Jeremy Davidson scores game-winning goal to lead Michigan State past Western Michigan, 5-4, in OT

Western Michigan gave No. 1 seed Michigan State all it could handle in the NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal, but the Spartans used a few key plays, including a game-winning Jeremy Davidson goal in overtime, to beat the Broncos, 5-4, at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Mo., on Friday.

“I saw them changing,” said Davidson, a senior from Kalamazoo. “Nash (Neinhuis) made a nice play, got it up to me. Got it up to the blue line. I had some time and space and ripped it on net and it went in, thank God.”

The game-winning play began when Michigan State captain Nash Nienhuis banked a stretch pass to Davidson, who received the puck at the Western Michigan blue line. Davidson carried it in, three-on-three. Davidson flipped it from the rim of the right circle toward the goal. Western Michigan defenseman Daniel Hisendager got his stick on the puck, but inadvertently redirected it past Broncos goaltender Cameron Rowe.

Michigan State held a territorial advantage throughout overtime, and was buzzing into the Western Michigan zone with regularity, thanks in part to five face off wins out of seven in the extra session. Michigan State outshot Western Michigan 4-0 in overtime.

The overtime game-winner completed an Michigan State comeback from a 4-2 third period deficit. Davidson said the message during the comeback was consistent.

“The entire game it was the same message,” Davidson said. “It was just stick with it, get pucks in, get on their D, get it low to high, get pucks on the net. They’re a really good defensive team. (Artyom) Levshunov made that unbelievable play with a minute left and sent us to OT, and we stuck with it and found one there.”

Tom Izzo pounds on the glass after Jeremy Davidson’s game-winning goal, Friday.

WHAT IT MEANS

Michigan State, the No. 1 seed in the Maryland Heights region, will move on to play the winner of No. 2 North Dakota and No. 3 Michigan. That game will start at 8:30 p.m. at the Centene Community Ice Center.

One week after clinching their first-ever Big Ten tournament championship, the Spartans earned their first NCAA Tournament win since 2008.

DORWART TIES IT LATE

Michigan State, down 4-3, upped its intensity late in the third period. The Spartans got several good looks late in the period, namely on a Daniel Russell shot in front of the net shortly after Michigan State pulled Trey Augustine with just over 1:30 to play.

Michigan State eventually tied the game with :55 left in regulation when sophomore center Karsen Dorwart banged home a feed from Artyom Levshunov, sending the game into overtime.

Levshunov sped through the neutral zone and around Western Michigan defenseman Carter Berger to make the play and open the goal crease for Dorwart. Seconds earlier, Michigan State senior Nicolas Müller won a battle in the corner. Müller slid it ahead to Isaac Howard, who sent a backhand feed to Levshunov, springing Michigan State out of its zone with a chance for Levshunov to use his size and excellent speed to set up the game-tying goal.

TURNING POINT

With its hopes drawing dim, Michigan State cut the lead to 4-3 with 11:45 left when Neinhuis scored on a wrist shot from the left circle. Sophomore center Tiernan Shoudy controlled the puck behind the net and sent the puck in front for freshman winger Tommi Männistö, but the puck traveled higher out toward the blue line, where Neinhuis claimed it and fired it past Rowe, practically guaranteeing an emotional end to this game.

HIGH-SCORING SECOND PERIOD

Michigan State entered the second period down 1-0, but it took just four shots for the Spartans to find the back of the net for the first time, 5:05 into the period. Matt Basgall fired a pass up the ice to a streaking Daniel Russell, who beat Rowe to score a breakaway goal that tied the game at one.

Five minutes later, Michigan State earned its first lead of the game on a David Gucciardi one-timer from the point with 9:35 to play in the second period. The shot came off a face-off win by Dorwart, which was passed back to Isaac Howard, who found Gucciardi for the goal.

Western Michigan continued to attack Michigan State with physicality, however. The Broncos’ aggression plagued the Spartans for much of the period, leading to turnovers and scoring chances for Pat Ferschweiler’s club.

Three minutes into the period, the Broncos’ heavy play in the Michigan State zone led to a scoring chance for Wyatt Schingoethe near the net, but Augustine stopped the shot with one of his more impressive saves of the night, a post-to-post deflection off his left pad.

Not long after Michigan State took the lead, Western Michigan converted one of its many shot attempts to tie the game. The goal came :15 seconds into a Western Michigan power play – the first of the game for either side – with just over seven minutes to play in the period.

Alex Bump received a pass in the slot from Luke Grainger and lightly spun the puck back toward the goal. The puck deflected off a Michigan State defender and into the back of the net.

Western Michigan proceeded to score two more goals over the next three minutes to take a 4-2 lead into the second intermission, one by Sam Colangelo and one by Zak Galambos. The Spartans’ best chance to score before the end of the period came off a breakaway in which Howard passed the puck up to Dorwart for a shot, but Dorwart couldn’t convert.

MICHIGAN STATE STRONG TO START, BUT WMU SCORES FIRST

Michigan State came out strong, overwhelming Western Michigan on the offensive end. That resulted in a 10-3 shot advantage for the Spartans through the first six minutes of the first period.

Joey Larson, Gavin O’Connell and Red Savage each had good looks with just over 15 minutes to play in the period – which helped Michigan State to an early 5-0 shot advantage – but none could find the back of the net. 

Michigan State’s best scoring chance in the period came on a Karsen Dorwart one-timer off a pass from Isaac Howard with 12:46 to play, but Dorwart’s shot rifled right into Rowe’s chest for a save.

The Broncos responded by controlling the pace for the remainder of the period. Western Michigan out-toughed Michigan State for long stretches of the first, which resulted in numerous scoring chances. One scoring chance – Matteo Costantini’s goal – converted midway through the period. The period ended with a 12-12 tie in shots between the two teams.

Jim Comparoni contributed to this report.

Michigan State senior Jeremy Davidson is swarmed by teammates Maxim Štrbàk and Nico Müller after Davidson’s game-winning goalie in the NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal victory over Western Michigan, Friday at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Mo.

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