Michigan State freshman defenseman Patrick Geary's shot from the left
point hit the back of the net at 13:47 in overtime to capture a 5-4 Spartan
victory over in-state rival Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament final March 23.
Geary whipped off his helmet, threw his hands in the air and celebrated with
a crowd of teammates near the glass at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing.
The Spartans were elated with their fourth straight win over Michi-
gan, this one to claim another championship after taking home the Big
Ten regular-season title, too.
Michigan, understandably, was crushed. The Wolverines stood —
stunned — and watched the Spartans celebrate, before slowly trickling
off the ice and back into the locker room.
Eight days later, the two teams met again in the NCAA regional final
played in Maryland Heights, Mo. This time, Michigan played perhaps
its most complete game of the season in a 5-2 win over the Spartans,
scoring the game's final three goals after the two teams were tied 2-2
and adding a Maize and Blue punctuation mark to the rivalry.
THE BIG PICTURE
❱ U-M ENACTS REVENGE ON MICHIGAN STATE,
CAPTURES FROZEN FOUR BID
6 THE WOLVERINE
❱
MAY 2024
