Michigan State University Athletics
#4/3 Spartan Hockey vs. Ferris State
10/28/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Oct. 29, 1999
Date October 29, 1999
Site Munn Ice Arena (6,170)
Time 7:05 p.m.
See the game live on FOX Sports Net (DirecTV Ch. 636), with Josh Lewin, Billy Jaffe and Shireen Saski calling the action. Hear it live on WVFN-AM 730 or at www.broadcast.com/sports/ncaa/MichiganState
Note of the Night
Drive for 5-0 ? The Spartans have opened its CCHA season with a 4-0 record, a better start in the conference than either of the last two years, when they won the regular-season titles. A win tonight would give MSU its best conference start since 1986-87, when it opened with an 8-0 CCHA record.
Five More Notes No Media Person Should Be Without
1. Blank stares ? Last weekend, the Spartans shut out Ohio State in both games of the weekend series, the first time Michigan State posted back-to-back shutouts since Nov. 11 & 17, 1995 (vs. Illinois-Chicago and Miami). Junior Joe Blackburn and freshman Ryan Miller each had a shutout last weekend, the first time Michigan State shut out the same opponent in both games of a series since Nov. 24-25, 1990 (vs. Miami).
MSU has never had shutouts in three straight games.
2. Hall of fame ? Sophomore right wing Adam Hall has scored at least one goal in each of the last four games and scored the first goal in each game last weekend. Hall, who leads the Spartans in goals with five, has scored 11 goals in the last 10 games dating back to last season. Four of his five career multiple-goal games have come in that span.
3. Take me to your leader ? The Spartans are the top-ranked conference team in all four major statistical categories ? goals per game (4.50), goals against per game (1.00), power play percentage (33.3 percent) and penalty killing percentage (97.0 percent).
4. Natural born killers ? Michigan State leads the CCHA in penalty killing, allowing only one power-play goal in 33 opportunities. The Spartans have scored two short-handed goals in those four games.
5. Power surge ? While MSU?s terrific penalty killing is nothing new (MSU led the nation and set a school record at 92.0 percent last year), this year?s Spartan team has also featured a strong power play. MSU is nine for its last 27 power-play opportunities (33.3 percent) and has scored three or more power-play goals in a game twice.
Others Receiving Votes
Great goalies ? Michigan State has the benefit of two terrific goaltenders, as junior Joe Blackburn and freshman Ryan Miller have split time nearly equally and have a combined goals-against average of 1.60 and save percentage of .933. Blackburn and Miller are tied for first among CCHA goaltenders who have played more than one game in conference GAA (1.00) and are 1-2 in conference save percentage (Miller at .957, Blackburn at .951).
Give me a second ? Michigan State is outscoring opponents 9-1 in the second period, and just 10-7 in the first and third periods combined.
Meanwhile, on the offensive end ? Michigan State has scored 18 goals in the last four games, and that includes last Friday night?s 1-0 win over Ohio State. That is more than it scored in any four-game period last year.
Coaching connections ? Ferris State head coach Bob Daniels played for MSU head coach Ron Mason at MSU. Mason coached three CCHA coaches in college (Daniels, Northern Michigan?s Rick Comley and Ohio State?s John Markell).
Mr. Assister ? Senior center and team captain Shawn Horcoff leads the team in scoring with nine points ? all assists. He also leads the CCHA in points in conference games. He has set single-game career highs in assists twice this season (three vs. Nebraska-Omaha Oct. 16, four vs. Ohio State Oct. 23). Horcoff has had a hand in 47.4 percent of Michigan State?s goals (nine of 19).
Horcoff is four points shy of 100 for his career with 36 goals and 56 assists in 118 games played. He leads MSU?s active career scorers.
Dynamic defense ? Michigan State has led the nation and improved upon its school record for goals against per game each of the last two seasons. This year?s team has given up just 1.60 goals against per game, just 0.8 off the record mark of 1.52 established by last year?s team.
Balancing act ? Seven Spartans have scored at least two goals, and six Spartans are averaging a point per game. A year ago through five games, only three players were averaging a point per game.
The tie guys ? Michigan State and Ferris State have tied 11 times in 79 meetings all-time, the most of any MSU rivalry. Next are eight ties vs. Bowling Green (76 meetings) and Lake Superior (80 meetings).
Y ask y? ? Junior forward Rustyn Dolyny, Michigan State?s most successful career scorer against Ferris State with 7-2-9 in nine games played, had his first two goals of the season Saturday night vs. Ohio State. Dolyny?s first goal came in a short-handed situation, his fifth career SHG after leading the CCHA with four SHGs last season.
Editor?s note ? All five Michigan State games this season have been sold out.
Blue-line boys ? Michigan State defensemen have not only helped the team to a 1.60 goals-against average, but the defense has contributed at least a point in each of the first five games and a goal in three.
Defensemen John-Michael Liles and Brad Hodgins are tied for second among CCHA defensemen in conference scoring with five points (two goals, three assists). Both have two multiple-point games this season. The last Spartan defenseman to average a point per game for a full season was Jason Woolley (59 points in 40 games in 1990-91).
Rating the rookies ? Michigan State?s large freshman class has contributed greatly to the Spartans? 4-1 start. All five Spartan rookies who have played in all five games have at least one point. The freshman class has had at least a point in every game. It has scored 31.6 percent of the team?s goals (six of 19) and 28.3 percent of its points (15 of 53).
The fries at the bottom of the bag ? Joe Blackburn?s father, Jeffrey, played football at Ferris State ... 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) ... the only other time Michigan State opened the season against Colorado College was 1965-66 (a 4-0 loss), the year MSU won its first national championship ...
Say This About Our Players...
1 ? Mike Gresl (Sr., G)
? a solid backup goalie, he is out 3-5 more weeks 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
4 ? John-Michael Liles (Fr., D)
? MSU?s top-scoring freshman (2-3-5) and tied for second among CCHA defenseman in points in conference games
? a talented freshman defenseman who brings offensive skill to the blue line
? had a goal and two assists ? all in the third period ? vs. UNO Oct. 16
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)
? recorded his first career goal at UNO
? 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 10-48-58
? tied for second among CCHA defensemen in conference scoring (2-3-5)
? eight of his 10 career goals are PPGs
9 ? Sean Patchell (Jr., W)
? had a recent four-game point-scoring streak, dating back to the NCAA semifinals
? led MSU in penalties last year with 37
10 ? Shawn Horcoff (Sr., C)
? MSU?s top active scorer (36-60-96) as he nears 100 career points
? MSU?s leading scorer with a hand in 47.4% of MSU?s goals (nine assists on 19 goals)
? has had two games with three or more assists this year (Oct. 16, Oct. 23)
? 15 of his 36 career goals have come in the third period or OT
? Hockey News rates him the Edmonton Oilers?s No. 4 prospect and a sure-fire NHLer
14 ? Damon Whitten (Jr., LW)
? has 2-2-4 in 4 GP despite playing on a fractured right pinky toe
? enjoyed his first career multi-goal game on Saturday at UNO
17 ? Troy Ferguson (Fr., F)
? had two assists Oct. 16 vs. UNO
? co-captain of U.S. Under-18 Team last year
18 ? Adam Hall (So., RW)
? has at least a goal in each of the last four games and 11 goals in last 10 games
? has each of the last two GWGs for MSU
? 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 (40)
? 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)
? had two goals Oct. 15 at UNO, including the game-winner
? 21-year-old freshman with great touch around the net
22 ? Andrew Bogle (So., RW/C)
? had two goals and two assists last year
? had three goals and an assist in the Green & White Game and vs. Guelph
24 ? Andrew Hutchinson (So., D)
? was picked by Nashville in the second round of last 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)
? has missed 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 vs. CC and first career goal in next game at UNO
? 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 (1.65) and save percentage (.923) in MSU history
? has four career shutouts (one this year)
? an outstanding student who hopes to become a teacher after hockey
39 ? Ryan Miller (Fr., G)
? has shared time in net with Blackburn to this point, with a 1.21 GAA and .951 save percentage
? shut out OSU in his first career home start
? 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
SERIES INFORMATION vs. FERRIS STATE:
? 80th meeting: MSU leads, 47-21-11
? In East Lansing: MSU leads, 28-12-4
? First meeting: FSU 6, MSU 3 (12/7/79)
? Last meeting: FSU 2, MSU 1 (3/6/99, snapped MSU?s 23-game unbeaten streak and 29-game home unbeaten streak, both school reocrds)
? Last 10 meetings: MSU leads, 7-1-2
? Last year?s series: Tied, 1-1-1
? MSU is 9-1-2 in the last 12 meetings
? The 11 ties in the series are the most for MSU vs. any opponent
MSU CAREER LEADERS vs. OSU Player (Yr., Pos.) GP, G-A-P Rustyn Dolyny (Jr., C/W) 9 GP, 7-2-9 Shawn Horcoff (Sr., C) 10 GP, 2-3-5 Brad Hodgins (Sr., D) 10 GP, 0-5-5 Mike Weaver (Sr., D) 10 GP, 0-5-5 Goaltenders (Yr.) W-L-T, GAA, Sv.% Joe Blackburn (Jr.) 1-0-1, 0.96, .956
