Michigan State University Athletics
Hockey Hopes To Duplicate Friday Night's Success
2/12/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 12, 2000
#10 SPARTAN HOCKEY VS.
#7 NORTHERN MICHIGAN
Date February 12, 2000
Site Munn Ice Arena (6,470)
Time 7:05 p.m.
TV FOX Sports Net (DirecTV Ch. 636)
Webcast www.foxsports.com
Radio WVFN-AM 730
Webcast www.broadcast.com/sports/ncaa/MichiganState
Storyline Michigan State looks to build upon last night's thrilling overtime victory in the series finale against Northern Michigan.
Last Night Adam Hall's backhander with 2:19 remaining in overtime found its way into the net, lifting Michigan State to a 3-2 win in front of 6,943 fans at Munn. NMU had taken a 1-0 lead on a second-period goal by Roger Trudeau, but MSU (Brad Hodgins and Andrew Bogle) regained the lead before the period was out. Tyler Barabonoff's goal with 3:35 to play in the third sent it to OT.
The Records
MSU: 19-9-2 (14-7-1 CCHA)
NMU: 19-8-2 (14-5-2 CCHA)
The Coaches
MSU: Ron Mason -- Overall: 856-363-72 (34th), MSU: 567-254-58 (21st)
NMU: Rick Comley -- Overall: 550-445-60 (27th), NMU: 491-399-57 (24th)
Note of the Night
Hall of fame -- Sophomore right wing Adam Hall scored his NCAA-leading sixth game-winning goal last night in overtime to give MSU a 3-2 win. Hall is second in the CCHA and tied for 10th nationally with 18 goals. For Hall, who has 24 goals in his last 33 games dating back to last season, last night marked his first career overtime goal.
Five More Notes No Media Person Should Be Without
1. Against the best -- Michigan State is 3-1-1 in its last five games against top-10 opponents. The Spartans are 3-3-1 against top-10 teams on the year.
2. Turning 250 -- Tonight marks the 250th consecutive regular-season sellout at Munn Ice Arena. Munn welcomed the second-largest crowd in its history (6,943) to last night's game. The sellout streak began on Dec. 19, 1985, the last time Northern Michigan beat Michigan State here (MSU is 4-0-1 since).
3. Coaching connection -- Ron Mason recruited Rick Comley to Lake Superior, luring the NMU head coach away from Detroit Red Wings training camp. Comley played for Mason at Lake Superior and was a team captain before joining the coaching staff as an assistant coach. When Mason left for Bowling Green in 1973, Comley took over at Lake Superior and began his head coaching career.
4. Horcoff is on -- Senior center and team captain Shawn Horcoff, who set up Adam Hall's game-winner last night, has a six-game point-scoring streak and has had a hand in seven of MSU's last 11 goals (63.6 percent). Horcoff, who was the only current Spartan with a career overtime goal entering last night, has scored or assisted on 11 of MSU's 19 game-winning goals this year.
5. Horcoff is on II -- Horcoff has 46 points on the year, good for second in the nation behind Wisconsin's Steve Reinprecht (50 points and idle tonight). Horcoff leads the nation in assists with 36.
Horcoff has equaled the best single-season assist total at Michigan State in the past six years (Rem Murray also had 36 in 1994-95) and could become the first Spartan to record 50 assists in a season since Peter White in 1991-92. Horcoff has had a hand in 46 of MSU's 93 goals (49.5 percent), including 19 of MSU's 34 power-play goals (55.9 percent).
Post-it Notes
Shooting stars -- MSU has outshot each of its last 10 opponents, by an average of 34.2 to 22.3.
20/20 vision -- Michigan State has a chance tonight to reach 20 victories for the 18th time in the last 19 years.
Working overtime -- MSU improved to 1-2-2 on the year in overtime games last night. The Spartans have gone to OT in five of their last nine games.
Prior to last night, Michigan State's last overtime victory was in the 1998 CCHA championship game (Shawn Horcoff scored the game-winner against Ohio State in the second OT). The Spartans' last regular-season non-tournament overtime victory was Nov. 18, 1995, against Miami (Mike Watt scored the game-winner on assists from Anson Carter and Mike York).
Y ask y? -- Junior Rustyn Dolyny, who was able to move back to his natural position of right wing with the return of sophomore center Joe Goodenow from injury, is three points shy of becoming the 56th Spartan to record 100 career points. He has 48 goals and 49 assists (97 points) in just over two and a half seasons with the Spartans.
Blue line lights the red light -- Michigan State defensemen have combined for 19 goals this season after combining for 13 goals all of last year.
Climbing the career charts -- Senior defenseman Brad Hodgins is tied for 10th with Kevin Miller in career penalty minutes at MSU (277). Meanwhile, classmate Shawn Horcoff is tied for 32nd in career assists with 87.
Miller time -- Freshman goaltender Ryan Miller, who played both games last weekend for the first time this season, is 3-1-1 in his last five starts with a 1.38 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage. He leads the CCHA with a 1.42 GAA and a .932 save percentage (1.33 and .937 in conference games).
Natural born killers -- Michigan State leads the CCHA with an 89.9 percent penalty killing rate (93.0 percent in conference games). In CCHA games, the Spartans have almost scored as many short-handed goals (six) as they have allowed power-play goals (eight).
Power surge -- Michigan State also leads the CCHA on the power play, with a 20.2 percent success rate in all games (17.6 percent in conference games, fourth in the CCHA). The Spartans have scored one PPG in six of their last seven games and have started their scoring on the power play in each of the last four games.
A group of winners -- Eleven different players have combined for Michigan State's 19 game-winning goals.
Four score -- Michigan State is outscoring opponents 8-1 in four-on-four action this year.
Fast starters -- MSU has outscored opponents 21-4 in the first period of its last 16 games.
FORMER SPARTAN OF THE WEEK -- Calder Trophy candidate Mike York leads the New York Rangers and all NHL rookies with 18 goals. York visited East Lansing during the All-Star break and had a goal and an assist in his first game upon returning to New York.
INJURY REPORT -- Fr. F Pat Brush (left knee injury, out indefinitely), Fr. D Mike Porter (left shoulder injury, out for the season).
The fries at the bottom of the bag -- MSU is 19-2-2 in games it has led at one point and 3-9-0 in games it has trailed at one point ... the Spartans are outscoring opponents in the first (3-2) and last (5-2) minutes of a period ... MSU has been in the nation's top 10 for 61 consecutive weeks ... the only other time Michigan State opened the season against Colorado College was 1965-66 (a 4-0 loss), the year MSU won its first national championship ... Adam Hall took MSU's first penalty shot in over five years Nov. 13 vs. Bowling Green and was stopped by BG goaltender Tyler Masters ... Michigan State's last national title came when the Frozen Four was in Providence, R.I., as it is this season.
Say This About Our Players...
1 * Mike Gresl (Sr., G) * last year's GLI MVP
2 * Jon Insana (So., D) * a strong defensive defenseman who has played with Mike Weaver for two years * MSU's Most Improved Player a year ago
4 * John-Michael Liles (Fr., D) * leads MSU defensemen with 4-14-18 * selected for the U.S. National Junior Team, but missed the tournament with an injury * has 12 of his 18 points at home * twice this year has had three points in a period, including 10/16 vs. UNO
5 * Mike Weaver (Sr., D) * MSU's top defensive player and penalty killer * 1997 GLI MVP and '99 all-tournament pick * first-team All-CCHA, second-team All-America and CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman last year
7 * Brad Hodgins (Sr., D) * leader among MSU defensemen in career points with 14-51-65 * five of six goals and 10 of 12 points have come at home * tied for 10th in career penalty minutes at MSU with 277
9 * Sean Patchell (Jr., W) * has more than doubled last year's point total (3-2-5) with 5-7-12 through 29 games * had his third multiple-point game last night * 11 of his 12 points have come in the first or second period
10 * Shawn Horcoff (Sr., C) * MSU's top active scorer (46-87-133) * second in nation in points and first in assists, he has a hand in 49.5% of MSU's goals (46 of 93) * has either scored or assisted on 11 of MSU's 19 game-winning goals this year * Hockey News rates him the Edmonton Oilers' No. 4 prospect and a sure-fire NHLer
12 * Steve Jackson (Fr., RW) * joined MSU for the second semester and scored a goal in his second career game
14 * Damon Whitten (Jr., LW) * has 7-10-17 in 27 GP, despite battling injuries all season long * has 16 of his 17 points in the first or second period * had his career-best six-game point-scoring streak from Oct. 23 to Nov. 12
17 * Troy Ferguson (Fr., C) * co-captain of U.S. Under-18 Team last year
18 * Adam Hall (So., RW) * Kalamazoo native who is second in the CCHA and 10th nationally with 18 goals * captained the U.S. National Junior Team * had 11 goals in MSU's 10-game winning streak to start the CCHA season * has scored MSU's first goal five times and the GWG a NCAA-leading six times, including last night's game-winner in OT * has 24 goals in last 33 games
19 * Rustyn Dolyny (Jr., C/RW) * nearing 100 career points (48-49-97) * has had 15 of his 20 points and eight of his 10 goals on special teams * has scored MSU's first goal each of the last three games * has scored six of his 10 goals at home * second on team with 12 first-period points
20 * Brian Maloney (Fr., LW) * leads MSU rookies with 10 goals and 19 points * has three two-goal games (Oct. 15 at UNO, Nov. 13 vs. BGSU, Jan. 13 vs. UNO)
21 * John Nail (Jr., RW) * enjoying best offensive season (3-6-9)
24 * Andrew Hutchinson (So., D) * ended a streak of 16 games without a point with two against Michigan Tech Dec. 29 * has three of his four points on the PP
26 * Joe Goodenow (So., C/LW) * returned Jan. 29 after a hip injury and scored his first goal in his second game
27 * Brad Fast (Fr., D) * 2nd among MSU defensemen with 4-8-12 * 1-2-3 (including GWG) vs. BGSU Nov. 13
30 * Joe Blackburn (Jr., G) * returning first-team All-American who has split time with rookie Ryan Miller * set CCHA and MSU single-season records in GAA and save percentage last year * owns the best career GAA (1.76) and save percentage (.920) in MSU history * has four career shutouts (one this year)
39 * Ryan Miller (Fr., G) * has shared time in net with Blackburn, with a CCHA-leading 1.42 GAA and .932 save percentage * first MSU goalie ever to post three straight shutouts and broke Ron Scott's school-record shutout streak (Miller's record: 191:54) * has five shutouts on the year, one shy of the school record, and four in the CCHA, one shy of the conference record * an East Lansing native and cousin of Kip, Kevin and Kelly Miller
SERIES INFORMATION vs. NORTHERN MICHIGAN:
* 26th meeting: MSU leads, 13-10-2
* In Munn Ice Arena: MSU leads, 7-4-1
* First meeting: NMU 5, MSU 2 (10/24/80)
* Last meeting: MSU 3, NMU 2 OT (2/11/00)
* Last NMU win: NMU 5, MSU 3 (3/19/99, CCHA semifinals)
* Last year's series: MSU won, 3-1-1
* MSU is 6-2-2 vs. NMU since NMU rejoined the CCHA
* Each of the last six meetings has been decided by two goals or fewer
* At home, MSU has won four in a row and is 4-0-1 since a 3-2 loss 12/19/85 (the first game in Munn Arena's sellout streak)
MSU CAREER LEADERS vs. NMU
Player (Yr., Pos.) GP, StatisticsRustyn Dolyny (Jr., RW) 9 GP, 4-4-8Shawn Horcoff (Sr., C) 9 GP, 2-6-8Brad Hodgins (Sr., D) 10 GP, 3-4-7Mike Weaver (Sr., D) 9 GP, 0-7-7Andrew Bogle (Jr., C) 10 GP, 3-1-4Joe Blackburn (Jr., G) 3-2-1, 2.29, .901Mike Gresl (Sr., G) 1-0-0, 3.00, .897
