Michigan State University Athletics
#4 Spartan Hockey vs. Ferris State: Game Notes
10/30/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Oct. 30, 1999
Date October 30, 1999
Site Ewigleben Ice Arena (2,457)
Time 7:05 p.m.
Hear the game live on WVFN-AM 730 or at www.broadcast.com/sports/ncaa/MichiganState
Note of the Night
Special effects ? For the fifth straight game, Michigan State?s special teams keyed a victory last night, as the Spartans scored two power-play goals and a short-handed goal in their 4-1 victory.
MSU?s penalty killing has given up just two goals in CCHA play (39 opportunities), while scoring three short-handed goals. The Spartans lead the conference with a 94.9 percent penalty killing rate in league games (89.6 percent overall).
While MSU has led the nation in penalty killing each of the past two years, rarely has its power play been as effective as it is right now. The Spartans have at least one power-play goal in each of their last five games and more than one in three of the last four. MSU leads the CCHA with a 32.4 percent success rate (11 of 34) in conference games (26.2 percent overall).
Five More Notes No Media Person Should Be Without
1. Five alive ? Michigan State has jumped out to a 5-0 CCHA start, its best conference record to open the season since beginning the 1986-87 season with an 8-0 CCHA mark. MSU?s five-game winning streak is its best since a 10-game run from Dec. 4, 1998, to Jan. 9, 1999. A few notes from the streak:
? Shawn Horcoff has a point in every game and 2-9-11 in the five games
? MSU has outscored opponents, 22-5
? Six different players are averaging a point per game
2. Horc lights the lamp ? Senior center and team captain Shawn Horcoff entered last night?s game as the team leader and CCHA leader in points (nine), despite not scoring a goal. He erased that note with a pair of goals in the 4-1 win, one on the power play and one short-handed. Horcoff needs just two points to give him 100 for his career.
3. Power surge ? Eight different players have combined to score Michigan State?s 11 power-play goals.
4. Great goalies ? Michigan State?s goaltenders, junior Joe Blackburn and freshman Ryan Miller, have split time between the pipes this season and produced some impressive numbers. The pair have combined for a 1.50 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage.
5. Shooting stars ? Michigan State held Ferris State to 14 shots on goal last night, a season low for MSU opponents. The Spartans have outshot opponents in four of five conference games and been tied in shots on goal in the other game. In the last three games, the Spartans have outshot their opponent by an average of 30.7-18.0.
Others Receiving Votes
The power-play guy ? Senior center Shawn Horcoff has had seven (1-6-7) of his 11 points this season on the power play. Horcoff has had a hand in seven of MSU?s 11 power-play goals. Fifteen of his 38 career goals have come on the power play.
The short-handed guy ? Junior center Rustyn Dolyny has had a hand in all three of Michigan State?s short-handed goals this year (1-2-3). Three of his eight points on the year have come while short-handed. Last year, Dolyny led the CCHA and finished second in the nation with four short-handed goals.
Devil?s night ? Michigan State is 7-1 all-time in games played the night before Halloween, including a 3-1 victory over Northern Michigan last season.
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).
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 1.50 goals against per game, a shade better than the record mark of 1.52 established by last year?s team.
Balancing act ? Eight Spartans have scored at least two goals, and five Spartans are averaging a point per game.
The tie guys ? Michigan State and Ferris State have tied 11 times in 80 meetings all-time, the most of any MSU rivalry. Next are eight ties vs. Bowling Green (76 meetings) and Lake Superior (80 meetings).
Editor?s note ? All six Michigan State games this season, home and away, have been sold out.
Give me a second ? Michigan State is outscoring opponents, 10-2, in the second period this season.
Multiplication tables ? The Spartans have had at least one multiple-goal scorer in four of their six games this season.
Blue-line boys ? Michigan State defensemen have not only helped the team to a 1.50 goals-against average, but the defense has contributed at least a point in each of the first six games and had at least a goal in three.
Senior defenseman Brad Hodgins leads the way with six points (two goals, four assists). He has 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? 5-1 start. All five Spartan rookies who have played in all six games have at least one point. The freshman class has had at least a point in every game. It has scored 26.1 percent of the team?s goals (six of 23) and 25.8 percent of its points (16 of 62).
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 ... Michigan State?s last national championship came when the Frozen Four was in Providence, R.I., as it is this season.
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)
? 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
7 ? Brad Hodgins (Sr., D)
? leader among MSU defensemen in career points with 10-49-59
? second among CCHA defensemen in conference scoring (2-4-6)
? 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 (38-60-98) as he nears 100 career points
? seven of his 11 points this year have come on the power play
? MSU?s leading scorer with a hand in 47.8% of MSU?s goals (11 of 23)
? has had two games with three or more assists this year (Oct. 16, Oct. 23)
? 16 of his 38 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 3-2-5 in 5 GP despite playing on a fractured right pinky toe
? enjoyed his first career multi-goal game Oct. 16 at UNO
? had the GWG last night on the PP
17 ? Troy Ferguson (Fr., F)
? had two assists Oct. 16 vs. UNO and added his third of the year last night
? co-captain of U.S. Under-18 Team last year
18 ? Adam Hall (So., RW)
? has at least a goal in four of his last five games and 11 goals in last 11 games
? 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)
? has had a hand in all three MSU SHGs this season
? 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., C)
? scored first goal of the year last night
? 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 (1.63) 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:
? 81st meeting: MSU leads, 48-21-11
? In Big Rapids: MSU leads, 18-8-6
? First meeting: FSU 6, MSU 3 (12/7/79)
? Last meeting: MSU 4, FSU 1 (10/29/99)
? Last 10 meetings: MSU leads, 7-1-2
? Last year?s series: Tied, 1-1-1
? MSU is 10-1-2 in the last 13 meetings
? MSU is 8-0-4 in Big Rapids since a 4-2 loss there Nov. 30, 1990, and has scored six or more goals there four times in the last five trips
? The 11 ties in the series are the most for MSU vs. any opponent
MSU CAREER LEADERS vs. FSU Player (Yr., Pos.) GP, G-A-P Rustyn Dolyny (Jr., C/W) 10 GP, 7-4-11 Shawn Horcoff (Sr., C) 11 GP, 4-3-7 Brad Hodgins (Sr., D) 11 GP, 0-6-6 Mike Weaver (Sr., D) 11 GP, 0-5-5 Goaltenders (Yr.) W-L-T, GAA, Sv.% Joe Blackburn (Jr.) 2-0-1, 0.98, .949SPARTAN CAREER STATS Player GP G-A-P Pen/Min Shawn Horcoff 119 38-60-98 60/144 Rustyn Dolyny 91 40-45-85 44/107 Brad Hodgins 130 10-49-59 83/212 Mike Weaver 131 5-36-41 83/174 Damon Whitten 90 16-16-32 57/152 Adam Hall 42 21-9-30 34/84 Sean Patchell 87 12-12-24 62/143 Andrew Bogle 88 9-9-18 22/44 A. Hutchinson 44 3-13-16 18/36 John Nail 90 4-9-13 17/34 Joe Goodenow 36 3-10-13 19/38 John-Michael Liles 6 2-3-5 1/2 Brian Maloney 6 2-2-4 14/47 Brad Fast 6 1-2-3 1/2 Troy Ferguson 6 0-3-3 1/2 Jon Insana 45 0-2-2 27/73 Steve Clark 6 1-0-1 1/2 B. Brandstatter 50 0-1-1 8/24 Joe Blackburn 42 0-1-1 2/4 Mike Gresl 13 0-0-0 0/0 Kris Koski 5 0-0-0 4/8 Ryan Miller 3 0-0-0 0/0
Goalie GP W-L-T GAA Svs. Sv.% Blackburn 42 26-8-7 1.63 806 .923 Gresl 13 8-2-0 1.74 203 .919 Miller 3 2-0-0 1.21 58 .951
UPCOMING MILESTONES 100 career points: Shawn Horcoff has 98 50 career assists: Brad Hodgins has 48
1999-2000 POWER-PLAY POINTS Player G A P Shawn Horcoff 1 6 7 Adam Hall 3 2 5 Rustyn Dolyny 1 4 5 Brad Hodgins 1 3 4 Damon Whitten 2 0 2 John-Michael Liles 1 1 2 Brian Maloney 1 1 2 Troy Ferguson 0 2 2 Sean Patchell 1 0 1
1999-2000 SHORT-HANDED POINTS Player G A P Rustyn Dolyny 1 2 3 Brad Fast 1 0 1 Shawn Horcoff 1 0 1 Brad Hodgins 0 1 1 Brian Maloney 0 1 1 Mike Weaver 0 1 1
