Michigan State hockey: 3 stars from impressive sweep of Wisconsin

Saturday marked a busy day for the Spartans: men’s basketball took an 83-59 win over Eastern Michigan and Ohio State destroyed MSU’s football team 56-7. Who else? Michigan State hockey took on Wisconsin at Munn Ice Arena.

Following Friday’s 3-2 win against Wisconsin, the Spartans looked to add to their momentum in Saturday night’s game. It seemed to be going their way until a goal by Chris Krygier was waved off due to goaltender interference. Less than a minute later, Wisconsin tied the game at 2-2.

That didn’t last. The Spartans entered the third period with a different idea.

Michigan State hockey has certainly exceeded expectations

After No. 14 Notre Dame defeated No. 1 Michigan today, that opens the door up for more teams to slip through the door. The Spartans’ 5-2 win against Wisconsin brings them up to 3-3 in conference play and 8-5-1 overall. Meanwhile, the Badgers have moved into a five-game losing streak.

In Friday’s game, junior forward Erik Middendorf scored a pair of goals, while senior goaltender Drew DeRidder made 40 stops in net. Following his impressive performance last night, DeRidder played well in Saturday’s game as well.

The Badgers dominated Saturday night on the stat sheet, outscoring Michigan State a whopping 50-30. Where the two teams separated is on special teams. The Spartans were 2-for-3 on the power play with a pair of goals from Dennis Cesana and Jeremy Davidson.

Here are our three stars of the series

DeRidder’s stats: 38/40 saves, 2 GA; 48/50 saves, 2 GA

Following his impressive performance Friday night, DeRidder was insane Saturday night. It’s not often that a goalie makes 48 saves. The one power play goal he gave up was impossible to stop, as Michigan State’s defense broke down.

Davidson’s stats: 2 total goals, 1 total assist

Thanks to sophomore forward Jeremy Davidson’s two goals Saturday night, the Spartans toppled and swept Wisconsin 5-2. He also assisted Michigan State’s first goal from senior forward Mitchell Lewandowski.

Middendorf’s stats: 2 total goals, 0 assists

On Friday, junior forward Erik Middendorf had two goals. He was certainly the top star of the night if DeRidder wasn’t.

After the Thanksgiving break next weekend, the Spartans will head to Penn State to play the Nittany Lions who are currently last in the Big Ten. After Penn State, Michigan State heads to Notre Dame for a two-game Big Ten showdown prior to the Great Lakes Invitational at Munn Ice Arena.