Spartans conquer Gophers 3-1 in an emotional contest, honoring a lost friend with heartfelt tributes and a dominant performance.
Through pain, tears, happiness, and sadness, the Spartans were able to pull away with a 3–1 victory over the Minnesota Gophers on Friday night.
It felt like watching the movie Inside Out with the range of emotions I went through during this game.
There were beautiful gestures at multiple moments throughout the night — a patch showing love for a man who may be gone but never forgotten, and a toss that might simply look like a bunch of teddy bears on the ice, but actually symbolizes the humanity and good-hearted people that still roam the earth despite what you might see across the news.
First, the Spartans held a moment of silence for a fallen friend. Dan Sturges sadly and unexpectedly passed away at the young age of 40 last week, leaving the entire Michigan State team, staff, and fan base shocked and in disbelief.
Coming from someone who has endured a lot of death in his life, you never really get used to it — you just become numb to the inevitable end of everything living. Then someone so young and full of joy is taken away, and you’re pulled out of that numbness and forced to feel everything again.
The Spartans honored Sturges with a respectful moment before the game and wore a “DS” patch on their sweaters. This one was for Dan.
With 6,555 in attendance, the Spartans returned home for a showdown against a struggling Minnesota team that entered the series with just eight wins on the season (8–14–1). Michigan State knew two of the top teams in the conference were looming ahead, but they couldn’t afford to look toward the horizon just yet. Business at home had to be handled first.
Coach Nightingale wasn’t about to let the Spartans fall into a trap — heeding the words of General Akbar. With emotion in their hearts and desire in their sticks, the Spartans ambushed the Gophers like the Battle of Agincourt and unleashed an onslaught.
Michigan State dominated the shot battle, firing 43 shots on goal. Minnesota goalie Luca Di Pasquo, ex-Spartan who transferred to Minnesota, did everything he could to stop the barrage, at times looking like a Looney Tunes cartoon character trying to contort his body to make every save. Eventually, three of those 43 shots trickled through — more than enough for the Spartans.
After the game Nightingale said, "Sturges would be proud of Luca."
Between the pipes for Michigan State was Trey Augustine, per usual. Stopping 25 of the 26 shots he faced, the league’s best goalie lowered his goals-against average on Friday and will look to do the same Saturday on Star Wars Night.
Offensively, it was a true team effort from Michigan State, showcasing the depth on this roster. Typically, the Spartans live and breathe through their star players, but Friday night belonged to the “unusual suspects” — with the exception of Ryker Lee.
Lee, who represented Team USA at the World Juniors and scored a massive game-tying goal for the Americans, has found a new level of confidence since the tournament. That confidence has carried over into the second half of the season for MSU.
Lee added his ninth goal of the season, tied for third most on the team, on a 360 rotational back handed shot. But it was the depth that pushed MSU across the finish line. Gavin O’Connell netted his third goal of the season in the second period to give the Spartans a 2–0 lead. Then, to open the third period, Maxim Strbak added his second goal of the year, extending the lead to 3–0.
Minnesota’s LJ Mooney would get the Gophers on the board with a power-play goal late, but that was as close as they’d get.
Michigan State laid it all on the line during one of the most emotional games of these players’ and coaches’ careers. They earned a 3–1 victory, but the job isn’t finished. The Spartans and Gophers will be back at it Saturday at 5 PM EST on Big Ten Network.