Michigan State University Athletics
#3 Spartan Hockey vs. Nebraska-Omaha: Game Notes
10/14/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Oct. 14, 1999
#3 SPARTAN HOCKEY vs.
NEBRASKA-OMAHA
Dates October 15-16, 1999
Site Omaha Civic Auditorium (8,314)
Hear the game live on WVFN-AM 730 or at www.broadcast.com/sports/ncaa/MichiganState
Note of the Night
Welcome party ? Michigan State welcomes Nebraska-Omaha into the CCHA this weekend as the Mavericks play their first conference games. A year ago, Michigan State was the first member of the CCHA to play the new program, when Nebraska-Omaha came into Munn Ice Arena for a two-game series Dec. 4-5 (MSU won both games, 2-0 and 3-1).
Five More Notes No Media Person Should Be Without
1. Been there before ? Michigan State head coach Ron Mason knows what it?s like to build a program from scratch, and in fact has led two different schools in their first CCHA seasons. Mason was the first coach at Lake Superior in 1966-67 and built that program into a power, winning the NAIA championship in 1972. He worked with Jack Vivian of Bowling Green and Bill Selman of St. Louis to form the CCHA in a meeting at the Parker House in Boston in 1971. Lake Superior joined the league in 1972-73 and finished second.
The next year Mason went to Bowling Green and led the Falcons, who were already part of the conference, to their first title in 1975-76.
When Mason joined Michigan State in 1979-80 the Spartans were still part of the WCHA, but moved to the CCHA in 1981-82 and finished second. They won their first CCHA regular-season title in 1984-85.
2. The main course ? Michigan State is 14-3-2 all-time in CCHA openers since joining the conference in 1981-82. The Spartans are 6-1-2 in CCHA openers in the 1990s.
3. Rebounders ? Michigan State has not lost back-to-back games since the end of the 1996-97 season, and are 10-0-1 following a loss in the last two seasons. Last year, MSU was 5-0-0 in the game after a loss.
4. Shooting for three ? This weekend Michigan State begins its defense of the 1998-99 CCHA regular-season championship. The Spartans have won each of the last two CCHA regular-season titles and are seeking to become just the third program to win three in a row. MSU has won back-to-back CCHA regular-season titles three times now (1984-85 and ?85-86, 1988-89 and ?89-90, 1997-98 and ?98-99), but have never won three in a row.
5. New faces ? Michigan State has 11 newcomers on this year?s team, its largest new group since welcoming 13 in 1987-88. Eight of the rookies dressed last Saturday vs. Colorado College, marking 40 percent of the Spartan lineup.
Others Receiving Votes
Poll gazing ? Michigan State is ranked third in the U.S. College Hockey Online preseason poll, released Tuesday. It is the same place the Spartans finished the 1998-99 season and two steps up from their preseason No. 5 ranking last year.
In conference, the Spartans are picked to finish either first (media) or second (coaches) in the CCHA preseason polls.
Patch things up ? Junior left wing Sean Patchell, who had three goals all of last season, has scored goals in each of MSU?s last two games. Patchell scored a goal on his only shift vs. New Hampshire in last year?s NCAA semifinal and had the Spartans? lone goal against Colorado College.
Fast start ? Freshman defenseman Brad Fast became the first Spartan rookie to record a point this season with the lone assist on Sean Patchell?s goal at Colorado College.
Omaha connections ? Nebraska-Omaha?s roster features former Spartan Dan Zaluski. Zaluski transferred to UNO after the 1997-98 season. He played three career games for the Spartans (two in 1996-97 and one in 1997-98) and did not record a point.
? UNO forward Kyle O?Keefe?s older brother, Kevin, was a forward for Michigan State from 1996-98. Kevin was the Spartans? fourth-leading scorer (13-18-31) his senior year.
? MSU goaltender Mike Gresl, currently out with a fractured left hand, played with UNO?s Billy Pugliese with the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL.
The big house ? Michigan State has hosted 234 consecutive regular-season sellout crowds at Munn Ice Arena, which has a capacity of 6,170 (expanding to 6,470 as of Jan. 1, 2000). The Omaha Civic Auditorium has hosted 42 consecutive sellouts of 8,314.
If you believe in omens ? Michigan State opened its season against Colorado College for just the second time in history. The first came in the Spartans? first national championship season (1965-66), a 4-0 loss to the Tigers in Colorado Springs.
GO RED SOX! ? The last time the Boston Red Sox reached the World Series was also the same year Michigan State won its last NCAA hockey championship (1986).
Everybody?s All-Americans ? Junior goaltender Joe Blackburn and senior defenseman Mike Weaver are the only two returning All-Americans in the CCHA or WCHA. Blackburn was a first-team All-America last year after establishing school and conference records for goals-against average and save percentage. Weaver was a second-team selection, as well as a first-team All-CCHA pick and the CCHA?s Best Defensive Defenseman.
Who?s gone? ? Among Michigan State?s nine lost letterwinners is 1998-99 CCHA Player of the Year, three-time MSU leading scorer and two-time Hobey Baker finalist Mike York, who scored his first career NHL goal for the New York Rangers last Saturday night. Also departed are MSU?s second-leading goal scorer in 1998-99, Bryan Adams, and mainstay defensemen Chris Bogas and Jeff Kozakowski.
INJURY REPORT ? Fr. F Pat Brush (left knee injury, out indefinitely), So. F Joe Goodenow (left hip injury, out indefinitely), Sr. G Mike Gresl (left hand fracture, out 5-7 weeks), So. D Andrew Hutchinson (sprained right shoulder vs. Colorado College, probable for this weekend), Jr. LW Damon Whitten (fractured toe in the Green & White Game, set to play this weekend).
The fries at the bottom of the bag ? Jon Insana didn?t score a goal all year last year, but had one vs. Guelph ... Michigan State?s exhibition game against Guelph, had it been a real game, would have marked the Spartans? most goals in a game since 1991 (12 vs. Ohio State) and largest margin of victory since 1990 (12 goals vs. Ferris State) ... Michigan State?s hockey team (No. 3), football team (AP No. 5) and men?s basketball team (preseason No. 1 by many publications) are all ranked in the nation?s top five.
Say This About Our Players...
1 ? Mike Gresl (Sr., G)
? a top backup goalie, he will miss the start of the season with a fractured left hand
2 ? Jon Insana (So., D)
? MSU?s Most Improved Player a year ago
? after not scoring a goal all of last season, had one against Guelph
3 ? Brody Brandstatter (Jr., D)
? the ninth E. Lansing native to play for MSU
4 ? John-Michael Liles (Fr., D)
? a talented freshman defenseman who brings offensive skill to the blue line
? had a goal and an assist vs. Guelph
5 ? Mike Weaver (Sr., D)
? first-team All-CCHA, second-team All-America and CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman last year
? posted a +23 rating last season
? had two assists in the Green & White Game
6 ? Steve Clark (Fr., F)
? had 44-66-100 in 51 GP for the Streetsville Derbys last year
7 ? Brad Hodgins (Sr., D)
? leader among MSU defensemen in career points with 8-45-53
? had three goals and 10 points on the power play last year
9 ? Sean Patchell (Jr., W)
? has goals in each of the last two games, dating back to the NCAA semifinals
? led MSU in penalties last year with 37 (82 minutes
10 ? Shawn Horcoff (Sr., C)
? MSU?s top active career scorer (36-51-87)
? team captain this season
? 15 of his 36 career goals have come in the third period or OT
? MSU was 10-0-1 last year when he scored a goal
? only three returning players have scored more points in league play in the last three years than Horcoff (61)
14 ? Damon Whitten (Jr., LW)
? should return this weekend despite a broken right pinky toe, suffered blocking a shot in the Green & White Game
? sixth on the team last year with nine goals
16 ? Kris Koski (Fr., RW)
? at 6-3, 219, the biggest player on the team
17 ? Troy Ferguson (Fr., F)
? co-captain for the U.S. Under-18 Team last season
18 ? Adam Hall (So., RW)
? finished 1998-99 with a six-game point-scoring streak
? led the CCHA with six goals in the 1999 postseason
? three-time CCHA Rookie of the Week in 1998-99 and a finalist for Rookie of the Year
19 ? Rustyn Dolyny (Jr., C)
? leads active Spartans in career goals (38)
? his four SHGs last year led the CCHA and were second in the NCAA
? scored MSU?s first goal seven times last year
? can play RW or C
20 ? Brian Maloney (Fr., LW)
? 21-year-old freshman who has had a terrific preseason
? had a goal in the Green & White Game and 3-1-4 vs. Guelph
22 ? Andrew Bogle (So., RW/C)
? had two goals and two assists last year
? has looked strong in the preseason, with three goals and an assist in the Green & White Game and vs. Guelph
24 ? Andrew Hutchinson (So., D)
? a strong two-way defenseman who was picked by Nashville in this summer?s NHL Draft
? had 13 of his 15 points and 48 of his 67 shots on goal last year after Christmas
26 ? Joe Goodenow (So., LW)
? will miss the start of the season with a hip injury suffered at U.S. Junior National Team tryouts in August
27 ? Brad Fast (Fr., D)
? had his first career point (assist) vs. CC
? a speedy, skilled defenseman and a third-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes
30 ? Joe Blackburn (Jr., G)
? returning first-team All-American
? set CCHA and MSU single-season records in GAA and save percentage last year
? owns the best career GAA (1.68) and save percentage (.922) in MSU history
? has three career shutouts
? an outstanding student who hopes to become a teacher after hockey
39 ? Ryan Miller (Fr., G)
? an East Lansing native and cousins of Kip, Kevin and Kelly Miller
? grew up watching his cousins and MSU goalies Bob Essensa and Norm Foster
? this week's North American Hockey League Graduate of the Week
SERIES INFORMATION vs. NEBRASKA-OMAHA:
? Third meeting: MSU leads, 2-0-0
? In Omaha: first meeting
? First meeting: MSU 2, UNO 0 (12/4/98)
? Last meeting: MSU 3, UNO 1 (12/5/98)
? MSU won both meetings last year by two goals
? MSU set a team record in the first meeting last year by allowing just nine shots on goal
MSU CAREER LEADERS vs. UNO Player (Yr., Pos.) GP, G-A-P Rustyn Dolyny (Jr., F) 2 GP, 1-1-2 Brad Hodgins (Sr., D) 2 GP, 0-2-2 Andrew Bogle (Jr., C) 2 GP, 0-1-1 Goaltenders (Yr.) W-L-T, GAA, Sv.% Joe Blackburn (Jr.) 1-0-0, 1.00, .955 Mike Gresl (Sr.) 1-0-0, 0.00, 1.000
