Photo: Nick King ~ USA TODAY NETWORK
EAST LANSING ~ Michigan State’s Big Ten Tournament run came to a sudden halt Saturday night, as the top‑seeded Spartans fell 3–2 in overtime to No. 5 seed Ohio State at Munn Ice Arena. The Spartans opened the game with energy, firing the first five shots and capitalizing early when sophomore forward Shane Vansaghi buried a feed from junior forward Gavin O’Connell less than five minutes into the game. But despite MSU’s fast start, Ohio State punched back and controlled key stretches, ultimately sending the Spartans into an early postseason exit.
The Buckeyes evened the score midway through the first when junior forward Riley Thompson scored off an MSU turnover. Ohio State then turned a power play into a go‑ahead goal early in the second period, with freshman forward Jake Karabela giving the Buckeyes a 2–1 lead. Although the Spartans entered the postseason as Big Ten regular‑season champions, their inability to generate sustained pressure through the middle portion of the game proved costly.
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(CONTINUED) Michigan State eventually clawed back, finding the equalizer late in regulation to tie the game at 2–2 and momentarily reignite the energy inside Munn. But Ohio State carried confidence into overtime, having troubled MSU all season. The Spartans, usually steady and composed, couldn’t rediscover the rhythm that defined their regular‑season success.
The upset was sealed when Ohio State sophomore forward Felix Caron hammered home the game‑winner. The loss drops the Spartans to 25‑8‑2 and leaves them awaiting their NCAA Tournament fate next Sunday. For a team that dominated much of the season, the night ended with a reminder of the volatility of postseason hockey.
