The Michigan State hockey team faced a roadblock on Friday night against their closest rivals, but they are still in the running for their first Big Ten regular season championship since 2001. No. 7 Michigan State was hit in the mouth early in a 7-1 loss to No. 16 Michigan in front of a raucous crowd at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, and they never got back.
Before the Spartans finally scored in the middle of the third quarter, the Wolverines had already gone out to a 3-0 lead in the first and had led by as many as six goals at one point. At last, Michigan State put on a fight in the third quarter when the Spartans’ lone goal of the match sparked a brawl between the opposing sides.
Michigan State’s record after the loss is now 15-5-3 overall and 9-2-2 in Big Ten play. The Spartans are still tied for first place in the conference standings with No. 4 Wisconsin. Michigan has won 15 of the previous 17 games in this series, so MSU will have a mental advantage over their in-state opponents. Tonight at 7 p.m., the second game of this weekend’s doubleheader between the Spartans and Wolverines will take place in Ann Arbor.
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