CHICAGO – After overcoming a two-goal deficit and then tying the game with 48 seconds left in regulation, the Wisconsin men's hockey team fell, 4-3, in overtime to the No. 1 Michigan State Spartans on Saturday night at Wrigley Field as part of the Frozen Confines: Big Ten Hockey Series.
Michigan State (17-2-1, 8-1-1 Big Ten - 24 points) opened the scoring 15:36 into the first period before adding another goal 4:29 into the second to take a 2-0 lead. Wisconsin (9-12-1, 5-9-0 Big Ten - 20 points) battled back, with Gavin Morrissey and Quinn Finley each scoring in the final 10 minutes of the period to tie the game heading into the third. MSU lit the lamp 7:32 into the final regulation frame to take a 3-2 lead, but with 48.7 seconds left, Ryland Mosley found the back of the net to send the game into overtime. With 1.2 seconds remaining in the five-minute overtime period, the Spartans scored to claim a 4-3 win and an extra conference point.
How it Happened
Michigan State got on the board first with 4:24 left in the first period on a shot from Vladislav Lukashevich.
Wisconsin ended the first period and began the second with a power play, but was unable to convert on any scoring chances to even the game.
MSU doubled its lead 4:29 into the second period after Daniel Russell beat UW senior goaltender Tommy Scarfone.
Freshman forward Morrissey got Wisconsin on the board 10:17 into the second. Graduate student defenseman Anthony Kehrer passed from the right side of the goal around the back of the net to Morrissey, who took a hard shot from his knee to put home his seventh goal of the season.
Sophomore forward Finley tied the game at two with 5:25 left in the second. Junior defenseman
Ben Dexheimer passed across the blue line to his right to meet sophomore defenseman
Joe Palodichuk. Palodichuk took a shot, which went wide and ricocheted off the boards to Finley, who shot the loose puck past MSU goaltender Luca Di Pasquo to record his nation-leading 16th goal of the year.
MSU re-took its lead 7:32 into the third period on a shot from Isaac Howard.
With 48.7 seconds left in regulation, graduate student forward Mosley tied the game at three to force overtime. Dexheimer passed from the left side of the blue line to Finley near the top of the right circle. Finley then made a cross-ice pass to Mosley in front of the net who tipped it into the goal to give the Badgers a conference point.
The Spartans' Daniel Russell tallied the game-winning goal in overtime with 1.4 seconds left to give MSU a win with a final score of 4-3.
Wisconsin went 0-for-1 on the power play and took no penalties. UW finished the contest with a 38-34 deficit in shots on goal.
Notes to know:
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Quinn Finley has sole ownership of the NCAA scoring lead with 27 points. He also leads the country with 16 goals
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Gavin Morrissey (7g, 17a) is the nation's leading scorer among freshmen with 24 points. He is tied for eighth among all skaters
Straight from the rink
Head Coach Mike Hastings
On the team's effort tonight
"The idea of coming to an event like this was to have an opportunity to compete against another team in our league and find a way to get it back to even from what we lost on Thursday. Not quite enough, but we didn't go away. I thought our start wasn't great but the guys stuck with it and I'm proud of the way we continued to compete all the way to the end. But, [MSU] found a way to make a play and win the hockey game."
On the Frozen Confines
"From our entire team and our university, what a great event. Say thank you to the Cubs and Big Ten.
"It is really special, and so I know this one hurts – all losses do – but we can learn from them, we will. But, we learned some good things too."
Graduate student forward Ryland Mosley
On Finley's pass to set up the game-tying goal
"He made a great pass. We made eye contact and he threw it through feet, sticks, everything and it was right on my tape. It was special."
Sophomore forward Quinn Finley
On his experience at the Frozen Confines
"The fireworks, anthem and overall experience was really cool."
Up Next: The Badgers have a week off before playing their final non-conference series of the year when Long Island University visits on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 17-18. Friday's game starts at 7 p.m. and Saturday's begins at 6 p.m. Both games stream on B1G+. Audio play-by-play can be found on 1310 WIBA or on the Badgers app and the Varsity Network app. You can also follow along on X/Twitter and Instagram at @BadgerMHockey.
