Schifskys – Zion Tech Group

Ann Arbor — Over the course of a five-year college hockey career, Michigan goaltender Logan Stein has given up his fair share of bad goals and assorted clunkers. Friday night? A back-breaker 2:04 into an emotional rivalry game against Michigan State.

Instead of letting the goal sink him, Stein delivered a 35-save performance to outduel Michigan State’s Trey Augustine, one of the top goaltenders in the sport. The first-ranked Spartans (18-3-2, 9-2-2 Big Ten) dropped a 3-2 overtime loss to No. 10 Michigan after taking two separate leads.

Forward Garrett Schifsky scored the overtime winner a minute into regulation. But Michigan’s real hero was Stein. After capitalizing on the early blunder, Michigan State struggled to beat him despite playing the better of the two rivals.

“Everyone makes mistakes. He’d like that goal back,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato said of his goaltender. “But how he responded was big time.”

Stein’s gaffe came on just the second shot he faced, a sharp-angle shot by Michigan State’s Karsen Dorwart. After the game, the forward didn’t even pretend to have released it with any hope of a goal. But a puck thrown toward the net is one that can go in, and a napping Stein let it past him to give the Spartans the early 1-0 lead on away ice.

The game could’ve quickly turned into a rout, like so many games before in both this rivalry and Stein’s career. Michigan State thrived in the first period, more than doubling Michigan’s shots 15-7 and generating a number of high quality chances. Stein could’ve let any of them in, just like he blundered Dorwart’s shot. But he didn’t, and a one-goal game was well within reach for Michigan (14-8-1, 8-5-0 Big Ten).

“For me, it was just resetting,” Stein said. “And I knew I put in the work all week. I knew I was going to play well. It was just about resetting and refocusing on my efforts to the next shift.”

At the other end of the ice stood Augustine, one of the top players in the sport and fresh off backstopping Team USA to its first ever back-to-back World Junior Championship gold.

“Obviously Trey is the class of college hockey as far as goaltending is concerned,” Stein said. “And it’s awesome for me to be able to test myself going up against him.”

Stein overcame a lot to get this win, including his team’s own play. For the first 40 minutes, the Wolverines looked disjointed, struggling to break past a more organized Michigan State structure in the neutral zone. Attacks stalled at the blue line, let alone at the net. The Spartans played like a contender, while the Wolverines played a step or two behind.

But then, a lapse gave Michigan a break. After defenseman Hunter Hady leveled Michigan State blueliner David Gucciardi with a hit, his defense partner Nicklas Andrews slashed Hady and headed to the penalty box. Seventeen seconds into the advantage, forward Will Horcoff pulled even with a tip-in goal.

“I respect Nicky, because I believe in sticking up for your teammate, too,” Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale said. “But you can also take a number, right? It’s a long series. … We can’t put ourselves in that spot.”

Entering the third period of a tense rivalry, both sides started on equal footing. Michigan took control early, but Michigan State took the lead. A bad line change burned the Wolverines, and Spartans forward Joey Larson scorched Stein with a backhand for the 2-1 lead. With 11:35 to play, Michigan State had control.

“They’re down, right?” Nightingale said. “So they’re gonna push and take some chances, and we probably gotta do a better job bumping them and different things.”

It cost the Spartans. With 5:35 to play, Michigan forward T.J. Hughes batted down a blast from the point and beat Augustine with his own backhand. The goal was one of two shots Augustine faced in the final frame, compared to 16 in the earlier two periods combined.

“I think we did a lot of good things,” Dorwart said. “But at the end of the day you gotta put the nail in the coffin.”

The remaining minutes tested both netminders, with both living up to the pressure to force overtime. Once there, Schifsky decided the goalie duel by sneaking between three Michigan State defenders and ripping a shot past Augustine. As he mimed playing the violin in celebration, he struck the final chords to Stein’s comeback song.

In a thrilling showdown between bitter rivals, the University of Michigan Wolverines emerged victorious over the Michigan State Spartans in a nail-biting overtime finish. The hero of the night? None other than forward Alex Schifsky, whose clutch goal sealed the deal for the Wolverines and ignited a frenzy among fans at Yost Ice Arena.

The game was a back-and-forth battle from start to finish, with both teams trading blows and momentum swings throughout. But when the game reached overtime, it was Schifsky who rose to the occasion, capitalizing on a golden opportunity to secure the win for Michigan.

The victory was a crucial one for the Wolverines, as it not only gave them bragging rights over their rivals but also set the tone for the rest of the series. With tensions running high and emotions running even higher, this win will undoubtedly fuel the fire for the remainder of the matchups between these two powerhouse programs.

As the Wolverines celebrate their hard-fought victory, they know that the road ahead will only get tougher. But with players like Schifsky leading the charge, there’s no doubt that Michigan is ready to take on whatever challenges come their way. Stay tuned for more thrilling hockey action as this rivalry series continues to heat up! #GoBlue #MichiganHockey #RivalryWeek

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Schifsky’s OT winner pushes UM past MSU to open rivalry series