:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/4266521/gyi0062782329.0.jpg)
Three of Michigan's major hockey programs were in action on Saturday night. The Michigan Wolverines managed to split their weekend series with the Ferris State Bulldogs, thanks to a shootout victory on Sunday night. The Michigan State Spartans' offense continues to struggle as the team drops it's third straight in a sweep by Ohio State.
The Michigan Wolverines looked to have had their game against in-state rivals Ferris State locked up by the end of the first period. Ferris State's Jason Binkely scored his first goal of the season just 42 seconds into the first period. It took the Wolverines about five minutes to even the score on A.J. Treais' 10th goal. Michigan Cristoval Nieves and Lindsay Sparks proceeded to score two more goals, 29 seconds apart, putting Big Blue up 3-1 at the close of the first.
Ferris State took the next two periods to claw its way back into the game. In the second, the Bulldogs out-shot Michigan 15-8 and scored one goal by Kyle Bonis, his seventh, brining FSU within one. At 6:27 in the third, it would be Bonis again, hitting the back of the net for the game tying goal. Niether team scored the go-ahead goal to close out the third and in overtime, taking the game to a shootout. Despite giving up three straight goals in regulation, Michigan hit 3 of 4 shoot out attempts and won the game.
Michigan State's woes continued on Saturday night against Ohio State. The 4-8-2 Spartans kept pace with the Buckeyes in the first period, shooting 10 times to OSU's 11. At 9:20 in the first, Michigan State's Chris Forfar scored his first goal of the season on assists by John Draeger and goaltender Jake Hildebrand. That is where the positives on the night stopped for MSU.
In the second, Tanner Fritz scored his third goal of the year for Ohio State. The Spartans didn't answer and allowed another Buckeye goal with just over a minute left in the period. Tyler Lundley's goal put Ohio State ahead 2-1 going into the locker room for intermission.
Despite being given three power play opportunities in the third period, the Spartans only managed four shots on goal and couldn't find the back of the net on any of them. In a last ditch effort to tie the score, Michigan State pulled goaltender Hildebrand for the extra attacker. Ohio State managed to get the puck away from the six Spartans on the ice, and Lundley hit the open net, for his second goal of the game. Ohio State wins it, 3-1.