Hockey Prepares For Series With UAF
2/14/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 14, 2000
Fri., Feb. 18 vs. Alaska Fairbanks, Munn Ice Arena, 7:05 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 19 vs. Alaska Fairbanks, Munn Ice Arena, 7:35 p.m. (Note time change)
The Week -- The Michigan State hockey team, which swept seventh-ranked Northern Michigan last weekend (3-2 in overtime and 2-0) and clinched a CCHA playoff berth, returns to action this Friday and Saturday against Alaska Fairbanks. The Spartans (20-9-2 overall, 15-7-1 CCHA), ranked eighth in the nation this week, face the Nanooks (5-21-2 overall, 3-20-1 CCHA) at Munn Ice Arena (6,470) at 7:05 p.m. EST Friday and 7:35 p.m. EST Saturday. Standing-room tickets ($7) are available at the MSU Athletic Ticket Office (800-GO-STATE) for both games. Friday's game can be seen live on FOX Sports Net (DirecTV Ch. 636, also shown on the web at www.foxsports.com), with Josh Lewin calling play-by-play, Billy Jaffe on color and Shireen Saski rinkside. Hear both games on WVFN-AM 730 and at www.broadcast.com/sports/ncaa/MichiganState, with Scott Moore calling the play-by-play and volunteer assistant coach Jim Mullin providing color commentary.
The Coaches -- Head coach Ron Mason (St. Lawrence '64) builds upon his legendary status with each victory. Mason, in his 21st year at Michigan State and 34th as a college head coach, is the all-time winningest college hockey coach with 857 career victories, boasting an 857-363-72 (.691) overall record. He has a 568-253-58 (.679) mark at MSU.
Alaska Fairbanks head coach Guy Gadowsky (Colorado College '89) is 5-21-2 in his first season as a collegiate head coach.
Quoting Coach Mason -
"A split or even a tie one night really wasn't going to do us any good. We needed two wins. Friday night was a great win because it came in dramatic fashion, and sometimes that can really help turn things around for a team. Saturday night we knew a win would get us right back in the race, and I thought we played extremely hard. I really couldn't ask any more from our team.
"I saw us play an up-tempo style both nights, and we showed a lot of tenacity, maybe more than we have at any point this season. Now we've got to build on this. We're still in the hunt thanks to this weekend, but we have to keep it going."
The Series vs. the Nanooks -- Michigan State leads Alaska Fairbanks all-time, 15-4-0, entering the 20th and 21st meetings. MSU leads 6-3-0 in Munn Ice Arena. MSU is 12-2-0 against UAF since the Nanooks became full members in the CCHA in 1995-96. MSU has won seven in a row (since a 6-4 loss on Jan. 2, 1998) and nine of the last 10 meetings. MSU has not allowed more than a goal in the last six meetings and not more than two in the last seven. The Spartans have won three in a row at home since a 5-2 loss Nov. 8, 1996.
About the Nanooks -- Alaska Fairbanks is 5-21-2 overall and 3-20-1 in the CCHA, in 12th place and eliminated from playoff contention. The Nanooks, who were swept last weekend by Ferris State, are led offensively by Bobby Andrews (11-10-21) and Nathan Rocheleau (7-12-19). Andrews, Rocheleau and Daniel Carriere each have five power-play goals, leading the conference's top power play (20.4 percent in CCHA games). Lance Mayes (4-17-1, 3.10, .902) has been the Nanooks' top goaltender.
Northern Michigan Recap
Sophomore right wing Adam Hall scored his first career overtime goal to lift Michigan State to a 3-2 win over Northern Michigan Friday night at Munn Ice Arena. NMU had tied the score with just 3:35 remaining in the third after MSU erased a 1-0 deficit with second-period goals from Brad Hodgins and Andrew Bogle. Joe Blackburn made 19 saves in the win.
Saturday night the Spartans scored twice in the first period (Andrew Hutchinson and Adam Hall) and held on for the 2-0 shutout win. Ryan Miller made a career-high 26 saves to post the shutout as MSU outshot NMU, 32-26.
If you use just one MSU note this week, perhaps this should be it
Top 10 list -- Michigan State is 4-1-1 in its last six games against teams ranked in the top 10, including last weekend's sweep of seventh-ranked Northern Michigan. MSU is 4-3-1 on the year against teams ranked in the top 10.
We encourage you to use more notes ... perhaps these
Shooting stars -- Michigan State has outshot each of its last 11 opponents, by an average of 34.0 to 22.6.
Blank stare -- Saturday night marked the Spartans' seventh shutout of the season (Ryan Miller has six, Joe Blackburn has one). That mark broke the old school record of six shutouts in one season, originally set in 1997-98.
Miller tied the individual school record for shutouts in a season with his sixth, equalling Chad Alban's mark from 1997-98. It was Miller's fifth shutout in CCHA games, tying the conference record originally set by Western Michigan's Marc Magliarditi in 1995-96.
20/20 vision -- Michigan State has won at least 20 games for the ninth consecutive season and the 18th time in 19 years.
Three is the key -- Michigan State is 18-1-0 when it scores at least three goals and 2-8-2 when it scores fewer than three goals.
Call them butter, 'cause they're on a roll -- The Spartans have won back-to-back games for the first time since claiming the Great Lakes Invitational title (Dec. 29-30). The sweep of Northern Michigan marked MSU's first CCHA sweep since Nov. 12-13 against Bowling Green.
Hall of fame -- Sophomore right wing Adam Hall scored his team-leading 18th goal in overtime Friday night and added his 19th goal Saturday. Hall, whose goal Friday was the first of his career in OT, shares the CCHA lead and is tied for ninth nationally with 19 goals. He has five goals in his last seven games and 25 goals in his last 34 games, dating back to last season. Hall leads the NCAA with six game-winning goals.
Super Shawn -- Senior center Shawn Horcoff assisted on Adam Hall's game-winning goal in overtime Friday night, giving him 36 assists, equalling the most by a Spartan in the last six seasons. He leads the nation in assists and is second in the nation in points with 46, behind Wisconsin's Steve Reinprecht (50 points).
Horcoff has had a hand in 46 of MSU's 95 goals (48.4 percent), and has either scored or assisted on 11 of MSU's 20 game-winning goals. He had his six-game point-scoring streak snapped Saturday night, but still made an impression on NMU head coach Rick Comley.
"Shawn is a great player and can play in any situation," Comley said. "He is a lot like (Mike) York in that he is so good defensively as well as offensively. I think he is bigger and stronger than York, too. He creates scoring chances when he is out there and it is so hard to match up against him. He is tremendous in all situations."
A special team -- MSU, which leads the CCHA with a 90.1 penalty killing percentage (93.2 percent in CCHA games), has killed off 43 of its last 45 short-handed situations (95.6 percent). The Spartans are second in the conference in overall power play (20.3 percent) and have one power-play goal in each of their last five games and seven of their last eight.
Munn-real -- Munn Ice Arena hosted its 250th consecutive regular-season sellout Saturday night, a streak which dates back to Dec. 19, 1985. Last weekend's total attendance of 13,934 marked the largest series crowd in arena history (breaking the old mark of 13,780 set Feb. 13-14, 1987, against Lake Superior). Saturday night's attendance of 6,991 was the second-largest crowd in Munn history, while Friday night's 6,943 was the third-largest.
Munn-believable -- Michigan State is 12-3-1 in Munn Ice Arena and 8-6-1 on the road (including neutral sites). Here is a statistical comparison of MSU at home and on the road:
| ? | Gls/Gm | GA/Gm | Shts/Gm | Shts All./Gm. | Save Pct. | Opp. Sv.% | PP% | PK% |
| Home | 3.25 | 1.50 | 32.4 | 20.4 | .926 | .901 | 20.5% | 91.7% |
| Away | 2.87 | 1.87 | 31.0 | 24.5 | .924 | .909 | 20.2% | 88.8% |
Great goalies -- Junior Joe Blackburn and freshman Ryan Miller have split Michigan State's goaltending duties almost equally this season, bringing comparisons to former Spartans Bob Essensa and Norm Foster. They have combined for a school-record seven shutouts and are both among the top four in the CCHA in overall goals-against average and save percentage.
Miller, who leads the conference in both GAA (1.34) and save percentage (.937), is 4-1-1 in his last six games with a 1.15 GAA, a .949 save percentage and two shutouts.
Y ask y? -- Junior Rustyn Dolyny, who has been able to move back to his natural position of right wing with the return of sophomore center Joe Goodenow from injury, is two points shy of becoming the 56th Spartan to record 100 career points. He has 48 goals and 50 assists (98 points) in just over two and a half seasons with the Spartans.
Blue line=red light -- Michigan State defensemen have combined for 20 goals this season, led by senior Brad Hodgins with six. MSU defensemen combined for 13 goals all of last year.
A happy ending -- Friday night marked Michigan State's first regular-season, non-tournament overtime victory since Nov. 18, 1995, against Miami, when Mike Watt scored on assists from Anson Carter and Mike York for a 6-5 win.
Fries at the bottom of the bag -- Michigan State has outscored opponents 23-4 in the first period of its last 17 games ... Twelve different players have combined for Michigan State's 20 game-winning goals ... Anson Carter (22 goals through Saturday) and Mike York (18) are the top two NHL goal scorers this season among former CCHA players. Bryan Smolinski and Mike Eastwood (Western Michigan) are tied for third with 16 goals apiece ... Michigan State is outscoring opponents 8-1 in four-on-four action this year ... Michigan State has been in the nation's top 10 for 61 consecutive weeks entering this week, dating back to March 3, 1997.
TICKETS AVAILABLE -- Bench seats ($14) are available for Senior Night, March 4 vs. Notre Dame. Tickets can be purchased at the MSU Athletic Ticket Office (800-GO-STATE).
INJURY REPORT -- Fr. F Pat Brush (left knee injury, out indefinitely), Fr. D Mike Porter (left shoulder injury, out for the season).
CURRENT POINT-SCORING STREAKS
3 games: Adam Hall (2-1-3)
MSU CAREER LEADERS vs. ALASKA FAIRBANKS
Player (Yr., Pos.) StatisticsShawn Horcoff (Sr., C) 10 GP, 6-7-13Rustyn Dolyny (Jr., RW) 8 GP, 5-6-11Sean Patchell (Jr., LW) 8 GP, 3-3-6Damon Whitten (Jr., LW) 8 GP, 3-2-5Brad Hodgins (Sr., D) 11 GP, 1-3-4Mike Weaver (Sr., D) 11 GP, 0-4-4Adam Hall (So., RW) 2 GP, 3-0-3Mike Gresl (Sr., G) 3-0-0, 0.63, .967Joe Blackburn (Jr., G) 2-0-0, 1.08, .947Ryan Miller (Fr., G) 1-0-0, 0.00, 23 saves
