with a solid 28-save performance. He stopped 12 shots in each of the second and third periods.
Late in the second period, the Spartans seemed to be in control but they led only 2-1 and the Falcons were battling and just one shot away from tying it.
But Lewandowski's power-play goal at 16:22 of the second period gave MSU some breathing room with a two-goal lead at 3-1.
Michigan State played well defensively in the third period and defenseman Dennis Cesana's highlight-reel, between-the-legs goal with 4:30 left pretty much sealed the victory.
Lewandowski, who had an assist on Cesana's goal, scored into an empty net with 1:08 left for his third goal of the season and a 5-1 lead. Last season, in which MSU struggled to score, Lewandowski had only six goals in 27 games.
Loughran, who transferred to MSU after three seasons at Northern Michigan, scored two power-play goals within 1 minute and 48 seconds before the first period was 10 minutes old. He scored from the edge of crease at 8:09 and again at 9:57 to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead.
Air Force cut its deficit to one goal when defenseman Luke Rowe's slap shot from the left point caromed off the right post and into the net at 12:12 of the middle period.
"There were situations, tactically or systematically, on Friday where there were areas that, as a staff, we weren't happy with – the guys' reads,'' Cole said. "There were lots of turnovers that fed (Air Force's) transition. We did a lot of video with the guys this morning, and talked a lot about in the way we need to play the game.
"We did a lot of things well on Friday but we did enough things not too great to kind of keep things closer than they should have been. Tonight, our guys did a much better job with that.''
Michigan State's power play converted three of six chances and had 13 shots on goal during its manpower advantages. Air Force went 0-for-4 with 10 shots on goal.
The last time the Spartans scored three power-play goals was on Jan. 19, 2019, in a 5-3 victory over Minnesota at Munn Arena. Lewandowski, a sophomore in 2018-19, Patrick Khodorenko and Cody Milan each scored on the power play.
Last season, MSU scored only five power-play goals.
Cole was impressed with his power-play units' ability to create scoring chances and keep possession of the puck.
"It was moving the pucks quick, finding lanes and when that creates shooting lanes, it's putting the puck on net,'' he said. "I think (freshman defenseman) David Gucciardi did a good job with that one group. They just kept creating and all of a sudden that group had two goals.
"Then Dennis (Cesana's) power play got out there and it got a little contagious and they zipped it around. We ran a few different options. A couple of low plays and we just missed a high tip. Then we wheel it around and a guy takes a shot, gets in on the net, the puck hits Lewandowski in the chest and he knocks it down and scores an open netter on the backside.''
Gucciardi didn't pick up an assist but he was on the ice and helped set up MSU's first two power play goals. He was the only defenseman on the ice with four forwards – Loughran, Josh Nodler, Eric Middendorf and Jessie Tucker. Four of the five skaters were newcomers – freshmen Gucciardi and Tucker, transfers Loughran and Middendorf – with Nodler, a junior, the only veteran.
"Everybody thinks it's got to be seven passes and a perfect backdoor on a power play,'' Cole said. "Most of the time, the pretty plays are after a shot and a rebound and your skills guys taking advantage of the other team recovering. I like that. They should feel good about it and stick with it.''
UP NEXT: The Spartans play host to Miami in a non-conference series at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Munn Arena. The RedHawks were idle this weekend after splitting a series at Ferris State last weekend. Miami lost the first game, 4-3 in overtime, but won the series finale, 7-4.
STRENGTH IN GOAL: Pierce Charleson was sharp, cool and calm as he earned his first career win as a Spartan in only his fourth start. He played well in his three starts at the end of last season but didn't get a victory.
On Saturday, he was solid while making 28 saves and stopped 10 shots during the Falcons' three power plays, one of which lasted for three minutes because of a major penalty.
"Pierce was outstanding and getting his first win was big,'' Coach Danton Cole said. "The guys really enjoyed that. And he certainly played well enough last year to get a win. He was solid tonight
"It was a pretty good shot that beat him but other than that, he was pretty clean.''
In Friday's series opener, senior Drew DeRidder played very well, making 36 saves in MSU's 3-2 overtime loss to Air Force.
"We got really good goaltending out of Drew and Pierce and that's something we're going to count on,'' Cole said. "I like it better the way we played tonight where we take a lot of pressure off the goalies and play a little more offense.''
Charleson and DeRidder definitely like it better, too.
NEWCOMERS MAKE AN IMPACT: The freshmen and transfers played a big role in MSU's 5-1 victory on Saturday. Junior transfer Griffin Loughran had two goals, junior transfer Erik Middendorf had one assist, his first as a Spartan, sophomore transfer Jeremy Davidson earned one assist Saturday, his second of the season, while freshman Jessie Tucker picked his first career assist.
Freshman defenseman David Gucciardi didn't get his first point but he played a big role in quarterbacking the power play that led to Loughran's two goals.
"Griff's really shifty around the net,'' Coach Danton Cole said. "He's not a big guy but he goes to the hard areas and it was nice to see him rewarded. Nice opening for Griff.''
Loughran, who had an assist in Friday's game, is playing right wing on a line with center Josh Nodler and left wing Middendorf. Nodler assisted on both of Loughran's goals.
"It was exciting. Two big goals and the team kind of rallied behind it and we stuck to our game and got the win,'' Loughran said. "It was nice to be a part of it.
On Loughran's first goal, Nodler's shot from the left wing was stopped by Air Force goalie Alex Schilling, but the puck deflected high into the air. When it came down, Loughran was by the edge of the crease and he fired it past Schilling.
"I didn't know if I should block out the puck and let Nodler have that one or just make sure it went into the net,'' he said. "I'm just glad it went in the net.''
Tucker, who centers MSU's fourth line with Adam Goodsir and freshman Tanner Kelly on the wings. was part of the power-play unit that scored MSU's first two goals, with Tucker assisting on Loughran's first goal.
"Tuck is a good hockey player. He's going to do some good things for us this year,'' Cole said. "He's got a good hockey IQ, got a little swagger to his game and he's a confident young man.
"He can shoot the puck, he can pass. He, Kelly and Goodsir, that's a good line.''
TWO EJECTIONS: Each team had a forward assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct for contact to the head penalties.
Air Force left wing Will Gavin was penalized and ejected at 8:49 of the first period. MSU scored one power play goal during the five-minute major.
Spartans senior left wing Adam Goodsir was ejected at 6:28 of the third period. Initially, officials called him for a cross checking minor penalty behind the Air Force goal
The Falcons challenged the call that the minor should be a major. And after a video review, the officials changed the penalty to a major and a game misconduct.
GOAL OF THE NIGHT: Dennis Cesana says he's never used the shoot-the-puck-between-your-legs move on any of his scoring attempts at any level of his career – until Saturday night.
But Cesana, a right-hand shot, dazzled the fans at Munn Arena with the highlight goal of the night at 15:30 of the third period. He skated in front of the goalie Alex Schilling, from right to left, and put his back stick between his legs and flipped the puck into the net to give the Spartans a 4-1 lead.
"I beat my guy to the net and I really didn't think about it before hand,'' the Spartans' senior defenseman and captain said. "It just kind of happened in the moment. It was pretty cool to have it go in.
"I was kind of bobbling the puck a bit and felt that if I went to my backhand, (Schilling) was going to read it. So, I figured why not try it. I was just aiming to the left (side) of the net.''
His aim was perfect, he had his first goal and MSU's first victory of the season and series split were assured.
For sure, Cesana liked his goal but liked the team win better.
"After last night, we told the guys to take a look in the mirror and (ask) what kind of team do we want to be,'' he said. "A team like last year where we were struggling back and forth, or do we want to be a new team that comes out and takes control and shows them what kind of team we are.
"We came out hard with the right mindset tonight, playing in groups of five and it worked out. We know we have more talent and skill as a whole and it was nice to see that play out, especially on the power play, where we struggled with last year.''
IN THE BIG TEN: Conference teams did a lot better on Saturday than they did on Friday, when they went 2-4. On Saturday, six Big Ten teams won six games and only one tasted defeat.
Minnesota competed a sweep of Mercyhurst with a 5-3 victory, rallying from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to defeat the Lakers. The Gophers won the series opener, 7-4.
Michigan also had to rally to sweep its series with Lake Superior State. The Wolverines fell behind 4-2 and stormed back with five straight goals to top the Lakers, 7-4. U-M won on Friday, 6-1.
Ohio State and Penn State salvaged splits in their non-conference series. The Buckeyes rolled past Bentley, 7-1, after losing 2-1 on Friday. The Nittany Lions bounced back from a 4-1 loss in their series opener against Canisius and topped the Golden Griffins, 4-1, on Saturday.
In a single game, Notre Dame defeated Long Island University, 5-2.
The only Big Ten team to lose Saturday was Wisconsin. Michigan Tech routed the Badgers, 5-1 to sweep their series. The Huskies stunned Wisconsin on Friday, 5-2.
NO. 1 VS. NO. 2, AGAIN: After No. 1/2 Minnesota State won the series opener with No. 2/1 St. Cloud, 1-0, on Friday, St. Cloud rebounded for a series split with a 3-1 victory on Saturday in Mankato, Minnesota.
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Neil's Notebook: 'Complete Game' Leads To Bounceback Win - Michigan State Athletics
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