With 6:53 left in the second period, senior forward Josh Kanclerz sniped a shot top shelf, stick side. Grand Valley State had momentum on its side as the goal tied the game at 2-2. Four seconds later, Michigan State forward Mac Burkhard scored on a breakaway.

The Spartans took the lead, 3-2, and never looked back.

About 130 spectators looked on as the Lakers and Spartans entered the fray at the Rivertown Sports Complex in Grandville, Mich., but GVSU’s D1 team (11-4) suffered a tough, 9-2 loss to rival MSU (9-1) on Saturday night. The Lakers were coming off a win over Eastern Michigan and a loss against the University of Michigan earlier in the day.

“It wasn’t quite the game we were hoping for. We played a good period and a half, and then let them take over,” said GVSU head coach Nick Dow.

MSU started off hot as forward Eric Purcell netted two goals in the game’s first five minutes. 

GVSU then created some opportunities, but were not able to capitalize on rebounds given up by Spartan goalie Everet Bommarito. The Laker defense made some plays to prevent MSU from getting any decent shot attempts off, but MSU carried a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.

The strong play carried over from the end of the first period as Laker forward Kenny Wurth capitalized on an assist from Dom Zuelch to put GVSU on the board just 1:07 into the second period.

“Our guys really came out strong, we had a good forecheck there,” Dow said. “We were able to disrupt them in their zone and in the neutral zone. We also had a couple good early breaks and capitalized on two of them.”

The GVSU defense went to work on the Spartans, shutting down lanes and marking Eric Purcell effectively before Kanclerz struck again for GVSU, making it a 2-2 game.

That was the last goal GVSU would score in the game.

The Burkhard game-winner came just four seconds after the Lakers tied things up. MSU’s Purcell scored the next two goals to put the Spartans up 5-2. He led all skaters with four goals.

Kanclerz noted the approach and pace that MSU played with as the game went on.

“They were relentless,” he said. “They outskated us, we missed our assignments and they were all over us.”

The GVSU defense struggled to mark players as the game wore on, allowing MSU to score on a few 2-on-1 situations and breakaway goals. Two more goals in the second period and two in the final period rounded out the nine goals scored by MSU.

GVSU goalie Alex Stutzky was still able to come up with 16 saves on 25 shots, despite the array of shots and opportunities by the Spartans.

From here, the only place to go is up. 

The Lakers plan to move past this game as there is still a lot of season left to play.

“The game is done and over with. There is nothing we can do to change it,” said GVSU assistant coach Isaac Washburn. “Just make sure that you’re not going to make the same mistakes next time out, just have to keep moving forward.”

When it comes to those mistakes, Dow has a few things in mind.

“We are going to make a few changes,” he said. “One is to get a little more disciplined in the way we play hockey.”

The loss to the Spartans marks the third time the Lakers have lost to MSU this year.