Michigan State University Athletics
Spartan Hockey Looks To Extend Unbeaten Streak Against BGSU
11/27/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 27, 2000
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
THIS WEEK: Michigan State returns to CCHA play as the Spartans (No. 1 U.S. College Hockey Online poll/No. 2 USA Today/American Hockey Magazine poll) travel to Bowling Green to face the Falcons in a pair of conference tilts. The Spartans are riding a ten-game unbeaten streak (9-0-1) and have not lost in six road contests this season. Faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m. EST both nights.
RADIO: This weekend's games, and all MSU home and road games, can be heard live on WVFN-AM 730 "The Fan." Play-by-play man Scott Moore, in his fourth season as the radio voice of MSU hockey, will call the action. Spartan volunteer assistant coach Jim Mullin provides color commentary for the second straight season.
Spartan fans can also hear live play-by-play action of MSU hockey via the Internet. Broadcasts can be accessed by logging on to www.msuspartans.com, the official website of Spartan athletics, or www.espn.com.
TELEVISION: Neither game will be televised in the greater Lansing area.
MSU HEAD COACH RON MASON: MSU head coach Ron Mason (St. Lawrence '64) is in his 22nd season with the Spartans and 35th year as a college hockey mentor. The winningest coach in college hockey history, Mason, who coached in his 900th game at MSU Nov. 10 vs. Northern Michigan, has piloted the Spartans to a 585-257-62 (.681) mark since taking over for the legendary Amo Bessone in 1979. His overall record currently stands at 874-367-76 (.692).
Mason guided MSU to its second NCAA hockey championship in 1986 and his 20 NCAA Tournament appearances are an all-time record. The seven-time Central Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year led the Spartans to league regular-season titles in 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1998 and 1999 and CCHA playoff crowns in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1998 and 2000.
Mason, who won the Spencer Penrose Award as national coach of the year in 1992, has coached 19 Spartans to All-American honors and seen 43 of his former MSU skaters move on to the NHL.
BOWLING GREEN AT A GLANCE (2-7-3 overall, 2-5-3 CCHA) THE COACH: Bowling Green coach Buddy Powers (Boston University '75) is in his seventh year with the Falcons and 13th as a college head coach. Powers owns a career record of 232-185-33 (.552) and is 112-112-15 (.500) at Bowling Green coming into the weekend series with MSU. The 1995 CCHA Coach of the Year, Powers came to BGSU after coaching stints at Rochester Institute of Technology and Rensselaer.
SCOUTING THE FALCONS: Bowling Green enters the series with MSU having dropped three of four points at Alaska-Fairbanks last weekend. The Falcons are 0-2-1 in their last three games and have just one win in their last seven outings (1-3-3). BGSU has been involved in a number of close contests so far this season - seven of the team's last nine games have either been ties or decided by one goal.
The CCHA's lowest-scoring team, Bowling Green is paced offensively by Greg Day. The junior forward from St. Clair Beach, Ont., leads the Falcons in both goals (nine) and points (12) through 12 games this season. Sophomore forward Ryan Fultz, who has 4-6--10 on the year, is the only other Bowling Green skater to reach double-digits in points.
Senior forward Curtis Valentine has nine points, including team-highs of seven assists and a +4 plus/minus ranking, while senior frontliner Ryan Murphy 3-4--7 in 10 games played. Freshman Kevin Bieksa, with six assists, leads BGSU newcomers in points and is the team's top-scoring defenseman.
Sophomore goaltender Tyler Masters has started 10 games in goal for BGSU this season. He enters the weekend series with MSU with a 2-6-2 overall record in addition to a 2.94 goals against average and a .911 saves percentage. Senior Shawn Timm has made two starts for the Falcons and is 0-1-1 with a 2.40 goals against average and a .937 saves percentage.
THE SERIES VS. THE FALCONS:
Overall: The Spartans lead the all-time series against Bowling Green by a 48-22-8 (.667) margin.
At Bowling Green: The Spartans are 17-12-4 (.576) all-time vs. the Falcons at BGSU.
Current Streak: MSU enters the weekend series with BGSU with a two-game win streak and a five-game unbeaten streak (4-0-1) against the Falcons.
Longest MSU Win Streak vs. BGSU: 5, twice, MR: Jan. 15-Nov. 9, 1994
Longest MSU Unbeaten Streak vs. BGSU: 9, (8-0-1), Feb. 7, 1986-Nov. 27, 1987
Longest MSU Losing Streak vs. BGSU: 3, twice, MR: Nov. 4, 1983-March 23, 1984
Longest MSU Winless Streak vs. BGSU: 3, four times, MR: (0-1-2), Feb. 19-Nov. 20, 1993
First Meetings: Jan. 2-3, 1971 - The host Spartans swept a two-game set from the Falcons by 7-2 and 6-2 scores.
Last Meetings: Nov. 11-12, 1999 - The Spartans earned a series sweep from BGSU at Munn Ice Arena by taking 3-1 and 5-2 decision in the lone regular-season meetings between the two teams. The victories were the last in the Spartans' 10-game winning streak last season, which ended the following weekend at Miami.
Last Season: MSU was 2-0-0 against BGSU in 1999-2000.
MSU-BOWLING GREEN SERIES NOTES:
* The Spartans have just one loss in their last 11 meetings with Bowling Green (8-1-2). MSU enters the weekend series vs. the Falcons not having lost at BGSU Ice Arena since Oct. 21, 1995.
* MSU has not allowed more than two goals to Bowling Green in each of the last nine meetings with the Falcons.
* Spartan netminders Joe Blackburn and Ryan Miller have combined for a 4-1-1 record, a 1.28 goals against average and a .938 saves percentage six career meetings against Bowling Green. * This week's games vs. Bowling Green mark the Spartans' first traditional Friday-Saturday series since hosting Nebraska-Omaha at Munn Ice Arena on Oct. 20-21.
* After the Bowling Green series, MSU ventures across the Michigan borders just one more time during the 1999-2000 regular season. The Spartans play at Ohio State during the last weekend in February.
* MSU coach Ron Mason compiled a 160-63-6 record as head coach at Bowling Green from 1973-79. In 1977, Mason guided the Falcons to the NCAA Tournament to become the first coach to lead a team outside of the WCHA or ECAC to postseason play.
