Following a bye week, the Spartans’ men’s hockey team returned to Munn Ice Arena for the regular season’s final home series against Ohio State. OSU is currently ranked last in the Big Ten with only three conference wins, but after sweeping the Wisconsin Badgers the previous weekend, the Buckeyes maintained their hot streak by defeating the Spartans 6-2.

OSU’s hunger instantly shone through to keep its hot streak going as the team chased the game for the win and continued to place themselves on the map. The Buckeyes won most puck battles and raced to the other side of the ice. Michigan State’s opponents played extremely well, and once the Spartans lost their rhythm in the first period, it was difficult to recover.

“Obviously (Ohio State) was playing with a lot of confidence this weekend, and they had a really good weekend last weekend,” head coachinga Adam Nightle stated. “We scored early, but that didn’t deter them, and they stuck with it. There were instances when we didn’t play the body and they skated right through us, and you have to make it difficult for teams, which I don’t think we did tonight.”

While the Spartans led for the opening 10 minutes of the game, they rapidly lost their momentum after freshman forward Gavin O’Connell scored the first goal. After the first few minutes, things swiftly deteriorated, and the Spartans were subjected to unspoken pressure. O’Connell stated post-game that it was a game in which things quickly went away from them, resulting in a negative ending.

“I think there’s certain things that make us special and I think we got away from that a little bit tonight,” he added. “I believe the entire team was playing selfishly, which is not our style. We play team hockey, and I think we’ve all gotten away from it. I believe that’s what gave them momentum and ultimately the victory tonight.”