Connor Crawford and the Oakland Golden Grizzlies took care of business in East Lansing today, defeating the Michigan State Spartans 7-4 in an exciting matchup. The Golden Grizzlies came out strong and controlled much of the game, despite a late push from Michigan State. Oakland wasted no time establishing their presence on the ice, jumping out to a 2-0 lead late in the first period. Crawford, who was central to the team’s success, played a key role in getting his team on the board.
Brandon Danou, the team’s leading scorer, also added a goal to put the Golden Grizzlies firmly in control early on. As the second period began, Oakland continued to apply pressure, with Jack Abbo scoring a goal to extend the lead to 3-0, leaving the Spartans with an uphill battle. However, Michigan State wasn’t about to roll over. They responded with a flurry of offense, scoring three unanswered goals to tie the game. Two of those goals came on the power play, highlighting the Spartans’ ability to capitalize on their opportunities with the man advantage.
Jack Ceccacci was instrumental in Michigan State’s comeback, scoring two of the three goals to help even the score at 3-3. Just when it seemed like the Spartans might take control, Oakland’s Julius Sainte-Marie found the back of the net in the final minutes of the second period, putting the Golden Grizzlies back on top 4-3. Once the third period began, Oakland put the game out of reach. Danou, once again stepping up as a key offensive contributor, scored a power-play goal to increase Oakland’s lead to two.
Photo Cred: Noah Stalker
The Spartans briefly responded with a goal from Joe Fracessi, but it wasn’t enough to maintain any momentum. With the game winding down, Crawford put the finishing touches on his standout performance, scoring his second goal of the game to restore the Golden Grizzlies’ two-goal advantage. He then completed his hat trick with an empty-net goal to seal the victory and give Oakland the 7-4 win.
The victory pushes Oakland’s record to 17-2-1-1 on the season, allowing them to stay firmly in the hunt in the MCHC East division. Michigan State, meanwhile, falls to 11-6-1-1, as their hopes of a comeback were dashed by Oakland’s efficient offense and defensive resilience. Looking ahead, the Golden Grizzlies will face off against the Adrian Bulldogs on January 24th at the Birmingham Ice Arena in Birmingham, Michigan. Meanwhile, the Spartans will look to bounce back as they travel to Ft. Myers, Florida, to take on Florida Gulf Coast on January 19th.
