Badgers split series with 5-2 win over Michigan State
The No. 18 Wisconsin men's hockey team defeated Michigan State 5-2 to earn a series split on Saturday at the Kohl Center.
Leading 2-1, Wisconsin scored a pair of goals in the opening 2:18 of the third period to put the game out of reach and put an end to a five-game winless streak.
The Badgers took a 1-0 lead at the 8:37 mark of the opening period as Sean Dhooghe deflected a shot from Wyatt Kalynuk.
Michigan State tied the game in the second off Mitchell Lewandowski's first goal of the night at 11:24.
Later in the middle period, Wisconsin’s Trent Frederic scored shorthanded on a breakaway to give the Badgers a 2-1 lead at 3:06.
Wisconsin mounted a 4-1 advantage early in the third as Ryan Wagner and JD Greenway each collected a goal.
The Spartans were able to cut the deficit to 4-2 with a power-play goal but weren’t able to get any closer as Wisconsin's Seamus Malone got an empty-netter with 1:14 to play.
John Lethemon finished with 21 saves for the Spartans, while Wisconsin’s Kyle Hayton had 16.
