Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Alaska-Fairbanks
Special Teams Lifts Hockey Past UAF, 3-1
2/18/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 18, 2000
EAST LANSING, Mich. - It took some strong penalty killing, a big save at a key time and two power-play goals, but Michigan State battled for 60 minutes and posted a 3-1 victory over Alaska Fairbanks Friday night at Munn Ice Arena.
The Spartans were 2-for-6 on the power play and killed off all seven of the Nanooks' chances to move just three points behind first-place Michigan in the CCHA race. Michigan tied Northern Michigan, 1-1, in Marquette.
"These are the kinds of games that aren't always easy to focus on," head coach Ron Mason said of the meeting with 12th-place Alaska Fairbanks, which has already been eliminated from playoff contention, "so I give our kids a lot of credit."
In addition to their special teams prowess, the Spartans got a lift from junior goaltender Joe Blackburn, who made a sprawling save on a breakaway just before freshman defenseman John-Michael Liles scored the eventual game-winning goal.
Blackburn faced UAF captain Ryan Reinheller on a clean breakaway about 15 minutes into the second period with the score still tied, 1-1. Reinheller held the puck until Blackburn went down and got past the goaltender to his left. Blackburn reached back and put his stick along the ice, stopping Reinheller's shot.
"Joe made a great save on the breakaway, and we were able to go right back down and set up and score," said Liles, whose shot from the point was his fifth goal of the year.
"When a goalie makes a big save like that it does so much for the momentum of the game," senior center Shawn Horcoff said. "We fed off that a little bit."
Once the Spartans got the puck back in UAF's zone and went on the power play when Andrew Bogle got out of the box, they worked it around until Liles got it at the point. He fired through an Adam Hall screen for the 2-1 lead.
MSu had gone up, 1-0, when junior left wing Damon Whitten scored for the first time in 11 games. He finished a pretty passing play with linemates Joe Goodenow and Rustyn Dolyny at the 1:43 mark of the first period.
"It was kind of a neat play," said Dolyny, who tied his career high with three assists. "We moved it around with a lot of tip passes between us. I don't think they really knew whp was going to have the puck next."
UAF got the equalizer on a strange goal, as Chad Hamilton fired it towards the net on a two-on-one rush. Blackburn was caught out of the net and as Liles slid ack to try to block the puck, it found its way between him and the post to tie the score at 1-1.
The Spartans killed off four power plays and got the lead in the second period.
"Our penalty killing was obviously a big reason why we won tonight," said senior center Shawn Horcoff, who had two assists to give him an NCAA-leading 38 on the year. "We had great penalty killing, and we do that to a lot of teams. We pressured their defensemen and forced them to do things they didn't want to do."
Freshman left wing Brian Maloney got the insurance goal 4:42 into the third period on the power play. Dolyny's shot from the point hit Horcoff and bounced to Maloney, who deposited it in the nearly wide-open net.
The Spartans finished with 44 shots on goal, one shy of its season high. Alaska Fairbanks had 19 shots on goal.
The two teams meet again Saturday night in a 7:35 p.m. faceoff at Munn Ice Arena.
