EAST LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – Daniel Russell’s goal with four seconds remaining in regulation No. 8/7 Michigan State capped a dramatic third-period rally by scoring the game-winning goal with four seconds remaining in regulation to register a 3-2 win over No. 9/9 Minnesota.

The Spartans, now 17-5-3 and 11-2-2 in Big Ten play, snapped a 16-game winless streak against Minnesota, dating back to the start of the 2020-21 season. MSU is 1-1-1 against the Gophers this season, with the fourth and final game of the regular season on Saturday at 4 pm.

The Spartans entered the third period trailing by a 2-0 score – allowing a goal in the first two minutes of the game and in the final two minutes of the second period. Minnesota got its first-period goal from defenseman Mike Koster, and its second from freshman centerman Oliver Moore to stake their lead behind a 22-13 edge in shots on net.

The third period, however, belonged to MSU. Before the three-minute mark, freshman Griffin Jurecki was rewarded with his first collegiate goal, pouncing on a loose rebound to the left of the goal cage. MSU upped its degree of difficulty by taking back-to-back penalties at 10:46 and 13:03, but the Spartan defense denied the Gophers a shot on net in the first kill, and then scored a shorthanded goal with one second remaining in the kill at 15:02 to knot the game at 2-2. Tommi Männistö used his speed, split two defensemen in the slot, and put a shot on net that was saved by Justen Close, but Karsen Dorwart was there for the rebound to make it a 2-2 game. As the seconds ticked away, MSU kept applying the pressure – the Spartans outshot their guests 17-8 in the final frame – and were rewarded with Russell’s rebound goal for the 3-2 victory.

Trey Augustine made 28 saves for the Spartans, picking up his 15th victory of the year. Close made 27 for Minnesota, including 14 in the final period. Jimmy Snuggerud assisted on both Gopher goals, his eighth and ninth helpers of the season.

Saturday’s rematch airs live on Big Ten Network on Saturday afternoon.

STATISTICS OF NOTE

• MSU snapped its 16-game winless streak against Minnesota with tonight’s win. The Gophers were the only Big Ten team that MSU did not record a victory against in 2022-23, and earned a tie and lost in OT in the November meetings.
• The Spartans improved to 11-2-2 in Big Ten play, matching their season best for Big Ten wins in a season, previously set in 2014-15 and 2019-20.
• MSU’s 17 victories is as many or more than it has had in 10 of the last 11 seasons. MSU had 18 wins a year ago, and last won 19 in 2011-12.
• With three goals, MSU now has 106 on the season – one shy of its 38-game total of 107 last year.
• MSU killed off five penalties (with seven shots against) against a Gopher power play unit that was at a .276 success rate entering the game.
• MSU’s last nine goals – six against Michigan and all three tonight against Minnesota – came in the final 30 minutes of the game.
• Maxim Štrbák assisted on both the first and game-winning goals. He entered the weekend with four assists on the year.
• Griffin Jurecki scored his first collegiate goal in the third period.
• Karsen Dorwart’s game-tying goal was his 10th of the season, matching his freshman-season total.
• Daniel Russell’s game-winner was his eighth of the year, and also matched his freshman-year mark.

First Period: The Gophers jumped on the board less than two minutes into the game, as Luke Middlestadt spotted an all-alone Mike Koster in the left circle, and he one-timed it for his second goal of the season. Minnesota held a 12-10 shot advantage in the period, but the Gophers blocked an additional seven MSU shots.

Second Period: After 36 minutes of scoreless action, the Gophers went up 2-0. Jimmy Snuggerud crossed the blue line and fed his centerman Oliver Moore, and Moore had an open look at Augustine, and the freshman got his fourth of the year to send his team into the locker room with a 2-0 lead. Shots ended up being 10-3 in favor of the Gophers thanks to a late flurry of shots – the shots were 3-1 in favor of the visitors at the midway point. MSU had 12 shot attempts in the period, but just three got to the net.

Third Period: MSU came out with an assertive mindset and had seven shots before the period was six minutes old – one coming from the stick of freshman Griffin Jurecki, which ended up as his first collegiate marker. The play started in the slot as David Gucciardi slid the puck back to Maxim Štrbák at the right point – he put the shot on net, and the rebound off Close’s pads went out to the left side, where a speedy Jurecki pounced on the rebound and put home a goal that cut the Gopher lead in half. Back-to-back penalties against the Spartans gave the dangerous Gopher power play extended time on the man advantage, but MSU limited Minnesota to just two shots on net in those four minutes – and ended the second kill with an impressive rush up the ice by Männistö. The freshman began at his own blue line, streaked into the offensive zone, split the defenders, and put a backhand shot on net saved by Close. Dorwart was there to finish off the play, scoring MSU’s seventh shorthanded goal of the season and tying the game at 2-2. As the seconds ticked down in a tie game, the Spartans put together a final push – on the game-winner, Isaac Howard started the play from the top of the right circle, and Russell tipped it in front. Close made the save, but a persistent Russell put it back through the five-hole to send Munn Arena into a frenzy, scoring the game-winner with four seconds remaining in regulation. MSU outshot their guests 17-8 in the final period, as each team finished with 30 shots on goal.

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