Michigan State University Athletics
Hockey Wins 10th Straight, 3-1
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
January 9, 1999
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Three different Spartans scored and Joe Blackburn made 20 saves as Michigan State defeated Bowling Green, 3-1, Saturday night at Munn Ice Arena.
The win was Michigan State's 10th in a row and extended the Spartans' home unbeaten streak to 24 games (20-0-4). MSU is now 18-3-2 on the year and 12-2-2 and in first place in the CCHA.
Bowling Green dropped to 10-10-1 overall (6-8-1 CCHA).
Blackburn made his return from the World Junior Championship, where he missed the last six MSU games while with Team USA. He picked up where he left off, however, allowing one goal or less for the 12th time in 16 games.
"It felt good to be back," Blackburn said. "I was used to the world juniors, where the defensemen weren't quite as good. I was getting 40 shots a game there.
"I was a little worried because the team won six straight when I was gone," he added. "You never know how things are going to go with a different goalie. Last year all hell would break loose when we took Chad Alban out, because he was such a good puck-handler."
Sophomore left wing Damon Whitten continued his hot streak in the first, converting on assists from Andrew Hutchinson and Shawn Mather for his eighth goal of the year. Whitten extended his goal-scoring streak to four games and MSU improved to 8-0-0 when he has a point.
"It seems like lately everything is going in," Whitten said. "It got back to Hutchinson at the point and there seemed like there was an ocean between us. He sent a low wrister to me -- it was really a nice play by him."
Senior left wing Bryan Adams scored his team-leading 14th goal of the year at 17:37 of the second period on a brilliant power-play pass from senior center Mike York.
Bowling Green clawed back, however, and scored on its power play, which had been threatening all night.
Grady Moore's shot from the point bounced on the ice over Blackburn's glove hand at the 19:43 mark of the second period, and the two teams went to the locker room with MSU leading 2-1.
Both BGSU's Mike Savard and Blackburn fought off some good shots in the third period before Savard was pulled for an extra skater in the last minute. Shawn Horcoff stole the puck off a BG stick and got it ahead to York, who put it in the empty net for his 14th goal at 19:59.
Blackburn improves to 11-3-2. MSU puts its winning streak on the line next Friday in a return engagement with Bowling Green on the Falcons' campus.
"The problm with streaks is that they are always made to be broken at some point," head coach Ron Mason said. "Now you look at next week and we have to go right back down to their barn. That is a major test for us at this point."
