Michigan State University Athletics
Hockey Takes Win Streak To Miami For Two
11/15/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 15, 1999
Fri., Nov. 19 at Miami, Oxford, Ohio, 7:05 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 20 at Miami, Oxford, Ohio, 7:05 p.m.
The Week ? The Michigan State hockey team, which extended its winning streak to 10 games with two wins over Bowling Green last weekend (3-1 and 5-2), travels to Oxford, Ohio, this Friday and Saturday to meet Miami. The Spartans (10-1-0 overall, 10-0-0 CCHA), ranked fourth in the nation last week, face the RedHawks (5-4-2, 2-3-2) Friday and Saturday at 7:05 p.m. EST at Goggin Ice Arena (2,200). Both games are on WVFN-AM 730 and at www.broadcast.com/sports/ncaa/MichiganState, 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 847 career victories, boasting an 847-356-70 (.693) overall record as he nears the unprecedented 850-win plateau. He has a 558-246-56 (.681) mark at MSU.
Miami coach Enrico Blasi (Miami ?94) is in his first season as a college head coach. Blasi, who previously served as an assistant coach at Denver, has a 5-4-2 school and overall record.
Quoting Coach Mason ?
On the BGSU series: ?Bowling Green provided the toughest challenge we have had in a weekend series this year. They deserve credit for their tenacity and their speed. Once again we got goals when we needed them, and big saves when we needed them.? On the Miami series: ?Miami is a team which has played very well under a new coach this season. They have played Bowling Green and Michigan very tough the last two weekends and have proven that they can be especially tough to play at home.
?The keys for us will be the same as they have been in every game this season: get good goaltending and keep applying pressure offensively.? The Series vs. the RedHawks ? Michigan State leads Miami in the all-time series, 48-12-5, entering the 66th and 67th meetings. MSU is 21-4-2 vs. Miami in Oxford. MSU won last year?s series, 3-0-0 (outscoring Miami 15-2). MSU leads, 7-1-2, in the last 10 meetings and 11-1-2 dating back to February of 1995. The RedHawks have not scored more than a goal against Michigan State in the last six meetings, with three shutouts in that time. Each of MSU?s last two visits to Goggin have been shutouts, and the Spartans are 6-0-1 there since a 5-1 loss Oct. 29, 1993.
About the RedHawks ? Miami has bounced back from an 11-20-5 season last year with a 5-4-2 start to 1999-2000 (2-3-2 CCHA). The RedHawks lost two tough games to Michigan last weekend (4-2 and 4-3 in overtime) and has overcome injuries to star forwards Jason Deskins and Gregor Krajnc. Evan Cheverie (5-7-12), Pat Leahy (4-7-11) and Ernie Hartlieb (1-9-10) have been the offensive leaders, while three goaltenders have seen action: David Burleigh (3-1-0, 1.97, .914), Andy Marsch (1-2-1, 2.96, .876) and Ian Olsen (1-1-1, 4.19, .882).
Bowling Green Recap ? Michigan State battled to a 2-1 lead through the first period Friday night and withstood every Bowling Green challenge, with Joe Blackburn turning aside several quality chances among his 18 saves. Damon Whitten, Sean Patchell and Adam Hall had the goals for the Spartans.
Saturday?s game featured a little bit of everything, from a penalty shot to two disputed goals ? one of which counted, and one which didn?t. The Spartans, who outshot Bowling Green, 34-19, used three goals from freshmen to help lift them past the Falcons, 5-2. Brian Maloney had two, while Brad Fast had the game-winner, plus two assists. Adam Hall and Shawn Horcoff also chipped in assists, while Ryan Miller?s school record shutout streak ended at 191:54.
If you use just one MSU note this week, perhaps this should be it
Perfect 10 ? Michigan State is riding a 10-game winning streak, which matches its longest streak since 1988. The Spartans also had a 10-game streak last year (Dec. 4 to Jan. 9) and won 19 in a row from Oct. 15 to Dec. 16, 1988.
The streak has given MSU a 10-0-0 CCHA record, its best start ever in the conference. The CCHA record for most wins to start a season is 14 by Ron Mason?s 1978-79 Bowling Green team.
We encourage you to use more notes ... perhaps these
A different view ? Bowling Green scored first Saturday night, marking the first time since Oct. 9 against Colorado College that the Spartans had to play from behind. MSU trailed for a total of 7:36 before Adam Hall?s tying goal.
Horcoff is on ? Senior center Shawn Horcoff has a point in each game of the Spartans? 10-game winning streak and is averaging over two points per game in that time (5-16-21). Horcoff?s 10-game point-scoring streak is his career-best, and he already has 57 percent of the points he had all of last season (35).
Great goalie I ? Junior goaltender Joe Blackburn, who has started the first game of each weekend series this year, has allowed one goal or less in each of his last four starts.
Great goalie II ? Freshman goaltender Ryan Miller, who has started the second game of every weekend series this year, had something strange happen Saturday night ? he allowed a goal for the first time in nearly a month. Miller?s school-record shutout streak was halted at 191 minutes, 54 seconds.
Two few ? Michigan State has allowed two goals or fewer in each game in its 10-game winning streak, with four shutouts in that time.
Hall of fame ? Sophomore right wing Adam Hall leads the CCHA in goals with 11. Hall has already surpassed his regular-season goal total from last year (10) and has scored a goal in each of the last five games. He has 17 goals in his last 16 games dating back to last season.
Hall, who has two short-handed goals in the last three games, is off to the best goal-scoring start by a Spartan since Anson Carter had 11 goals in the first 11 games of 1994-95.
Red light district ? Michigan State is averaging nearly a goal per game more this year (3.91) than it did last year (3.05).
Balancing act ? Michigan State?s scoring by period reads: 14-14-15.
Balancing act II ? Seven different players have three or more goals for MSU, and nine have at least five points.
Shooting stars ? Michigan State?s unbelievable 1.18 goals-against average (0.90 in conference games) cannot be explained simply by a defensive style or excellent goaltending. Another factor: opponents can?t score when they don?t have the puck, and the Spartans are averaging 32.0 shots on goal per game. They have outshot opponents in 20 of the last 22 periods.
A special team ? Despite a current 0-for-18 drought on the power play, Michigan State still leads the CCHA in conference games in both power play (23.2 percent) and penalty killing (93.8 percent). The Spartans led the league in penalty killing last year, but were fifth in power play (15.6 percent). MSU has five short-handed goals in conference play while only allowing four power-play goals.
Truth in advertising ? Freshman defenseman Brad Fast is just that, and has shown off his skating and stick-handling skills more as he becomes more comfortable in the Spartan system. In Saturday night?s game against Bowling Green, Fast scored the game-winning goal and set up the Spartans second and fourth goals. He leads all MSU defensemen with seven points (three goals, four assists).
Raving about rookies ? In addition to Brad Fast (see note above), several other Spartan rookies have starred recently. Consider:
? Left wing Brian Maloney, who had his second two-goal game of the year Saturday night.
? Steve Clark, who moved from left wing to right wing this weekend and recorded an assist in each game. Clark has three points in the last four games.
? Goaltender Ryan Miller, who stopped 17 of 19 shots while extending his shutout streak to a school-record 191:54.
The most exciting moment in sports ? Michigan State was awarded its first penalty shot in over four years Saturday night when Bowling Green?s Michael Jones covered the puck in the crease. Adam Hall took the shot, MSU?s first penalty shot since Richard Keyes was stopped against Maine Oct. 15, 1995. Hall went to his backhand but couldn?t get the puck over Tyler Masters?s outstretched arm.
Hall bounced back to score on a partial breakaway about 15 minutes later, chipping the puck over Masters as he was falling down for his CCHA-leading 11th goal of the season.
First to 10 ? Michigan State and Michigan are the nation?s first two teams to reach the 10-victory mark this season.
Multiplication tables ? The Spartans have scored more than three times as many goals as their opponents overall (43-13) and more than four times as many in CCHA games (42-9).
Gentlemen, please remove your hats ? Michigan State players have combined for 29 career two-goal games, but no current Spartan has a collegiate hat trick to his credit.
Deja vu? ? Like this season, the 1988-89 Spartan squad lost its first game, only to run off a long winning streak. In 1988, MSU lost to Lake Superior to open the season, then won its next 19 outings.That ?88-89 team won both the CCHA regular-season and playoff championships and finished in third place in the NCAA Championship.
Got their digits ? Michigan State has not allowed more than one goal against Miami in any of the last six meetings between the two teams, with three shutouts in that time. The Spartans outscored the RedHawks, 15-2, in sweeping the three game series last year.
Do you think they miss him? ? Mike York had six goals and three assists in MSU?s three wins over Miami last year, with a hand in nine of the Spartans? 15 goals against the RedHawks last season.
INJURY REPORT ? Fr. F Pat Brush (left knee injury, out indefinitely), So. F Joe Goodenow (left hip injury, out indefinitely).
MSU CAREER LEADERS vs. MIAMI Player (Yr., Pos.) Statistics Shawn Horcoff (Sr., C) 9 GP, 6-7-13 Rustyn Dolyny (Jr., C) 6 GP, 2-5-7 Brad Hodgins (Sr., D) 10 GP, 0-4-4 Andrew Hutchinson (So., D) 3 GP, 0-2-2 Mike Weaver (Sr., D) 10 GP, 0-2-2 Player (Yr., Pos.) Statistics Joe Blackburn (Jr., G) 2-0-0, 0.50, .970 Mike Gresl (Sr., G) 1-0-0, 1.00, .944SPARTANS IN THE CCHA 1999-2000 Standings Team (Overall) CCHA Pts 1. MICHIGAN STATE (10-1-0) 10-0-0 20 2. Michigan (10-1-0) 7-1-0 14 3. Northern Michigan (8-3-1) 6-1-1 13 4. Western Michigan (5-5-2) 5-5-2 12 5. Ferris State (6-6-0) 4-6-0 8 Notre Dame (4-6-2) 3-5-2 8 7. Nebraska-Omaha (2-3-3) 2-3-3 7 8. Lake Superior (3-5-0) 3-3-0 6 9. Bowling Green (3-6-0) 3-4-0 6 Miami (5-4-2) 2-3-2 6 11. Alaska Fairbanks (3-9-0) 2-8-0 4 12. Ohio State (2-11-0) 1-9-0 2
MULTIPLE-GOAL GAMES MR: most recent Player Thisyr. Career MR Adam Hall 2 6 11/6/99 Brian Maloney 2 2 11/13/99 Rustyn Dolyny 1 8 10/23/99 Shawn Horcoff 1 7 10/29/99 Damon Whitten 1 1 10/16/99 Andrew Bogle 0 1 3/20/98 Brad Hodgins 0 1 3/19/99 A. Hutchinson 0 1 1/9/99 Joe Goodenow 0 1 1/1/99 Mike Weaver 0 1 12/28/98
MULTIPLE-POINT GAMES MR: most recent Player Thisyr. Career MR Shawn Horcoff 6 28 11/13/99 Rustyn Dolyny 3 22 10/29/99 Adam Hall 3 7 11/13/99 Brad Hodgins 2 8 10/23/99 Damon Whitten 2 6 11/5/99 Brad Fast 2 2 11/13/99 John-Michael Liles 2 2 10/23/99 Troy Ferguson 1 1 10/16/99 Brian Maloney 1 1 10/15/99 Mike Weaver 0 5 3/13/98 Andrew Bogle 0 4 3/20/98 John Nail 0 1 10/31/97 Sean Patchell 0 1 1/2/99
SPARTANS IN THE POLLS: WEEK-BY-WEEK USCHO USA Today 10/5 3 - 10/18 5 6 10/25 4 3 11/1 4 4 11/8 4 4
CURRENT POINT- SCORING STREAKS 10 games: Shawn Horcoff (5-16-21) 5 games: Adam Hall (6-1-7) 2 games: Steve Clark (0-2-2)
