MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. — They say there’s no place like home. And whether in Oz, or in St. Louis, graduate goaltender Jake Barczewski knows the comfort that home can bring.
Sunday night’s win demonstrates as much, as the No. 3 seed Michigan hockey team upset No. 1 seed Michigan State in a 5-2 win to punch its ticket back to the Frozen Four. Barczewski not only played a huge role in the Wolverines’ success, but he was able to do so in his hometown.
As a St. Louis native, Barczewski knew the area better than most heading into the game. He also had more supporters than most. An army of family and friends lined the stands on Sunday, wearing shirts that said “D.J. Barzo saves.” And with plenty of people in the crowd on his side, Barczewski turned in an impressive .925 save percentage to earn the victory.
“We’ve been through so much this year,” Barczewski said. “To come back here in Missouri and just see my family and so many people in the stands. It’s pretty emotional seeing some people out there today that I haven’t seen in so long, and just to be able to share this moment with them. It’s definitely up there.”
The beginning of the game didn’t start as glamorous as the end, though. The Wolverines dug themselves into an early hole as the Spartans scored a power-play goal that slipped five-hole in the first period. For a Michigan State squad with a strong goaltender of its own, this did not signal the strong start that Michigan was seeking.
Nevertheless, it didn’t take long for Barczewski to settle into the game and find his rhythm. The second period highlighted this best. Time and time again, Barczewski came up huge, bailing out his defenseman for miscues around the net front.
Eleven minutes into the second period, the Spartans were assessed a minor penalty for boarding. Michigan enjoyed the man advantage for a matter of seconds before turning the puck over to Michigan State in the center of the ice.
The Spartans were given a scoring opportunity, but Barczewski made sure that an opportunity was all that they would get. Barczewski flashed his glove to make the save, snatching the puck out of mid-air.
He then followed up this save with another stop with his right pad, allowing the Wolverines to leave the period tied at one goal apiece. Loud cheers erupted from the stands as family, friends and fans saluted Barczewski for his efforts.
“I mean he had 100 freaking people here,” sophomore forward Frank Nazar III said. “It’s like we’re almost playing a home game because it’s DJ Brazos’ home. It’s awesome. I just love the guy to death and I’m so happy for him.”
And Barczewski continued to give people something to cheer about as the game progressed. Michigan added to its goal total four times in the third period, and Barczewski had an answer for every Michigan State response.
Despite Michigan’s struggles with the third period throughout the season, and against Michigan State in recent games, Barczewski made sure that those moments didn’t haunt the Wolverines in his hometown state. He stood his ground, turning in 40 saves to protect the lead.
“He’s everything, hometown hero,” junior defenseman Ethan Edwards said. “I’m just super proud of him. He gets the boys going, we all rally around him, so he’s a huge energy in the room and get’s the boys fired up.”
Representing Michigan and Missouri all at once, Barczewski came up big at a time when the Wolverines needed him most. As a result, Michigan returns to the Frozen Four for the third consecutive season.
Barczewski’s performance showed that there really is no place like home after all.