Michigan State University Athletics
Hockey Shoots for NCAA Frozen Four
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 22, 1999
#2 SPARTAN HOCKEY
VS.
#3 COLORADO COLLEGE or #6 ST. LAWRENCE
Quarterfinals Sun., March 28, 3 p.m. EST, Dane County Coliseum
See the game live on FOX Sports Detroit, FOX Sports New England or Midwest Sports Channel
Hear the game live on WVFN-AM 730 or at www.gamecruiser.com/michiganstate/index.htm
Note of the Weekend
Better rebounders than Antonio Smith - Michigan State enters the NCAA tournament coming off a loss in the CCHA semifinals, 5-3 to Northern Michigan. The Spartans have not lost back-to-back games since the end of the 1996-97 season, and are 9-0-1 in the game following a loss in the last two seasons. This year, MSU is 4-0-0 in the game after a loss.
Five More Notes No Media Person Should Be Without
1. Familiarity complex - Michigan State has never met Colorado College or St. Lawrence in the NCAA tournament. The Spartans have met CC just once since the 1980-81 season (Dec. 31, 1996) and have not faced St. Lawrence since the 1968-69 season.
On the other side of the familiarity issue, Ron Mason makes his NCAA-record 19th tournament appearance, and four of the field's other coaches have played for or coached under Mason. George Gwozdecky of Denver, Shawn Walsh of Maine and Rick Comley of Northern Michigan all were assistant coaches with Mason, while John Markell of Ohio State played for Mason.
2. Business as usual - The "All-Business Line" of Mike York, Bryan Adams and Adam Hall (M.B.A.) leads the Spartans. The trio has combined for 47 goals, or 38.8 percent of MSU's total. York, Adams and Hall each have five game-winning goals and share the team lead in that category. They have combined for 11 goals and 14 assists (25 points) in the last six games.
3. Second-degree Blackburn - Sophomore goaltender Joe Blackburn has been outstanding in his first full season as the Spartans' starter. Not only has he rewritten the CCHA record book, establishing new league marks for goals-against average and save percentage, but his save percentage (.933) is the best in college hockey since Ken Dryden was a senior at Cornell (.936 in 1968-69). Blackburn leads the nation in both GAA (1.39) and save percentage and is on pace to set MSU single-season records in both categories.
4. Natural born killers - Michigan State's penalty-killing unit is the best in the nation and the best in school history at 92.7 percent. The Spartans have scored as many goals as their opponents while the opponent is on the power play. MSU has scored 13 short-handed goals while only yielding 13 power-play goals.
Northern Michigan snapped a string of 37 consecutive penalty kills for the Spartans, spanning 11 games.
5. Two few - Michigan State owns the nation's best team defense, allowing just 1.40 goals per game. That sets a school record and is the best in college hockey since before the Great Depression.
The Spartans have allowed one goal or less in 27 of 40 games and have only allowed more than two goals five times all year. They have allowed more than three goals in just two games.
What if ... MSU plays CC
Tiger tracks - Michigan State and Colorado College played each other twice a year every year from 1951-52 to 1980-81. Since then the two teams have met just once, in a 1996-97 New Year's Eve game in East Lansing (a 6-2 MSU win). Some more MSU-CC notes:
an MSU-CC matchup would pit the Spartans' NCAA-leading penalty-killing unit against CC's power play which was ranked second in the nation as of March 15
MSU senior defenseman Chris Bogas played with CC's Darren Clark, Brian Swanson and Scott Swanson for the Omaha Lancers of the USHL
it would mark the first-ever NCAA tournament game between the two schools and the first neutral-site game
CC sports information director Dave Moross is a Michigan State graduate
What if ... MSU plays SLU
No, East Lansing, not St. Pete - MSU head coach Ron Mason graduated from St. Lawrence in 1964 and was a three-year letterwinner, two-year leading scorer and a team captain for the Saints. Mason played for St. Lawrence in the 1962 NCAA tournament, when the Saints finished fourth. Some more MSU-SLU notes:
Mason has not coached against his alma mater since his final season at Bowling Green (1978-79), and is 4-1-1 lifetime against St. Lawrence
an MSU-SLU matchup would feature both the CCHA and ECAC Players of the Year (Mike York and Eric Heffler) as well as two of the nations top goaltenders in Heffler and MSUs Joe Blackburn
SLU radio voice Greg Lapinsky is a Michigan State graduate
Get the Sensation!
Senior center and team captain Mike York enters this weekend two points shy of 200 for his career. The CCHA Player of the Year, CCHA Best Defensive Forward and Hobey Baker Award finalist has an eight-game point-scoring streak and has more than one point in five of his last six games. More York notes:
he has had a hand in 42.1 percent of MSU's goals this year and 53 percent in the last 11 games
he leads the CCHA with a +35 rating and has only been on the ice for two five-on-five goals against in nearly 900 shifts this season
on pace to become the first Spartan in 20 years to lead the team in scoring for three years and the first ever to lead the team in assists for four years
has 26 points in 17 career playoff games (NCAA and CCHA)
Post-it Notes ...
Focus on the Frozen Four - Michigan State is one win away from advancing to the Frozen Four for the first time since 1992. That also marked the last season in which the Spartans posted an NCAA tournament victory.
The last time the Spartans were a No. 2 seed (1987), they advanced to the championship game. The year before that MSU won the national championship as a No. 2 seed. No. 2 seeds have won 14 titles, more than any other seed (No. 1 seeds are second with nine).
A Hobey-riffic bracket - The segment of the NCAA bracket with Michigan State, Colorado College and St. Lawrence is the only one with three Hobey Baker finalists (Mike York, Brian Swanson and Eric Heffler).
Abberation? - Northern Michigan scored five goals against the Spartans in MSU's last game, the first time in over a year that MSU gave up that many goals (since March 7, 1998, a 5-1 loss also to Northern Michigan). The Spartans lost when leading after two periods for the first time all year and lost for the first time when they scored first.
Caution: explosive - In the Spartans' last two games, they have scored goals 38 seconds apart (March 13 vs. Lake Superior) and 18 seconds apart (March 19 vs. Northern Michigan).
Great Dane - Michigan State returns to the Dane County Coliseum, where the Spartans won the 1997 Team Cheerios Ice Breaker Invitational last season. The Spartans played in the NCAA tournament at Dane County Coliseum in 1995, falling 5-3 to host Wisconsin.
It is MSU's second trip to Madison this season. The Spartans defeated Wisconsin, 3-1, Nov. 27 in the College Hockey Showcase at the Kohl Center.
Great Dane II - Michigan State has played five games on large ice surfaces (wider than the standard 200' x 85') this year, posting a 4-1 record (3-0 at Alaska Fairbanks, 1-0 at Wisconsin, 0-1 at Minnesota). The Dane County Coliseum ice surface is 200' x 97'.
O from the D - Junior defenseman Brad Hodgins had gone 33 games without a goal before exploding for two in the first period vs. Northern Michigan. All three of his goals this season have come on the power play, and he has 3-7-10 totals with the man advantage.
Hodgins (3-14-17) and senior defenseman Jeff Kozakowski (5-12-17) share the lead among MSU defensemen with 17 points apiece. MSU has four defensemen with at least 13 points on the year.
Happy anniversary - March 29 is the anniversary of MSU's 1986 national championship.
The fries at the bottom of the bag - MSU's 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 MSU's other road trips this season combined (2,600 miles) ... MSU is 5-1-1 when it takes more penalties than its opponent ... Jon Insana was the last regular Spartan to get a point this season with his assist vs. NMU ... freshmen scored MSU's first goal in the first four games of the season ... Hobart Amory Hare Baker's 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 ... Michigan is the only school to have both its basketball and hockey teams in the final four in the same season (1964, '92 and '93), although they never both reached the championship game in the same year ...
NCAA Tournament Note of the Night
Familiar faces - Ron Mason makes his NCAA-record 19th tournament appearance, and four of the field's other coaches have played for or coached under Mason. George Gwozdecky of Denver, Shawn Walsh of Maine and Rick Comley of Northern Michigan all were assistant coaches with Mason, while John Markell of Ohio State played for Mason.
Five More NCAA Notes No Media Person Should Be Without
1. Unfamiliar faces - Michigan State has never met either Colorado College or St. Lawrence in the NCAA tournament.
2. New to me - There is not anyone on the MSU roster who has won an NCAA tournament game. The Spartans last posted a victory in the NCAA tournament in 1992, when they won two games to advance to the Frozen Four.
3. Good bye - Since the field was expanded to 12 teams in 1988, 33 of the 44 teams with byes have advanced to the final four. In the last six years, 18 of the 24 bye teams have advanced to the Frozen Four, although last year three of the four bye teams lost in the quarterfinals.
4. Planting seeds - Michigan State last received a No. 2 seed in 1987, when the Spartans advanced to the championship game. The year before, also as a No. 2 seed, MSU won its last national championship.
5. Planting more seeds - Since the NCAA adopted a regional, single-elimination format in 1992, No. 2 seeds are 10-4 in the quarterfinals.
Did You Know?
A veritable garden - Fourteen No. 2 seeds have won the national championship. That's the most of any seed, five more than No. 1 seeds, which have won nine titles.
Good bye, MSU style - Michigan State has had a bye three times since the tournament expanded to 12 teams in 1988, beating Boston College in 1989, losing to Boston University in 1990 and losing to Ohio State in 1998. The first two were best-of-three series, while last year was a single-elimination game.
Make way for ducklings - The Arrowhead Pond has hosted two college hockey games in its history, and MSU participated in the last one. The 1995 Great Western Freeze-Out held its consolation and championship games there on Oct. 15, 1995. Miami defeated Boston College, 7-1, in the consolation game and Maine beat MSU in the championship, 4-3.
Mad town - Michigan State has made one previous visit to Madison, Wis., in the NCAA tournament, falling to host Wisconsin, 5-3, at the Dane County Coliseum in 1995.
Conference call - Michigan State will face either a WCHA team (Colorado College) or an ECAC team (St. Lawrence) in the quarterfinals. The Spartans are 3-7 in the NCAAs against WCHA teams, while 4-2-1 against teams from the ECAC.
Conference call II - CCHA teams are 27-19 in the NCAA tournament since the regional, single-elimination format was established in 1992. That's a .587 winning percentage, best among the four conferences. WCHA (25-21, .543), Hockey East (21-18, .538) and ECAC (4-18, .182) follow.
We're back - Michigan State is making its 19th appearance in the NCAA tournament, the fifth-best total among all schools. The Spartans have reached the tournament for six straight years, the second-longest active run and eighth-best streak of all-time.
Hoops on fire - With a win Sunday, Michigan State would become just the second school to have its men's basketball team reach the Final Four and hockey team reach the Frozen Four in the same season (Ohio State could also pull the double this year). Michigan is the only school to do it prior to 1999, and the Wolverines accomplished it on three occasions (1964, '92 and '93). No school has ever had its men's basketball team and hockey team reach the NCAA championship game in the same season.
Much better - This year's NCAA tournament bracket contains no possible second-round matchups between two teams from the same conference. Last year, No. 1 seeds Michigan State and Boston University were knocked out in the quarterfinals by teams from their conference (Ohio State and New Hampshire).
Great Dane - Michigan State career stat leaders at Dane County Coliseum (from the 1997 Team Cheerios Ice Breaker Invitational): Bryan Adams (1-2-3) Mike York (0-3-3) Shawn Horcoff (1-1-2)
CAREERSTATSFORCURRENTSPARTANSINNCAAs No. Player GP G-A-P Pen/PIM PPG SHG GWG ENG 61 Mike York (C) 3 1-4-5 2/4 0 0 0 0 10 Shawn Horcoff (C) 2 2-1-3 1/2 1 1 0 0 25 Mark Loeding (LW) 3 1-1-2 0/0 0 0 0 0 5 Mike Weaver (D) 2 0-2-2 1/2 0 0 0 0 19 Rustyn Dolyny (RW) 1 1-0-1 0/0 1 0 0 0 7 Brad Hodgins (D) 2 1-0-1 3/6 1 0 0 0 16 Bryan Adams (LW) 2 0-1-1 2/4 0 0 0 0 23 Mike Ford (LW) 2 0-1-1 0/0 0 0 0 0 27 Jeff Kozakowski (D) 3 0-1-1 0/0 0 0 0 0 4 Chris Bogas (D) 3 0-0-0 0/0 0 0 0 0 8 Curtis Gemmel (C) 2 0-0-0 2/4 0 0 0 0 9 Sean Patchell (W) 1 0-0-0 0/0 0 0 0 0 14 Damon Whitten (LW) 1 0-0-0 0/0 0 0 0 0 21 John Nail (RW) 1 0-0-0 0/0 0 0 0 0 22 Andrew Bogle (C/RW) 1 0-0-0 1/2 0 0 0 0No. Goaltender GP W-L-T Min. GAA Sv.% Svs. GA 30 Joe Blackburn 0 0-0-0 0:00 0.00 .000 0 0 1 Mike Gresl 0 0-0-0 0:00 0.00 .000 0 0
MSU vs. CC/SLU ... TEAM COMPARISONS
MSU Category CC SLU 1st League Finish 2nd 2nd 2nd NCAA West Seed 3rd 6th 28-5-7 Overall Record 28-11-1 23-12-3 20-4-7 League Record 20-8-0 15-4-3 3rd USCHO Ranking 5th 10th 7-2-1 Last 10 Games 5-3-2 6-3-1 15-1-3/13-4-4 Home/Away Record 17-4-1/11-7-0 10-4-2/13-8-1 121 (3.0) Goals (Avg.) 161 (4.0) 134 (3.5) 56 (1.4) Goals Against (Avg.) 105 (2.6) 96 (2.5) 35-228 (14.9%) Power Play Pct. 24.5% 17.9% -- Overall PP NCAA Rank 2nd -- 166-179 (92.7%) Pen. Killing Pct. 85.7% 88.5% 1st Pen. Killing NCAA Rank 9th 4th 1,120 (30.3) Shots on Goal (Avg.) 1,310 (32.8) 1,257 (33.1) 837 (20.9) Shots Against (Avg.) 1,026 (25.7) 1,339 (35.2) 368 (9.2) Penalties (Avg.) 280 (7.0) 232 (6.1) 895 (22.4) Penalty Minutes (Avg.) 655 (16.4) 491 (12.9)
SEASON NOTES
(If you've been with us all season, you've probably seen these notes...if not, we hope they help)
Running and hiding - Michigan State, picked third in the preseason by the coaches and media, won the CCHA by eight points over second-place Michigan. It was the largest margin between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams since the Wolverines won the league by nine points in 1993-94.
Shooting stars - Michigan State has outshot 33 of 40 opponents (25-4-4) and is outshooting opponents by an average of 30.3-20.9.
Streak softly and carry a big stick - Michigan State's 23-game unbeaten streak from Dec. 4 to March 5 was the longest in school history. The Spartans broke the previous school record of 22 games (set in 1984-85) with a win March 5, and had their streak halted the next night.
Anywhere, any time - Six of MSU's first seven games were at Munn Ice Arena. The Spartans then had a stretch of 17 of 23 games away from Munn, including plane trips to Alaska, the U.P. and Wisconsin and Minnesota. Five of MSU's last seven regular-season games were at Munn Ice Arena.
MSU set school records this season for longest home unbeaten streak (29 games, Jan. 10, 1998, to March 5, 1999) and longest road unbeaten streak (13 games, Dec. 26 to Feb. 26).
Pump you up - This year's sophomore class has seen great benefits from MSU's off-season strength and conditioning program. The seven sophomores have gained an average of 10.6 pounds in the off-season, led by Damon Whitten (14 pounds) and Joe Blackburn (13).
It was a very good year - Michigan State finished the calendar year of 1998 without a loss at Munn Ice Arena. The Spartans put together a school-record 29-game home unbeaten streak (24-0-5) prior to a loss March 6. MSU's home record this season of 15-1-3 equaled the second-best home record in school history.
Guiding goalies - Since MSU joined the CCHA in 1981-82, every one of Ron Mason's starting goaltenders has earned first- or second-team all-league honors at some point during their career.
Young 'uns - All five Michigan State freshmen started the season as 18-year-olds. Shawn Mather was the first to turn 19, March 11, and Andrew Hutchinson followed March 24.
Me and my shadow - Two MSU freshmen are in the Red Line Report's rankings of 1999 NHL Entry Draft prospects: Adam Hall at No. 30 and Andrew Hutchinson at No. 44.
The best is yet to come - A total of 16 MSU veterans have reached the NHL this year (Brind'Amour, Buzak, Carter, Cummins, Essensa, Guolla, Kelly Miller, Kevin Miller, Kip Miller, Murphy, Murray, Smolinski, Watt, White, Wilkinson, Woolley), more than any other college..
My way - Sixteen former Spartans appeared in the NHL last year, more than any other college (Wisconsin was second with 14).
Get that eraser - With the regular season complete, Michigan State has secured its place in the CCHA record book. In league games only, MSU set the following records:
team defense: 1.33 goals allowed per game (breaking MSUs record of 1.80 from last year)
goaltender goals-against avg.: Joe Blackburn, 1.34 (breaking Chad Alban's record of 1.63 last year)
goaltender save percentage: Joe Blackburn, .935 (breaking the record set by Bowling Green's Brian Stankiewicz, who had a .932 in 1977-78)
penalty-killing percentage: .931 (best since 1983-84, when records are first available)
Something's just not right - Michigan State had the best team defense in CCHA history (1.33 goals allowed per league game), but had only one CCHA Defensive Player of the Week. Joe Blackburn got the honor Feb. 22.
A group of winners - Twelve different players have scored game-winning goals for MSU.
Indecisive - Michigan State's last 13 regular-season overtime games have all ended in ties (0-0-7 this year), dating back to a last-second loss at Western Michigan Jan. 31, 1997. The Spartans have had three playoff overtime games in that time (2-1-0 in those games).
Shot-blocking specialists - Michigan State's forwards and defensemen have excelled at going to the ice to block shots. The Spartans have blocked an average of 10.0 shots per game (400 in 40 games).
Editor's Note - Twenty-four of Michigan State's 40 games have been played in front of sellout crowds.
Editor's Note II - The sellout crowd of 19,983 that watched Michigan State face Michigan at Joe Louis Arena Feb. 20 is the largest crowd to see a college hockey game this season.
SERIES INFORMATION vs. COLORADO COLLEGE
76th meeting: MSU trails, 32-42-1
in NCAAs: 0-0-0
First meeting: CC 3, MSU 0 (2/12/52)
Last meeting: MSU 6, CC 2 (12/31/96; Kevin OKeefe scored two goals in a New Years Eve celebration at Munn Ice Arena)
Last CC win: CC 6, MSU 1 (12/19/79)
The two teams played twice a year from 1951-52 to 1980-81, but did not play between 1980-81 and 1996-97
MSU has won three in a row, including back-to-back overtime victories Feb. 27-28, 1981
CC had won eight straight prior to that
CAREER LEADERS vs. CC Player (Yr., Pos.) GP, G-A-P Curtis Gemmel (Sr., C) 1 GP, 1-1-2 Mike Ford (Sr., RW) 1 GP, 0-1-1 Shawn Horcoff (Jr., C) 1 GP, 0-1-1 Mark Loeding (Sr., LW) 1 GP, 0-1-1 Bryan Adams (Sr., LW) 1 GP, 0-0-0 Chris Bogas (Sr., D) 1 GP, 0-0-0 Brad Hodgins (Jr., D) 1 GP, 0-0-0 Jeff Kozakowski (Sr., D)1 GP, 0-0-0 Mike Weaver (Jr., D) 1 GP, 0-0-0Goalie (Yr.) W-L-T, GAA, Sv% None
SERIES INFORMATION vs. ST. LAWRENCE
22nd meeting: MSU leads, 15-6-0
in NCAAs: 0-0-0
First meeting: MSU 3, SLU 2 (12/5/52)
Last meeting: SLU 3, MSU 0 (11/30/68)
Last MSU win: MSU 5, SLU 1 (11/28/68)
The two teams haven't met since 1968
MSU lost the last meeting but won the four previous to that
The first meeting between the two schools, which was in East Lansing, is the only one ever to take place outside of Canton, N.Y.
From 1960-61 to 1968-69 (with the exception of 1966-67), MSU visited St. Lawrence and Clarkson each November. The Spartans played St. Lawrence one day, Clarkson the next, and SLU again on the third day.
CAREER LEADERS vs. SLU Player (Yr., Pos.) GP, G-A-P No games since 1968-69SPARTAN CAREER STATS Player GP G-A-P Pen/Min Mike York 156 79-119-198 62/135 Bryan Adams 142 40-49-89 58/154 Shawn Horcoff 111 36-49-85 57/138 Rustyn Dolyny 83 37-38-75 38/95 Jeff Kozakowski 161 14-59-73 56/126 Chris Bogas 156 13-46-59 114/271 Brad Hodgins 122 8-44-52 79/204 Mike Weaver 123 5-35-40 78/164 Mark Loeding 142 18-9-27 61/149 Damon Whitten 83 13-14-27 52/139 Sean Patchell 79 9-11-20 59/137 Adam Hall 34 13-7-20 28/72 Andrew Bogle 80 8-9-17 20/40 A. Hutchinson 36 2-12-14 13/26 Curtis Gemmel 90 6-6-12 13/26 Joe Goodenow 34 2-10-12 19/38 John Nail 82 4-7-11 15/30 Mike Ford 107 5-4-9 10/20 Shawn Mather 35 4-2-6 5/10 Matt Kruzich 17 1-0-1 5/10 B. Brandstatter 45 0-1-1 7/22 Joe Blackburn 36 0-1-1 2/4 Jon Insana 37 0-1-1 20/59 Mike Gresl 13 0-0-0 0/0
Goalie GP W-L-T GAA Svs. Sv.% Blackburn 36 22-6-7 1.49 682 .928 Gresl 13 8-2-0 1.74 203 .919
UPCOMING MILESTONES 200 career points: Mike York has 198 50 career assists: Bryan Adams and Shawn Horcoff have 49
