Michigan State Edges UND in Cedar Park Hall of Fame Clash
Thousands of fans turned a field next to the H-E-B Center into a vibrant snapshot of North Dakota hockey culture on Saturday afternoon, riding mechanical bulls and taking photos with longhorns before the puck dropped. But the celebration on Sixth or Rainey streets was cut short when Michigan State forward Cayden Lindstrom buried a rebound with 3:33 left in the third period, breaking a 3-3 tie and sealing a 5-3 victory for the Spartans in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game.
The loss marks the third defeat in a row for the Fighting Hawks, dropping their record to 4-3 after a promising start that included a pair of shutouts against Bentley on October 16 and 17. Grand Forks Herald reporter Brad Elliott Schlossman documented the scene in Cedar Park, Texas, where an overwhelmed ticket staff forced a 10-minute delay to accommodate the massive traveling contingent of UND supporters.
Defensive Vulnerabilities Plague Fighting Hawks Against Big Ten Foes
For the third game in a row, defensive lapses proved fatal for North Dakota. After surrendering back-to-back games against rival Minnesota last weekend, UND leaked another five goals to a Big Ten opponent, stretching their three-game defensive yield to 15 tallies.
Michigan State's late goal sinks UND in U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game https://t.co/rMjZiebz1O
“The fans were unbelievable,” UND coach Dane Jackson told the Grand Forks Herald. “Incredible passion and support down here. This one stings to not be a little bit better for them when they come down here and spend their hard-earned money.”
The match saw UND claw back from deficits twice. Freshman Cooper Simpson tied the game 3-3 on a power-play strike with 3:52 remaining in regulation, netting his first two collegiate goals of the evening. Will Zellers supplied the other tally for North Dakota, tying the contest 2-2 early in the final frame.
Yet, the momentum vanished almost instantly. Lindstrom capitalized just 19 seconds after Simpson’s equalizer, poking a loose puck past UND freshman goaltender Caleb Heil, who finished the night with 28 saves. Michigan State’s leading scorer, Anthony Romani, also struck earlier in the period following a turnover and defensive breakdown.
Spartan Resilience and What Lies Ahead for UND
Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale pushed back against the narrative of having an inexperienced roster despite icing a group adjusting to the collegiate pace.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who are new to college hockey,” Nightingale said. “I’ll never say that we have a young team. I think it’s a crutch for our guys. But I think reality is for them to execute after giving up a lead, then responding, is huge for our group.”
Lindstrom’s game-winner capped a physical evening where he accrued three penalties, yet the Spartans consistently found answers to blunt North Dakota’s offensive surges. The defeat follows a trend of destination success for UND, which had previously won its first four destination matchups in Winnipeg, Omaha outdoors, New York City, and Las Vegas before losing three in a row.
The Fighting Hawks now return home carrying a three-game losing streak into a daunting matchup against No. 6-ranked Western Michigan, a squad sitting at 6-1. For Jackson and his leadership group, the immediate path forward demands rigorous internal correction.
“Got to be sharper in those small details,” Jackson said. “Got to find a way to be a little stronger on our puck touches, a little more competitive in our defensive game. It’s going to take time. Guys got to mature. We’ve got to coach it better. We’ve got to have a harder mentality.”
