Michigan State University Athletics
#4 Spartan Hockey vs. Minnesota: Game Notes
11/27/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 27, 1999
The Basics
Storyline Michigan State looks to avoid its fourth straight loss in the finale of the 1999 College Hockey Showcase.
Last Night Graham Melanson turned aside 35 shots and Dany Heatley (three goals) and Steve Reinprecht (five points) starred offensively, leading Wisconsin to a 5-1 win. MSU outshot the Badgers, 36-23, but couldn?t convert on its chances. Wisconsin scored three times in 2:08 of the first period to take control of the game.
The Records
MSU: 10-4-0 (10-2-0 CCHA)
MINN: 5-7-1 (3-4-1 WCHA)
The Coaches
MSU: Ron Mason -- Overall: 847-359-70 (34th), MSU: 558-249-56 (21st)
MINN: Don Lucia -- Overall: 284-162-29 (13th), MINN: 5-7-1 (first)
On the air All Spartan games can be heard on WVFN-AM 730, with Scott Moore calling the play-by-play. Volunteer assistant coach Jim Mullin provides analysis. That broadcast is also available by calling TEAMLINE at (800) 846-4700 (code #5300). Michigan State games can also be heard free of charge on the web at http://www.msuspartans.com
Note of the Night
Streaky ? After a season-opening loss at Colorado College, Michigan State reeled off 10 consecutive victories, matching its longest winning streak since the 1988-89 season. Since then, the Spartans have lost three straight, matching their longest losing streak since the 1990-91 season. MSU last lost four in a row Jan. 19 to Feb. 1, 1991, and was last swept in back-to-back weekends Feb. 12-13 and 19-20, 1988. Here?s a statistical comparison of this year?s two streaks:
Goals/Game GA/Game Shots/Game Shots All./Gm. Save Pct. Opp. Sv.% PP% PK%Win Streak 4.20 0.90 33.2 20.7 .957 .876 23.2% 93.8%Losing Streak 1.00 3.67 24.7 18.7 .804 .959 20.0% 70.0%
Five More Notes No Media Person Should Be Without
1. Raving about rookies ? Michigan State freshmen have accounted for six of MSU?s last seven goals, including Brian Maloney?s power-play goal in the third period last night. Maloney has three of the Spartans? last seven goals. He and defenseman John-Michael Liles, who assisted on the goal last night, share the MSU rookie lead with eight points apiece.
2. Unlucky 13 ? Michigan State has outshot its opponent by 13 shots per game in each of its last two outings, losses to Miami, 3-0, and Wisconsin, 5-1. The Spartans outshot Miami, 24-11, and Wisconsin, 36-23.
3. Reversal of fortune? ? The Spartans had never lost to Wisconsin the the six previous years of the College Hockey Showcase prior to last night. MSU is 1-5-0 in the Showcase against Minnesota.
4. Who made this schedule? ? Michigan State is the 12th top-10 opponent Minnesota has faced this year through 14 games. The Golden Gophers are 3-7-1 against top-10 teams, but five of those seven loses have been by one or two goals.
5. A family affair ? Minnesota freshman forward Dan Welch is the son of former Spartan Russ Welch. Russ earned four letters for Michigan State from 1976-80, totaling 78 goals and 112 assists (190 points) to rank 18th in career points at MSU. Welch was the last player prior to Mike York to lead the team in scoring for three years (?77-78-79) and was the captain of Ron Mason?s first Spartan team (1979-80). A two-time team MVP, he was the first recipient of the Amo Bessone Award, presented on the basis of athletic, scholastic and community participation.
Post-it Notes
Swept away ? Michigan State lost back-to-back games last weekend for the first time since the end of the 1996-97 season (March 15 vs. Michigan, March 22 vs. Minnesota). The Spartans were swept in one weekend for the first time since Oct. 25-27, 1996 (at Boston College and Northeastern).
A special team ? Michigan State stands second in the CCHA in overall games with a 20.3 percent power play and second in penalty killing (88.1 percent). The Spartans led the league in penalty killing last year, but were seventh in power play (15.0 percent).
Coaching connection ? Michigan State faced Minnesota head coach Don Lucia in his final game at Colorado College, March 28 of last year. The Spartans scored two goals in the last one minute, 40 seconds to erase a 3-2 CC lead and advance to the NCAA Frozen Four.
Horcoff is on ? Senior center Shawn Horcoff had a career-best 11-game point-scoring streak snapped last Saturday night, but still leads the team with 23 points (five goals and 18 assists), 62 percent of his point total from all of last year (37). He has a hand in 51.1 percent of the Spartans? goals this season (23 of 45).
Hall of fame ? Sophomore right wing Adam Hall leads MSU in goals with 11, all coming in the Spartans? 10-game winning streak. He has already surpassed last year?s regular-season goal total (10), although he led the CCHA with six postseason goals last year. He has 17 goals in his last 18 games, dating back to last year.
Balancing act ? Michigan State?s scoring by period reads: 14-16-16.
Balancing act II ? Seven different players have three or more goals for MSU, and seven have at least seven points.
Gentlemen, please remove your hats ? Michigan State players have combined for 28 career two-goal games, but no current Spartan has a collegiate hat trick to his credit.
FORMER SPARTAN OF THE WEEK ? Dean Sylvester (MSU 1994-95) was called up to the Atlanta Thrashers this week, giving MSU 14 former players in the NHL, more than any other college. Sylvester responded with his first NHL goal Monday night ? plus two more, becoming just the second player ever to record a hat trick the same night he scored his first career goal. He is the first Thrasher in history to record a hat trick.
INJURY REPORT ? Fr. F Pat Brush (left knee injury, out indefinitely), So. F Joe Goodenow (left hip injury, out indefinitely).
The fries at the bottom of the bag ? 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 ... last weekend marked the first time since Feb. 11-12, 1988, that Michigan and Michigan State were both swept in the same weekend ... Adam Hall took MSU?s first penalty shot in over five years Nov. 13 vs. Bowling Green and was stopped by BG goaltender Tyler Masters ... Ryan Miller was featured in The Hockey News and USA Today last week ... 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) ? recently returned from a fractured glove hand ? last year?s GLI MVP
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) ? leads MSU rookies and MSU defensemen with 4-4-8 ? had his first career two-goal game at Miami Nov. 19, both PPGs
5 ? Mike Weaver (Sr., D) ? MSU?s top defensive player and penalty killer ? first-team All-CCHA, second-team All-America and CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman last year ? posted a +23 rating last season
6 ? Steve Clark (Fr., F) ? has three points in his last seven games
7 ? Brad Hodgins (Sr., D) ? leader among MSU defensemen in career points with 10-49-59 ? eight of his 10 career goals are PPGs
9 ? Sean Patchell (Jr., W) ? has matched last year?s point total with 3-2-5 through 14 games ? led MSU in penalties last year with 37
10 ? Shawn Horcoff (Sr., C) ? MSU?s top active scorer (41-69-110) and the 55th Spartan to record 100 points ? MSU?s leading scorer with a hand in 51.1% of MSU?s goals (23 of 45) ? has had two games with three or more assists this year (Oct. 16, Oct. 23) ? 17 of his 41 career goals have come in the third period or OT ? Hockey News rates him the Edmonton Oilers? No. 4 prospect and a sure-fire NHLer
14 ? Damon Whitten (Jr., LW) ? has 6-4-10 in 13 GP despite playing on a fractured right pinky toe ? had his career-best six-game point-scoring streak snapped Nov. 13 vs. BGSU ? first career multi-goal game Oct. 16 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) ? had 11 goals in MSU?s 10-game winning streak ? has scored MSU?s first goal four times ? has at least a goal in nine of his last 13 games and 17 goals in last 19 games ? has already surpassed his regular-season goal total from last year (10) ? led the CCHA with six goals in the 1999 postseason
19 ? Rustyn Dolyny (Jr., C/RW) ? a RW for his first two seasons, has moved to C to help MSU?s depth at that position ? has the most career points per game (0.88) of any current Spartan ? has had a hand in three of MSU?s five SHGs this season ? scored MSU?s first goal 7 times last year
20 ? Brian Maloney (Fr., LW) ? has scored 3 of MSU?s last 7 goals ? has two two-goal games (Oct. 15 at UNO, Nov. 13 vs. BGSU)
22 ? Andrew Bogle (So., C) ? scored his first goal of the year Oct. 29 ? 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) ? out indefinitely with an injury suffered at U.S. Junior National Team tryouts in August
27 ? Brad Fast (Fr., D) ? second among MSU defensemen with 3-4-7 ? 1-2-3 (including GWG) vs. BGSU Nov. 13
30 ? Joe Blackburn (Jr., G) ? returning first-team All-American who has split time with rookie Ryan Miller ? set CCHA and MSU single-season records in GAA and save percentage last year ? owns the best career GAA (1.69) and save percentage (.920) in MSU history ? has four career shutouts (one this year) ? an outstanding student who plans to become a teacher after hockey
39 ? Ryan Miller (Fr., G) ? has shared time in net with Blackburn, with a CCHA-leading 1.40 GAA and .934 save percentage ? first MSU goalie ever to post three straight shutouts ? broke Ron Scott?s school-record shutout streak (Miller?s record: 191:54) ? an East Lansing native and cousins of Kip, Kevin and Kelly Miller
SERIES INFORMATION vs. MINNESOTA:
? 143rd meeting: MSU trails, 38-97-7
? In East Lansing: MSU trails, 24-40-2
? First meeting: MINN 2, MSU 0 (2/29/26)
? Last meeting: MINN 2, MSU 1 (11/29/98)
? Last MSU win: MSU 3, MINN 2 (11/30/97)
? Last 10 meetings: MSU trails, 2-8-0
? In the CHS: MSU trails, 1-5-0
? MINN has won eight of the last nine
? MSU has only hosted MINN once since joining the CCHA (the 1997 CHS, the last time previous was a 7-1 MINN win 2/2/80)
? A complete list of game-by-game MSU vs. MINN series scores is available on p. 125 of the Michigan State Hockey Media Guide
MSU CAREER LEADERS vs. MINNPlayer (Yr., Pos.) GP, G-A-PJohn Nail (Jr., RW) 2 GP, 1-0-1Shawn Horcoff (Sr., C) 3 GP, 0-1-1Damon Whitten (Jr., LW) 2 GP, 0-1-1Goaltenders (Yr.) W-L-T, GAA, Sv.%Joe Blackburn (Jr.) 0-1-0, 2.00, .900
