MSU's Matt Basgall moves the puck against Boston College, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing. MSU won 4-3. Matthew Dae Smith/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How MSU Hockey Fared in Season Opener Against Elite Competition

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Michael France | Last updated Oct 13, 2024 12:00 PM ET

Michigan State Spartans men's hockey is resurgent under head coach Adam Nightingale. Coming out of the abysmal Danton Cole era, which held much promise in the beginning because of Cole's ties to the National Training Development team in Ann Arbor, ended in five seasons and a 58-101-12 record.

Nightingale has been nothing short of stellar at the helm of the program, of which the former Spartan has led the program to heights never reached and never imagined possible.

Last season, the Spartans won their first ever outright Big Ten conference title, and then in an overtime thriller against a dominant Michigan squad (typical, as the program has a pipeline feeding directly from the NTDP -- the best the country has to offer). An NCAA tournament berth.

The No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft, defenseman Artyom Levshunov.

The 2024 season would hold more promise with a strong recruiting cycle and the No. 4 rank in the preseason polls. The Spartans were tested early with a two-game season opener against national championship favorite and No. 2-ranked Boston College.

On Friday, the Spartans dropped the first game in a 3-0.

"The Spartans were not outmatched; they were outplayed," The State News wrote. "MSU revealed neutral zone struggles early, unable to connect passes, which plagued its scoring opportunities and created turnovers to give the Eagles passage to the net. After breaking through, the Eagles remained the aggressors throughout the contest, intercepting passes and winning forecheck battles by a significant margin. The Spartan hockey MSU fans have grown accustomed to under head coach Adam Nightingale was absent, as the Spartans repeatedly made plays that created offensive struggles."

Nightingale had a blunt response to the loss.

"It looked like we wanted to be cutesy and that’s not our game," Nightingale said. "We are a blue collar hockey team and if we try to play white collar, we’re not that good of a hockey team."

On Saturday, the Spartans rebounded with a 4-3 statement win, splitting the series. Nightingale remarked that the team played more to it's identity, a blue-collar effort in the win.

"I think our guys did a lot better job of going out and being us and playing how we need to play," Nightingale said.

This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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