Michigan State University Athletics
Hockey Hosts Ohio State In Home-Opening Series
10/18/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Oct. 18, 1999
Fri., Oct. 22 vs. Ohio State, Munn Ice Arena, 7:05 p.m. EDT
Sat., Oct. 23 vs. Ohio State, Munn Ice Arena, 7:05 p.m. EDT
The Week ? The Michigan State hockey team, which opened its CCHA schedule with a two-game sweep of Nebraska-Omaha last weekend (5-2 and 6-2), returns to Munn Ice Arena (6,170) for its home-opening series this Friday and Saturday against Ohio State. The Spartans (2-1-0 overall, 2-0-0 CCHA) host the Buckeyes (2-3-0, 1-3-0) at 7:05 p.m. both nights. Friday?s game is the first of the year on FOX Sports Detroit (DirecTV Ch. 636), with Josh Lewin, Billy Jaffe and Jim Blaney bringing you the action. Saturday kicks off the six-game MSU schedule on AT&T Cable Services (MediaOne Ch. 17, TCI Ch. 13), with Eric Peasley and former Spartan Joe Campbell in the booth. Both games can be heard on WVFN-AM 730, with Scott Moore calling the play-by-play and volunteer assistant coach Jim Mullin providing color commentary.
The Coaches ? Head coach Ron Mason (St. Lawrence ?64) builds upon his legendary status with each victory. Mason, in his 21st year at Michigan State and 34th as a college head coach, is the all-time winningest college hockey coach with 839 career victories, boasting an 839-356-70 overall record. He has a 550-246-56 mark at Michigan State.
Ohio State coach John Markell (Bowling Green ?79), a former player for Ron Mason at Bowling Green, is in his sixth season as a college coach, all with the Buckeyes. He owns a 74-83-13 career and school record.
Quoting Coach Mason -
On the UNO series: ?I thought Nebraska-Omaha competed hard and will win some games if they play that way all season. It?s certainly a tough place to play. Friday night we got some great performances from some new players, and Saturday our special teams just won out.?
On the Ohio State series: ?Ohio State has really developed into one of our toughest rivals the past few seasons. All of our games have been real challenges. They had a couple of tough losses last weekend and I?m sure will come in here with something to prove.
?We still have plenty of areas where we need to improve, and we are going to need to keep progressing.?
The Series vs. the Buckeyes ? Michigan State leads Ohio State in the all-time series, 64-12-5, including a 33-2-2 mark in East Lansing. The series is much closer of late, with Ohio State holding a 5-4-1 advantage in the last 10 meetings, including a win and a tie in Munn Ice Arena in that time. The rivalry crystallized in a one-week span of 1998, when MSU defeated Ohio State in double-overtime for the CCHA Tournament title (3-2 on March 21, 1998) before the Buckeyes beat MSU in overtime in the NCAA quarterfinals (4-3 on March 28, 1998). Four of the last five meetings have been tied or decided by one goal. Last year?s series finished tied, 1-1-1.
About the Buckeyes ? Ohio State, which lost star forward Hugo Boisvert and goaltender Jeff Maund to the pro ranks, has dropped three straight and enters the weekend 2-3-0 (1-3-0 CCHA). OSU was swept by Western Michigan last weekend. The Buckeyes still boast a talented lineup, led by forwards Jean-Francois Dufour (3-3-6), Ryan Jestadt (1-4-5) and Eric Meloche (3-0-3). Junior Andre Signoretti (0-5-5) is the top defenseman. Senior Ray Aho (2-2-0, 2.74, .913) has been the No. 1 goaltender.
Nebraska-Omaha Recap ? Michigan State got 10 points (five goals, five assists) from freshmen to highlight a two-game sweep of Nebraska-Omaha in the Mavericks? first weekend of CCHA league play. Rookies had four goals Friday night, including two from Brian Maloney, while special teams were the story Saturday. MSU was four-for-nine on the power play Saturday and killed off all 11 UNO power-play opportunities. Goaltenders Joe Blackburn (19 saves Friday) and Ryan Miller (25 saves Saturday) both got starts and wins.
If you use just one MSU note this week, perhaps this should be it
Fantastic freshmen ? All five Michigan State freshmen who have played in every game have recorded at least a point. This weekend at Nebraska-Omaha, rookies combined for five goals and five assists (10 points), including four of the five Spartan goals on Friday night.
We encourage you to use more notes ... perhaps these
Caution: explosive ? Michigan State?s 11 goals last weekend marked the Spartans? most goals in back-to-back games since the third and fourth games of last season. MSU also had 11 goals combined against Bowling Green (seven) and Ohio State (four) Oct. 23-24, 1998. Michigan State?s six goals Saturday night were the most since the 7-1 win over Bowling Green Oct. 23, 1998.
Home is where the start is ? The Spartans are 4-2-3 in home openers in the 1990s.
Balancing act ? Six different Spartans are averaging at least a point per game through three games this season. Four different players share the team lead in goals with two each.
Coaching connection ? Ohio State head coach John Markell played for MSU head coach Ron Mason at Bowling Green. Markell was a college teammate of Spartan assistant coach Tom Newton.
Dynamic debuts ? Saturday night, with freshman goaltender Ryan Miller starting, Michigan State improved to 10-1-1 the last 12 times the Spartans have had a first-time starter in the nets, dating back to the 1982-83 season.
A special team ? Michigan State?s power play and penalty killing keyed the sweep of Nebraska-Omaha. The Spartans killed off 19-of-20 UNO power plays and scored a short-handed goals of their own, while producing a five-for-15 power play. Saturday, MSU?s power play was four-for-nine, its first four-goal outburst since Jan. 10, 1998 (four-for-eight vs. Northern Michigan).
Blue-line boys ? Michigan State?s freshman defensemen Brad Fast and John-Michael Liles have both been impressive early, with solid defensive instincts and an ability to jump into the offense. Both stand tied for second on the team in scoring with a goal and two assists (three points).
Fast had a short-handed goal Friday and added an assist. Saturday, Liles contributed a goal and two assists (all in the third period), including a goal and an assist in four-on-four situations.
This little piggy got two goals ? Junior Damon Whitten missed the Colorado College game with a broken right pinky toe, but returned this weekend despite the injury and had two goals and an assist. His two goals Saturday night marked his first career multiple-goal game.
Making his mark ? Freshman left wing Brian Maloney had two goals Friday night (including the game-winner) and tied the Michigan State school record for penalties in a game Saturday night with six. Maloney, who had three goals and an assist in the exhibition game against Guelph, leads the Spartans with 10 penalties for 28 minutes.
Familiar faces ? Michigan State?s six former members of the U.S. Under-18 Team (Troy Ferguson, Joe Goodenow, Adam Hall, Andrew Hutchinson, Jon Insana and John-Michael Liles) will face former teammate Scott Titus vs. Ohio State.
Ohio State backup goaltender Chris Newman was the backup to MSU?s Ryan Miller with the Soo Indians of the NAHL last year.
Great goalies ? Michigan State played both of its goaltenders, junior Joe Blackburn and freshman Ryan Miller, for the second weekend in a row. Blackburn and Miller were back-to-back winners of the USA Hockey Goaltender of the Year award in 1997 and ?98, respectively.
Head coach Ron Mason calls the team?s depth at goaltender its best since the days of Bob Essensa and Norm Foster in the mid-1980s.
Long time no see ? Michigan State and Ohio State haven?t played each other since Nov. 13, 1998, the longest the Spartans have gone without seeing one of the other CCHA teams. The two teams won?t see each other again in the 1999-2000 regular season, as MSU still will not have visited the Buckeyes? Value City Arena.
Patch things up ? Junior wing Sean Patchell owns the Spartans? longest point-scoring streak (four games) and is just one shy of his goal total from all of last year. He scored his third goal of 1998-99 in the NCAA semifinal game against New Hampshire and already has two goals and an assist this season.
Give me a second ? Michigan State is outscoring opponents 6-1 in the second period, but is being outscored, 7-6, in the first and third periods combined.
Eight eyes ? This weekend?s games will be Michigan State?s first exposure to the four-man officiating system being used on a trial basis in select CCHA games this season.
Dropping dimes ? Senior center Shawn Horcoff and junior center Rustyn Dolyny lead the Spartans in scoring with four points each, all assists. They both set or tied career highs with three assists each Saturday night at Nebraska-Omaha.
Oh captain, my captain ? Senior center Shawn Horcoff was elected captain of the 1999-2000 Spartans by his teammates. Senior defenseman Mike Weaver and junior forward Rustyn Dolyny are the assistant captains.
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.
Dominant defenses ? Each of the last three seasons, Michigan State has improved upon its school records for goals against per game and penalty killing. Last year, the Spartans allowed just 1.52 goals per game (the second-best average in college hockey since the Great Depression) and killed off 92.0 percent of opponents? power plays.
Two years at the top ? Michigan State has had more All-Americans in the past two years (seven) than any other team in college hockey and has the second-best winning percentage in that time (.791, second to North Dakota?s .804).
GO SOX! ? Michigan State won the national championship in 1986, the last year that the Boston Red Sox reached the World Series.
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 4-6 weeks).
MSU CAREER LEADERS vs. OHIO STATE Player (Yr., Pos.) Statistics Brad Hodgins (Sr., D) 11 GP, 3-6-9 Rustyn Dolyny (Jr., C) 7 GP, 4-2-6 Shawn Horcoff (Sr., C) 9 GP, 3-3-6 Mike Weaver (Sr., D) 11 GP, 1-2-3 Joe Blackburn (Jr., G) 1-1-1, 2.60, .843 Mike Gresl (Sr., G) 0-0-0, 0.00, 1 save
