Michigan State’s season opened the way a ranked team wants it to: fast, sharp, and with enough offense early to take control before Northern Michigan could settle in. The third-ranked Spartans jumped out to three goals in the first 10:27 on Friday night and rolled to a 6-2 win over a Wildcats team that looked noticeably better than the one MSU was expecting.
The biggest early win for the Spartans may have come from sophomore center Cayden Lindstrom. The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect entered the year carrying plenty of attention as the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, and after a back injury slowed him down, this was the kind of opener that hints at more.
Lindstrom skated on the third line to start the game and made it count, burying a first-period goal from the high slot that snapped into the upper-left corner. He finished last season with just three goals in 31 appearances, so getting on the board right away in his second year stood out.
He also looked a step quicker and smoother than he did a year ago.
MSU did have some shaky moments defensively, though, and Northern Michigan found too much space in transition early. The Wildcats generated several breakaway chances in the first period, including the one that led to Branden Piku’s goal. On that play, a blocked shot sent the puck back into the middle of the ice and right between the Spartans’ defensemen, opening the door for NMU.
There was another dangerous rush earlier in the period while Michigan State was on the power play. Freshman defenseman Tommy Bleyl tried to carry the puck coast-to-coast, but the Wildcats stripped it away and he was left behind the play.
That kind of situation is where Michigan State will keep leaning on Joshua Ravensbergen. The Spartans’ goaltender already showed in last week’s exhibition against then-No.
12 Boston College that he can erase breakaways, and he had to be sharp again here. Ravensbergen does tend to play a bit outside the crease on those chances, which can leave him vulnerable if a shooter beats him wide.
With his 6'5" frame, it makes sense - but it’s also a style that comes with some risk.
If there was another major bright spot, it was Anthony Romani. The second-year player kept looking like one of MSU’s most dangerous skaters, following up his two-goal exhibition against BC with another two-goal night in the opener.
He scored the Spartans’ first goal of the season on a breakaway, then added a one-timer from the left circle in the third period. Romani had 14 goals last season, good for fourth on the team, and he now sits just one behind Ryker Lee for the most among returning players for the '26-27 team.
The Vancouver Canucks prospect also made a change this offseason, switching from No. 21 to No. 15, and so far he looks more confident and more dangerous with every shift. One of the big questions for this Michigan State group was who might emerge as the go-to scorer after Porter Martone did that job last year. Right now, Romani looks like the strongest answer.
In Other News...
Michigan State Just Got A Tough Reality Check In Big Ten Play
Michigan State volleyball got a wake-up call in a high-level Big Ten matchup at the Breslin Center, falling to Oregon in four sets. The loss came in a meeting of top-25 teams and nudged the Spartans to 13-2 overall and 3-2 in conference play, while Oregon moved to 13-2 and 4-1 in the league.
Even in defeat, Michigan State had some production it can build on, with Alanna Bankston finishing with 14 kills and Malayah Long handing out 32 assists. But the bigger takeaway is that Big Ten play has already started to sharpen the margins, and the Spartans saw firsthand how quickly a strong start can be tested when a ranked opponent settles in and controls the match. [Read more 🡒]
Spartans Just Grabbed The Kind Of Win That Can Change October
Michigan State picked up the kind of road result that can settle a team into the Big Ten race, edging Maryland 2-1 in conference play at Ludwig Field. The Spartans got the decisive breakthrough from senior forward Andrew Darakdjian, whose goal in the 67th minute gave them the edge in a matchup that mattered plenty for the standings and for the programs confidence away from home.
For a Michigan State side that has been building momentum, the win pushed its conference record to 4-1-0 and brought a long wait to an end. It was the Spartans first victory over Maryland since 2018, a small but meaningful marker in a league where results like this can shape the rest of October. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Opened Its No. 3 Season Looking Every Bit The Part
Michigan State wasted little time making an opening-night statement at Munn Ice Arena, rolling past Northern Michigan 6-2 to start the regular season with the kind of pace and finish that suggests a team intent on living up to its No. 3 billing. Sophomore forward Anthony Romani set the tone with two goals and an assist, while the Spartans also got early production from a power play that converted half of its chances.
Freshman goaltender Joshua Ravensbergern settled in well enough in his first start, turning aside 16 shots as the Spartans controlled the game in front of him. For a team carrying high expectations into the fall, the opener offered the kind of balanced performance Michigan State wants to build on, even if the larger questions about how this group will hold up against tougher opposition are only beginning to take shape. [Read more 🡒]