MSU finishes the regular season 25-7-2 overall and goes 16-6-2 in Big Ten action, while Minnesota concludes at 11-21-3. Michigan State returns to Munn Ice Arena on Saturday, March 14 for the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. The top-seeded Spartans will host the lowest remaining seed.
Michigan State was narrowly out-shot, 35-34, and held a 41-28 advantage on the draw led by senior Charlie Stramel’s 14 wins at the dot. MSU’s special teams went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill which included a critical one in overtime.
Making his third start of the season and facing his first Big Ten opponent, freshman goaltender Melvin Strahl made 32 saves for a .914 save percentage. He stopped 1-of-3 shots in Friday night’s shootout.
Freshman Cayden Lindstrom, junior Tommi Mannisto and senior Daniel Russell scored for the Spartans, with Russell also added MSU’s lone goal in the shootout period. Lindstrom finished the weekend with a pair of goals. Freshman Porter Martone, sophomore Colin Ralph, senior Tiernan Shoudy, junior Shane Vansaghi, junior Griffin Jurecki and Stramel all tallied assists.
How It Happened
Minnesota took an early 1-0 lead with a goal at the 6:11 mark but it was all MSU for the remainder of the first period. Lindstrom opened the scoring for Michigan State with his second goal of the weekend, depositing a bouncing rebound off a shot by Vansaghi 10:40 into the period. Mannisto batted in another rebounded shot for the Spartans in the final moments of the first, sneaking the puck under the Minnesota goaltender’s pad with 33 seconds remaining.
Tommi Mannisto cleans up the rebound to give us a 2-1 lead late in the period! pic.twitter.com/KZwtmbg1FF
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) March 7, 2026
Michigan State added a third goal early in the second period as MSU’s top line went to work. Stramel and Martone connected with Russell who was waiting on the back doorstep to make it 3-1 in favor of the Spartans.
The Golden Gophers weren’t ready to give in just yet however, scoring twice over the remainder of the period to tie the game at 3-3 heading into the second intermission.
Danny Russell waits on the back doorstep and he makes it 3-1 with assists to Martone and Stramel! pic.twitter.com/Ni8VCladkx
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) March 7, 2026
Neither side would give the other an inch in the third period. A late tripping call against the Spartans put Minnesota on a power play with less than three minutes to play in regulation. MSU’s penalty kill unit stood tall however killing their second man advantage of the night in a crucial situation.
Michigan State controlled possession of the puck for a majority of the overtime period, but an interference call against Stramel with 1:17 to play provided Minnesota a 4-on-3 opportunity. Russell looked to have scored the possible winning goal on the same play that Stramel was whistled on, but it was waved off. Strahl and the Spartans killed off the final penalty of the night to force the shootout.
Minnesota won the shootout, 2-1. Russell leveled the shootout at 1-1 for MSU, but freshman Ryker Lee’s potential 2-2 tying shot rang off the post. Stramel was not able to participate in the shootout due to the overtime penalty.
