The top-ranked Minnesota men's hockey squad got its initial look at Big Ten shootout hockey Friday night, and the Gophers lost their shootout at Michigan State.
After concluding overtime still deadlocked at 2-all, Michigan State won the three-man shootout, 1-0, with Michael Ferrantino scoring the extra session's only goal. The two Big Ten teams battled to an official 2-2 overtime tie before the Spartans prevailed in the shootout for the bonus league point.
"It's something we have to get better at," Minnesota coach Don Lucia said after the shootout. "Maybe we have to look at some other shooters. ... Because those are important points.
"But we did a lot of good things tonight."
Minnesota appeared to be in control early in the third period, when Justin Kloos hammered home a goal that appeared to deflect off Michigan State's Jake Chelios and into the net. That handed the visiting Gophers a 2-1 advantage.
"It was just kind of a good bounce," said Kloos, a freshman from Lakeville South. "Somehow it found its way to the back of the net."
Alas, the Spartans knotted things at 2-all roughly five minutes later, when freshman Villiam Haag knocked home a goal from in front of the net.
That set up the game's extra sessions. Minnesota had held a 46-33 edge in shots on goal. Jake Hildebrand proved pivotal for the Spartans, as he recorded 44 saves in goal.
