Michigan State University Athletics
#3 Spartan Hockey vs. #7 Notre Dame: Game Notes
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
February 11, 1999
Date Fri., Feb. 12
Time 8 p.m.
Site Munn Ice Arena (6,170)
See the game live in the Lansing area on MediaOne (Ch. 17), TCI (Ch. 13) or Horizon (Ch. 11) cable systems
Hear the game live on WVFN-AM 730 or at www.gamecruiser.com/michiganstate/index.htm
The Note of the Night
Laying it on the line - Michigan State has not lost since Nov. 29, a 2-1 decision at Minnesota, and has put together several impressive streaks. Some of them could be extended tonight:
17-game unbeaten streak (13-0-4) ... the third-longest streak in MSU history and best since 1988 ... the longest active sreak in Division I ... longest unbeaten streak in MSU history is 22 games
14-game CCHA unbeaten streak (10-0-4) ... since a Nov. 20 2-1 loss at Michigan, it started the next night at Western Michigan ... has taken the Spartans from third in the league to first
25-game home unbeaten streak (20-0-5) ... since a Dec. 7, 1997, 1-0 loss to Bowling Green, it started with a 1-1 tie vs. Northern Michigan Jan. 9, 1998 ... it is the longest home unbeaten streak in school history (second-best is 20 games) ... includes a 9-0-3 home record this year
Five More Notes No Media Person Should Be Without
1. A special game - Three of the four goals in last Fridays 2-2 tie between Michigan State and Notre Dame were scored on the power play. On paper, the two teams special teams match up very evenly (with each units CCHA overall rank):
MICHIGAN STATE vs. NOTRE DAME 91.5% PK (1st) 23.4% PP (1st) 14.4% PP (7th) 82.9% PK (8th)
2. Y ask y? - Sophomore right wing Rustyn Dolyny had a goal and an assist last weekend to extend his career-best point-scoring streak to seven games. Dolyny stands third on the team in scoring with 12-13-25 totals.
3. Comin home - After playing 17 of its last 23 games away from Munn Ice Arena, the Spartans are at home for five of the last seven games of the regular season.
4. You again? - Michigan State and Notre Dame are meeting for the second of three consecutive Fridays.
5. Get the Sensation! - Senior center and Hobey Baker Award candidate Mike York leads the Spartans in scoring with 36 points (17-19-36) in 29 games. Other York notes:
has had a hand in almost as many goals (36) as MSU opponents have scored (41)
a clutch player, he has scored half of his goals in the third period (eight of 16) and has four game-winning goals
15 of his 17 goals have come when the game is tied, MSU trails by a goal or leads by a goal
a terrific two-way player, leads MSU at +24 and has only been on the ice once when the opponent has scored a a 5-on-5 goal (Dec. 12 vs. NMU, two months ago)
logs between 25 and 30 minutes of ice time each night, often vs. the opponents top line
leads the team or shares the team lead in goals (17), assists (19), points (36), game-winning goals (4), shots (134) and plus/minus (+24)
Powerful, all of a sudden - While the Michigan State power play had been ranked as low as 10th in the CCHA at one point, it has caught fire of late. The Spartans are eight for their last 28 power-play opportunities (28.6 percent) and have at least one power-play goal in six straight games.
On the year, the Spartans have scored more special-teams goals than their opponents in 20 games and only lost that matchup four times.
Second-degree Blackburn - Sophomore goaltender Joe Blackburn is among the NCAA leaders in goals-against average (first, 1.45) and save percentage (second, .928). The All-America candidate leads the CCHA in both categories in overall games.
A team effort - Michigan State is the only team in the nation allowing less than 2.0 goals per game (1.37), but the Spartans have not had a CCHA Defensive Player of the Week.
Peppermint Pattie and Junior Mint - For the third straight year, two centers are leading the Spartans in scoring, demonstrating the balance MSU has on its top two lines. The past two years it was Mike York and Sean Berens atop the scoring chart; this year York is followed by No. 2 center junior Shawn Horcoff.
Coaching connections - Ron Mason helped Dave Poulin break into professional hockey after Poulins playing days at Notre Dame were over. Mason recommended Poulin to his friend, Ted Sator, who signed Poulin to his Division I Rogle team in Sweden. Poulin played well enough there to earn a contract from the Philadelphia Flyers.
Watching the race - Michigan State has a three-point lead and a game in hand over Ohio State in the CCHA race. Michigan is five points back, while Notre Dame is seven points behind with one less game played. Listed below are the top four teams in the race with their remaining games:
MSU: vs. ND, vs. ND, vs. Mich. (JLA), at FSU, vs. WMU, vs. FSU, vs. FSU
OSU: at NMU, at NMU, vs. FSU, vs. UAF, vs. BG, at BG
Mich.: at WMU, at WMU, vs. MSU (JLA), vs. MIA, vs. MIA, at LSSU, at NMU
ND: at MSU, vs. FSU, at MSU, at BG, vs. NMU, vs. NMU, at MIA, at MIA
Two is too many - Michigan State has allowed one goal or less in 70 percent of its games (21 of 30).
BA on the PP - Senior left wing Bryan Adams leads the Spartans with six power-play goals and shares the team lead with 16 goals overall. Each of his last three goals have come on the power play, in the last seven games.
Rank and file - Against Notre Dame this weekend the Spartans will face a top-10 team for the seventh time this year. MSU is 2-1-3 vs. top-10 opponents in 1998-99.
Short-handed specialists - MSU has four players with more than one short-handed goal (Rustyn Dolyny and Shawn Horcoff with three, Bryan Adams and Mike York with two). The Spartans have scored 11 short-handed goals while only allowing their opponents 12 power-play goals. MSUs penalty-killing unit leads the nation with a 91.5 percent success rate.
Simply dominant - While MSUs second-period scoring (28-16) is impressive, it is overshadowed by the Spartans dominance in the first (33-12) and third (33-12) periods.
Big Ten bullies - Each of Michigan States three losses have come against Big Ten universities (Ohio State, Michigan, Minnesota). Each loss has also been by just one goal, and the Spartans have outshot their opponents 35-13 in the third period of those three games.
The fries at the bottom of the bag - MSUs three SHGs in 10 minutes at UAF matched the Spartans season total from 44 games last year ... the Alaska trip (3,500 miles, one way) was longer than all of MSUs other road trips this season combined (2,600 miles) ... MSU is 3-1-1 when it takes more penalties than its opponent ... against LSSU the Spartans earned their first win when an opponent scores two goals (1-2-2) ... Joe Louis career record of 68-3-0 included 54 knockouts ... MSU set a CCHA league record for team defense last year (1.80 goals against) and has improved upon it this year (1.39) ... Hobart Amory Hare Bakers middle name is misspelled on his Hockey Hall of Fame plaque ("Amery") ... MSU is the first college team to have a banner hung in the Joe Louis Arena rafters after its latest GLI title ... freshmen scored MSUs first goal in the first four games of the season ...
Say This About Our Players...
1 Mike Gresl (Jr., G)
holds a 7-0-0 record, 1.00 GAA, .949 save percentage
has posted two shutouts (12/4, 1/3)
GLI MVP after posting back-to-back wins with 26 and 24 saves while stepping in for Joe Blackburn, who was with the U.S. National Junior Team
2 Jon Insana (Fr., D)
has improved as the season has progressed and boasts a +11 rating
set the MSU record for penalty minutes in a game Jan. 23 vs. NMU with 29 PIM
4 Chris Bogas (Sr., D)
leads MSU defensemen in scoring with 12 points (1-11-12)
shares team lead with seven power-play assists
led the team in plus/minus rating each of his first two years and is +59 for his career
has made a successful return from off-season surgery on his left wrist
5 Mike Weaver (Jr., D)
shares lead among MSU defensemen with +21
an excellent shot blocker and a defensive defenseman in the mold of Tyler Harlton
an honorable mention All-CCHA selection and GLI MVP last season
led all MSU defensemen with 26 points last year, more than three times his freshman output
7 Brad Hodgins (Jr., D)
second among MSU defensemen with 1-10-11 totals
his goal, a PPG, was the game-winner against Ohio State Nov. 6
8 Curtis Gemmel (Sr., C)
an experienced defensive center with 0-3-3
10 Shawn Horcoff (Jr., C)
second on the team in scoring at 12-16-28
team is 14-0-3 when he has a point
has as many multiple-point games (nine) as single-point games (nine)
shares NCAA lead with three SHGs
15 of his 36 career goals have come in the third period or OT
14 of his 36 career goals are PPGs
12 Shawn Mather (Fr., C)
has been a solid center with 4-2-6, including two power-play goals
14 Damon Whitten (So., LW)
has 9-4-13 on the season, good for fifth on the team
MSU is 9-0-1 when he has a point
had the game-winner in the GLI title game against Michigan (on the power play) and the game-tying goal vs. U-M Jan. 29
has doubled his goal total from last year
played goaltender until his junior year of high school 16 Bryan Adams (Sr., LW)
shares the team lead with 16 goals and is fourth in scoring at 16-8-24
MSU is 11-0-2 when he scores a goal
was named the CCHA and national offensive player of the week after totaling 4-2-6 Oct. 23-24
led MSU in scoring through 15 games last year but was plagued with injuries the rest of the way
earned the CCHAs Terry Flanagan Award for overcoming adversity
18 Adam Hall (Fr., RW)
leading MSU rookies in points and goals with 7-3-10
has skated with seniors Mike York and Bryan Adams almost all year
played for the U.S. National Junior Team, where he had one assist in six games
ranked 30th among 1999 draft eligible prospects by Red Line Report
19 Rustyn Dolyny (So., RW)
third on the team with 12-13-25, including a seven-game point-scoring streak
named CCHA Offensive Player of the Week with 4-3-7 (3-1-4 short-handed) Jan. 1-3
MSU is 14-0-4 when he has a point
led CCHA rookies in league points last season
unanimous CCHA All-Rookie Team pick
22 Andrew Bogle (So., RW/C)
MSUs Most Improved Player in 1997-98
centers the sophomore line with Damon Whitten and John Nail
24 Andrew Hutchinson (Fr., D)
returned last night after missing three games with a sprained knee suffered Jan. 16
shares lead among MSU rookies with 1-9-10 and has an assist in seven of his last nine games
two-time CCHA Rookie of the Week
26 Joe Goodenow (Fr., LW)
has his first two-point game 1/1 vs. UAF
stands third among MSU rookies in points with 2-7-9
featured in last weeks Sports Illustrated in its NHL notebook
27 Jeff Kozakowski (Sr., D)
shares lead among MSU defensemen and second overall with a +21 rating
broke a 61-game goal-scoring at the GLI with a goal in each game
has two of his three goals this year vs. Mich.
named to GLI all-tournament team
has 3-7-10 this year
30 Joe Blackburn (So., G)
1st in the CCHA and in the NCAA with a 1.45 overall GAA
1st in the CCHA and 2nd in the NCAA with a .928 save percentage
made career-best 36 saves vs. NMU Jan. 23
played with the U.S. National Junior Team
made 36 saves to beat Canada 5-2 on New Years Eve in Winnipeg
GET THE SENSATION! #61 Mike York
Sr. Center 5-10 185 Captain Waterford, Mich.
1998-99
leading the team with 17-19-36
leads the team with with four GWGs and six assists on game-winning goals
nine of his 17 goals have given the Spartans the lead at the time and 15 of 17 were scored while the game was tied or one team led by one goal
has had a hand in almost as many goals (36) as MSU opponents have scored (41)
a terrific two-way player, he is leading all Spartans with a +24 rating and has only been on the ice for one 5-on-5 opponents goal in over 550 shifts (Dec. 12 vs. NMU)
plays between 25 and 30 minutes a game, usually vs. the opponents top line
second on the team with eight power-play points
had at least one point in 20 of 30 games, and has had two or more in 11 of 30 games
elected team captain by his teammates after serving as assistant captain last season
had a season-high three goals vs. Northern Michigan (Dec. 26) and Miami (Jan. 8), a season-high three assists vs. Ohio State Oct. 23, and a season-high four points vs. Miami (Jan. 8)
Career
returning first-team All-American and Hobey Baker finalist
MSUs active career scoring leader with 183 points (1.25 points per game)
has two points or more in one-third of his career games
has led the team in scoring each of the last two seasons, the first Spartan to do that since Kip Miller in 1988-89 and 1989-90
could become the first Spartan to lead the team in assists for four seasons and the first in Ron Masons 20 years to lead the team in points three times
leads all current Spartans in career scoring at Joe Louis Arena with nine goals and nine assists (18 points) in 12 games
1998 CCHA Tournament MVP after scoring two goals -- both from behind the goal line -- in the CCHA title game
stands tied for 19th among MSU career scorers, 26 points out of the top 10
Miscellaneous
wears No. 61, the reverse of the No. 16 wore by his childhood hockey hero, Pat LaFontaine
a sixth-round selection of the New York Rangers in 1997
one of only 12 Americans to play in three World Junior Championships
finished his career with the U.S. National Junior Team tied as the No. 8 all-time scorer with John LeClair, Keith Tkachuk and Scott Young
finished high school in three years
housemate and close friend of linemate Bryan Adams
volunteers in the mid-Michigan area through M.S.Unity in the Community and other youth groups
SERIES INFORMATION vs. NOTRE DAME:
75th meeting: MSU leads, 41-28-5
In East Lansing: MSU leads, 24-12-1
First meeting: ND 3, MSU 1 (1/18/22)
Last meeting: MSU 2, ND 2 (2/5/99)
Last MSU win: MSU 3, ND 1 (11/8/97)
Last ND win: ND 6, MSU 1 (11/1/97)
Last years series: MSU won, 2-1-0
NDs win at Munn last year was its first at MSU since 2/14/81 (MSU is 11-1-0 at home since then)
MSU is 14-1-4 vs. ND since the Irish rejoined the CCHA in 1992
A complete list of game-by-game MSU vs. ND series scores is available on p. 115-6 of the Michigan State Hockey Media Guide
MSU CAREER LEADERS vs. ND Player (Yr., Pos.) GP, G-A-P Mike York (Sr., C) 10 GP, 5-7-12 Bryan Adams (Sr., LW) 9 GP, 3-5-8 Chris Bogas (Sr., D) 10 GP, 0-5-5 Jeff Kozakowski (Sr., D) 10 GP, 0-4-4 Goaltender (Yr.) W-L-T, GAA, Sv.% Joe Blackburn (So.) 0-0-1, 1.85, .929
