Michigan State University Athletics
#5 Spartan Hockey vs. Notre Dame: Game Notes
12/4/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Dec. 4, 1999
Date December 4, 1999
Site Joyce Center (2,667)
Time 7:05 p.m.
Hear the game live on WVFN-AM 730 or at www.broadcast.com/sports/ncaa/MichiganState
The two teams return to East Lansing tomorrow night for a 7:05 p.m. start at Munn Ice Arena. Standing-room tickets are available at the door for $7
Note of the Night
Horcoff is on ? Senior center Shawn Horcoff leads the nation in points (26) and assists (20). He has had more than one point in more than half of the games this year (eight of 15). Horcoff already has over 70 percent of his point total from all of last year (37) and has a hand in 50 percent of Michigan State?s 52 goals this season.
Through 15 games last season, Michigan State?s leading scorer, Mike York, had 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) and Horcoff had 11 points (five goals, six assists).
Five More Notes No Media Person Should Be Without
1. Not just a hockey school ? For the first week in school history, Michigan State?s hockey (No. 5), men?s basketball (No. 7) and football (No. 10) teams are all ranked in the nation?s top 10 this week.
2. Like Kotter ? Michigan State is 16-1-4 against Notre Dame since welcoming the Irish back into the CCHA in 1992. The lone loss was Nov. 1, 1997, in East Lansing (6-1). MSU hasn?t lost to Notre Dame in the Joyce Center since Dec. 3, 1982 (3-2), the year after Dave Poulin graduated.
3. Miracles on ice ? Tonight?s game features five players who were named to the 2000 U.S. National Junior Team earlier this week (Michigan State?s Adam Hall and John-Michael Liles, Notre Dame?s Connor Dunlop, Brett Henning and David Inman). These are two of only seven schools in the nation with multiple players selected to the 22-man roster which will compete with the best players in the world under 20 years old at the World Junior Championship, Dec. 25 to Jan. 4 in Sweden.
Tonight?s game also features 11 former members of the U.S. National Under-18 Team, the group based out of Ann Arbor, Mich., and coached by former Lake Superior head coach Jeff Jackson. Six current Spartans (Troy Ferguson, Joe Goodenow, Adam Hall, Andrew Hutchinson, Jon Insana and John-Michael Liles) and five current Irish (Michael Chin, Connor Dunlop, Paul Harris, Brett Henning and John Wroblewski) played for the USA Hockey program.
4. First one to one wins ? Michigan State is 10-0-0 when it scores first and just 1-4-0 when its opponent scores first.
5. A special team ? Seven of Michigan State?s last nine goals have come courtesy of special teams. The Spartans rank first in the CCHA in both power play (22.4 percent) and penalty killing (91.9 percent) in conference games. MSU has scored six SHGs on the year.
Post-it Notes
SKATE WITH THE SPARTANS ? The annual Skate with the Spartans event will be held Monday, Dec. 6, from 7 to 8 p.m. at Munn Ice Arena. Fans have a chance to lace up their skates on the Munn Arena ice and meet their favorite Spartans. It is a great opportunity to collect autographs and photos as well.
Swept away ? Michigan State snapped its three-game losing streak against Minnesota last Saturday night, but still carries a two-game CCHA losing streak into tonight?s game. The Spartans have not lost three in a row in the conference since Feb. 4-11, 1995.
Y ask y? ? Junior forward Rustyn Dolyny had gone nine games without a goal, the longest goal-less stretch of his career, before exploding for two goals and an assist Saturday night against Minnesota. Dolyny, playing in his 100th career game, had two power-play goals and a short-handed assist on MSU?s first four goals, as the Spartans built a 5-0 lead. Eleven of Dolyny?s 13 points and all four of his goals this season have come on special teams (seven points and three goals on the power play, four points and one goal short-handed).
Power surge ? Eight different players have combined for Michigan State?s 19 power-play goals this year, led by Adam Hall with five. The Spartans have scored three or more power-play goals in a game on three occasions this year
Just-Magnificent ? Freshman defenseman John-Michael Liles had an outstanding weekend in the College Hockey Showcase, posting four assists, leading the MSU power play, making heads-up defensive plays and delivering punishing hits. Liles had three assists in the second period Saturday night ? his second three-point period of the season (also Oct. 16 at Nebraska-Omaha). He has two goals and four assists (six points) in the last four games and leads all MSU rookies and defensemen with 4-7-11 on the year. Liles, an Indiana native who plays his first collegiate game in his home state Saturday, stands tied for third in the CCHA in defenseman scoring in overall games.
Coaching connection ? Michigan State head coach Ron Mason helped Notre Dame?s Dave Poulin break into professional hockey, recommending Poulin to his friend Ted Sator, who was coaching in Sweden. Sator signed Poulin to his Division I Rogle team, and Poulin produced 62 points in 32 games. Sator, a scout for the Philadelphia Flyers, recommended Poulin to Flyers management, and a 13-year NHL career began.
Hall of fame ? Sophomore right wing Adam Hall leads MSU in goals with 12, including his fourth game-winner of the season Saturday night. He led the team and was third in the nation last year with six game-winning goals. Hall has already surpassed last year?s regular-season goal total (10), although he led the CCHA with six postseason goals last year. He has 18 goals in his last 20 games, dating back to last year.
Great goalies ? Michigan State junior Joe Blackburn and freshman Ryan Miller have split the Spartans? goaltending duties almost equally this season. Blackburn made back-to-back starts last weekend for the first time this season. Miller (1.17, .943) and Blackburn (1.34, .932) are first and second, respectively, in the CCHA in conference goals-against average and save percentage.
Century club ? Juniors Damon Whitten and John Nail (99 career games played each) are on the verge of playing in their 100th career games.
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.
FORMER SPARTAN OF THE WEEK ? Bryan Adams (MSU 1995-99) is fifth among IHL rookies in scoring with five goals and seven assists (12 points) in 20 games with the Orlando Solar Bears. The most recent Hockey News calls Adams, an Atlanta Thrashers prospect, the most skilled player at Orlando. He is tied for second on the team with five goals and is seventh in points. He had an assist in each of the Solar Bears? games this week, both wins.
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 ... Nov. 19-20 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 ... 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 ? scored his first career goal against Minnesota
4 ? John-Michael Liles (Fr., D) ? leads MSU rookies and MSU defensemen with 4-7-11 (third among CCHA defensemen) ? had his first career two-goal game at Miami Nov. 19, both PPGs ? twice this year has had three points in a period ? named to the U.S. National Junior Team
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 eight games
7 ? Brad Hodgins (Sr., D) ? leader among MSU defensemen in career points with 11-50-61 ? eight of his 11 career goals are PPGs
9 ? Sean Patchell (Jr., W) ? has matched last year?s point total with 3-2-5 through 15 games
10 ? Shawn Horcoff (Sr., C) ? MSU?s top active scorer (42-71-113) and the 55th Spartan to record 100 points ? MSU?s leading scorer with a hand in 50% of MSU?s goals (26 of 52) ? has had more than one point in eight of 15 games this season ? 17 of his 42 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 6-6-12 in 14 GP despite playing on a fractured right pinky toe ? had his career-best six-game point-scoring streak snapped Nov. 13 vs. BGSU
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) ? named to the U.S. National Junior Team ? had 11 goals in MSU?s 10-game winning streak ? has scored MSU?s first goal four times and the GWG four times ? has at least a goal in 10 of his last 14 games and 18 goals in last 20 games ? 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 (0.90) of any current Spartan ? has had a hand in four of MSU?s six SHGs this season ? scored MSU?s first goal 7 times last year
20 ? Brian Maloney (Fr., LW) ? leads MSU rookies with five 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
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 3-5-8 ? 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 (1.70) 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. NOTRE DAME:
? 77th meeting: MSU leads, 43-28-5
? In Notre Dame: Tied, 16-16-4
? First meeting: ND 3, MSU 1 (1/18/22)
? Last meeting: MSU 3, ND 1 (2/19/99)
? Last ND win: ND 6, MSU 1 (11/1/97)
? Last 10 meetings: MSU leads, 7-1-2
? Last year?s series: MSU won, 2-0-1 (one tie, one one-goal game, one two-goal game)
? MSU is 16-1-4 since ND rejoined the CCHA in 1992
? MSU is 6-0-4 at ND since a 3-2 loss Dec. 3, 1982
MSU CAREER LEADERS vs. NDPlayer (Yr., Pos.) GP, G-A-PShawn Horcoff (Sr., C) 9 GP, 1-3-4Rustyn Dolyny (Jr., C) 6 GP, 3-0-3Brad Hodgins (Sr., D) 9 GP, 0-3-3John Nail (Jr., RW) 6 GP, 1-1-2Damon Whitten (Jr., LW) 6 GP, 1-1-2Goaltenders (Yr.) W-L-T, GAA, Sv.%Joe Blackburn (Jr.) 2-0-1, 0.97, .960
The Basics
Storyline Michigan State travels to Notre Dame for the first half of a home-and-home, its last CCHA series before the holiday break.
Last Week 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 Friday. Saturday the Spartans stormed out to a 5-0 lead thanks to two goals and an assist from Rustyn Dolyny en route to a 6-2 win over Minnesota.
The Records
MSU: 11-4-0 (10-2-0 CCHA)
ND: 5-7-2 (3-5-2 CCHA)
The Coaches
MSU: Ron Mason - Overall: 848-359-70 (34th), MSU: 559-249-56 (21st)
ND: Dave Poulin - Overall: 60-88-6 (fifth), ND: same
