Michigan State Dominates Northern Michigan in 5-1 Win

Another game, another dominant victory for Michigan State hockey. Although the Spartans needed until late in the second period to take control, they eventually pulled away from Northern Michigan for a convincing 5-1 win Sunday afternoon.

The victory improved Michigan State to 2-0 on the season, with contributions coming from throughout the lineup and another strong performance on special teams.

The Spartans got things started in the first period when senior transfer Jimmy Clark scored his first goal in a Michigan State uniform.

After recording 14 goals across his previous three seasons at the University of Minnesota, Clark wasted little time making his mark in East Lansing. He and Brady Peddle executed a beautiful give-and-go, with Clark feeding Peddle in front of the net before immediately receiving the puck back. Clark then slipped it underneath the outstretched arm of the Northern Michigan goaltender to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead.

However, the Wildcats responded early in the second period. Michael Burchill beat Michigan State backup goaltender Quentin Sigurdson with a wicked shot to tie the game at 1-1 less than two minutes into the frame.

Sigurdson got the start as head coach Adam Nightingale continued his early-season approach of giving his backup goaltender an opportunity to see the ice.

The second period has been a troublesome stretch for Michigan State in recent seasons, and Sunday initially appeared to be more of the same.

Northern Michigan applied heavier pressure, testing the Spartans' defensive unit and its inexperience on the back end. Although Michigan State continued to generate shots, the Wildcats were creating dangerous scoring opportunities and putting the Spartans under pressure.

Michigan State eventually found its opening. After killing off its second penalty of the game, Ryker Lee exited the penalty box and received a pass that sent him on a breakaway. Lee attempted a toe drag but couldn't get a clean shot away. However, the sequence helped lead to a Northern Michigan penalty, giving the Spartans their first power-play opportunity.

Freshman Ethan Belchetz made the Wildcats pay.

The 17th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft recorded his first goal of the season when Jack Hextall, the 30th overall pick, fired a one-timer from the blue line. The puck appeared to change direction before reaching Belchetz, who was positioned to the right of the goaltender. Whether intentional or not, the deflection was perfectly placed, and the two first-round picks teamed up to put Michigan State ahead 2-1.

The Spartans weren't finished. Just a couple of minutes later, Hextall battled for possession and got the puck to Clark. Clark delivered a beautiful backhand pass across the crease to Lee, who buried his first goal of the season to double the lead to 3-1.

Just like that, the second-period struggles that threatened to resurface had seemingly disappeared.

Michigan State continued to capitalize on special teams in the third period.

While killing a penalty, Anthony Romani used his speed to exploit the Wildcats' defense, beating the entire unit to a loose puck in the Northern Michigan zone. After collecting it, Romani maneuvered around the goaltender and knocked the puck into the net for a shorthanded goal, extending the Spartans' advantage to 4-1.

The teams traded chances through much of the third period before Michigan State struck again on the power play. Hextall scored his second goal of the young season, putting the finishing touches on the 5-1 victory.

The Spartans finished 2-for-3 on the power play and improved to 6-for-12 on the season. A 50% conversion rate is unlikely to last, but Michigan State's early success with the man advantage has been an encouraging sign.

Michigan State outshot Northern Michigan 33-30, while the teams split the faceoff battle at 32 apiece.

Sigurdson was solid in his season debut, stopping 29 of the Wildcats' 30 shots to help the Spartans secure their second consecutive victory.

Michigan State will look to keep its momentum going next weekend when it hosts RIT on Saturday night.