Spartan Hockey Squeaks Past Northern Michigan

Thursday, November 9

East Lansing, Mich.

7:05 PM ET

Michigan State University

Northern Mich

11/15/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey

Nov. 9, 2000

Box Score

EAST LANSING, Mich. - - It wasn't your textbook game-winning goal, but it was a game-winner nonetheless.

Michigan State's Damon Whitten (Brighton, Mich.) turned a third-period error by Northern Michigan goaltender Craig Kowalski into his first goal of the year as the Spartans downed the Wildcats 3-2 in front of 6,746 at Munn Ice Arena tonight. The Spartans (6-1-1 overall, 5-1-0 Central Collegiate Hockey Association) assume sole possession of first place in the CCHA while the Wildcats (5-2-3, 3-2-2) lose for the first time in eight outings.

With Andrew Hutchinson (Rochester Hills, Mich.) in the penalty box serving a checking-from-behind minor, Spartan defenseman Jon Insana (New Baltimore, Mich.) played the puck out from the MSU zone. Kowalski came out of the about 20 feet to make a head-man pass but fanned. Whitten, who coming into the NMU end, swatted the loose puck into the empty net for the go-ahead tally.

"It feels good to get the first goal out of the way," said Whitten. "It was definitely a gift but we'll definitely take it."

The Wildcats opened the scoring when Bryce Cockburn took a pass from teammate Chad Theuer, then beat MSU netminder Ryan Miller (East Lansing, Mich.) at 12:22 of the first stanza. The Spartans took a 2-1 lead on a pair of second-period power play tallies. Adam Hall (Kalamazoo, Mich.) notched his team-high fifth goal of the season at 5:46 and Brian Maloney (Bassano, Alberta) scored with the man advantage just 46 seconds later.

Cockburn evened the score with 2:30 remaining in the second frame when he put a shot from a near-impossible angle past Miller. The NMU sophomore was against the near wall about 10 feet from the end line when he lifted a shot over Miller's shoulder. The Spartan goaltender made 21 saves en route to his sixth win of the year. Kowalski stopped 20 shots in a losing effort.