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Michigan State falls in chippy battle with Michigan: Analysis and reaction

Lansing State Journal sports reporter Nathaniel Bott breaks down No. 15 Michigan State's 4-2 defeat at home to No. 5 Michigan.

What happened

It took just eight seconds for a scrum to break out after the whistle between these two storied rivals, and the chippiness and physicality was at the forefront as MSU and UM battled for better positioning in the Big Ten.

And after capturing an early lead, the Wolverines had just enough in the tank to outlast the Spartans's comeback bid.

Goals from forward Mackie Samoskevich, a power play snipe from freshman phenom Adam Fantilli, and a one-timer from freshman Gavin Brindley all within eight minutes of each other was enough to carry UM to a 4-2 win despite MSU's best efforts in the final two frames.