Michigan
16-3-0, 7-2-0
Michigan State
11-4-0, 4-3-0
Ivankovic, Top-Ranked Michigan Blank Rival No. 3 MSU in Series Opener
12/5/2025 11:03:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Malcolm Spence opened the scoring with a one-timer; his tally was the game-winning goal.
» Jack Ivankovic recorded his third career shutout to clinch three B1G points for the Wolverines.
» U-M held MSU scoreless at Munn Ice Arena for the first time in the rivalry since Jan. 7, 2000.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Freshman goaltender Jack Ivankovic stopped each of the 23 shots he faced on Friday night (Dec. 5) to lead the top-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team to a 3-0 victory over No. 3 Michigan State in the opener of the weekend's home-and-home series inside Munn Ice Arena.
Michigan (16-3-0, 7-2-0 Big Ten) received the first power-play opportunity of the evening just 1:11 into the contest. The Wolverines set up a number of dangerous chances, but failed to record a shot on goal before the advantage expired.
Once play returned to even strength, U-M did not waste time. The nation's leading goal scorer, Will Horcoff, took the puck away from a Spartan near the half wall, spun to find Michael Hage near the top of the zone, and the sophomore forward made one extra pass to the right flank for Malcolm Spence. The freshman wound up and blasted a one-timer that found the back of the net to give Michigan a 1-0 lead at 5:17.
Spence's tally was just the fourth allowed by Michigan State (11-4-0, 4-3-0 Big Ten) in the first period this season.
Michigan State saw a great chance go by the wayside following a second unsuccessful power-play attempt for U-M when Ivankovic stood tall to stone a Spartan skater who was breaking in on net alone after exiting the box, the first of his 23 saves on the night.
MSU embarked on its first power play at 9:17 when senior defenseman Tyler Duke was tagged with a minor penalty for elbowing as he maneuvered to retrieve a puck. The home team threatened but failed to net a game-tying goal before the alternate captain rejoined play.
U-M carried a one-goal lead to the dressing room along with a pair of 8-7 advantages in shots on goal and faceoffs. The teams were a combined 0-for-3 on the power play in the opening 20 minutes.
Michigan thought it doubled its lead just after the game's halfway point when a shot from long range deflected off Hage's upper half and into the net. Despite being called a goal on the ice, MSU successfully challenged the play and the goal was waved off for a high stick.
Shots in the second period were just 7-3 in Michigan's favor through 15 minutes of action. The Wolverines received a third power-play chance with 2:37 left in the second frame after Hage took a stick blade to the facemask in the neutral zone, but only one shot on goal was generated before Michigan State's minor penalty came to an end.
After two periods of fiercely contested rivalry action, U-M maintained a 1-0 lead. The team's edge in shots on goal ballooned to 18-11 through 40 minutes, but MSU had moved ahead 18-17 in the faceoff dot.
Junior forward Jayden Perron had a golden opportunity in the opening minutes of the third period of his first career contest against the Spartans, but his snap shot from close-range was denied by the slick glovework of MSU's netminder.
As the third period's midpoint approached, Michigan began to lean on the Spartans with successive high-pressure shifts in the offensive zone. The Wolverines turned that pressure into a long-awaited insurance goal at 10:09 when Aidan Park skated into a pass in the MSU end before stepping across the slot and quickly releasing a rocket that snapped off the twine to make it 2-0 in Michigan's favor. Senior forwards Kienan Draper and Josh Eernisse picked up the assists on Park's sixth snipe of the season.
MSU sent a skater to the box for holding with 4:05 left when Eernisse drew a penalty. Thirty-five seconds later, Perron threaded a shot through traffic for a power-play goal that extended Michigan's lead to 3-0 off assists from T.J. Hughes and Adam Valentini.
With the Spartan net vacated in favor of an extra attacker, Ivankovic made an attempt at a full-ice goalie goal, but the puck was shot wide of the cage. The Wolverines stood tall until the final whistle to preserve Ivankovic's shutout, the team's first clean sheet in Munn since Jan. 7, 2000.
Michigan's 3-0 win was powered by a 27-23 edge in shots on goal and a deep commitment to team defense. U-M's discipline manifested itself in just a single power-play opportunity for the Spartans, which the penalty killers were able to dismiss.
On Saturday night, the top-ranked Wolverines will finish out the season's first half on home ice at Yost Ice Arena against No. 3-ranked Michigan State. The series finale is scheduled to start at 7 p.m., and a live stream of the rivalry contest will be available on B1G+.
