Michigan State University Athletics
Hockey Shoots For Sweep Of Lake Superior
2/5/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 5, 2000
#8 SPARTAN HOCKEY vs. LAKE SUPERIOR
Date February 5, 2000
Site Joe Louis Arena (19,983)
Time 7:35 p.m.
The Basics
Storyline Michigan State looks to sweep Lake Superior and improve its CCHA standing as it enters the final four weeks of the regular season.
Thurs. Night Ryan Miller stopped 22 shots and the Spartans peppered the Lake Superior goal with 38 shots of their own in a 3-0 win. Rustyn Dolyny, Joe Goodenow and Shawn Horcoff (ENG) got the goals for Michigan State.
The Records MSU: 18-8-2 (13-6-1 CCHA)
LSSU: 13-13-1 (12-8-1 CCHA)
The Coaches
MSU: Ron Mason: Overall: 855-362-72 (34th), MSU: 566-253-58 (21st)
LSSU: Scott Borek: Overall: 91-101-19 (7th), LSSU: 58-68-14 (4th)
On the air All Spartan games can be heard on WVFN-AM 730, with Scott Moore calling the play-by-play. Volunteer assistant coach Jim Mullin provides analysis. That broadcast is also available free of charge on the web at http://www.broadcast.com/sports/ncaa/MichiganState
Tonight's game can also be heard live on WJR-AM 760.
Note of the Night
Blank stare -- Michigan State's 3-0 shutout of Lake Superior Thursday night marked the sixth time the Spartans have shut out an opponent this season, tying the school record originally set by the 1997-98 team. It was the fifth shutout of the year for freshman goaltender Ryan Miller, one shy of Chad Alban's individual record of six set in '97-98. Miller has four shutouts in CCHA play, one shy of the single-season record set by Marc Magliarditi of Western Michigan in 1995-96.
Five More Notes No Media Person Should Be Without
1. Eyeing 11 in a row -- Michigan State has won 10 straight against Lake Superior since Feb. 15, 1997, the longest streak in series history and tied for MSU's seventh-longest winning streak against any opponent. A look at MSU's best runs vs. one school:
16 games vs. Miami (11/19/82 to 10/25/86) 15 games vs. Ontario Agricultural College (12/1/50 to 1/12/57) 14 games vs. Miami (1/9/88 to 1/17/92) 14 games vs. Ohio State (10/29/82 to 2/20/87) 12 games vs. Ohio State (2/26/88 to 2/3/90) 11 games vs. Minnesota-Duluth (2/18/72 to 1/24/75) 10 games vs. Lake Superior (2/15/97 to present),two others (vs. Ohio University and Western Michigan)
2. At home at the Joe -- MSU has won 11 of its last 12 and 14 of its last 16 games at Joe Louis Arena.
3. You could call him butter -- Freshman goaltender Ryan Miller is 3-0-1 in his last four games with a 0.98 goals-against average, a .951 save percentage and a shutout (Thursday night).
4. Nothing comes easily -- Michigan State is 3-3-2 in its last eight games. During that time, the Spartans have averaged 34.4 shots on goal per game (to their opponents' 21.8) and have scored 2.38 goals per game (to their opponents' 1.88).
5. Horcoff is on -- Senior center and team captain Shawn Horcoff has a four-game point-scoring streak and 44 points on the year, good for second in the nation behind Wisconsin's Steve Reinprecht (47 points). Horcoff leads the nation in assists with 34, tying Mike York (1997-98) for the most by an MSU player in the last five years.
Horcoff has had a hand in 44 of MSU's 89 goals (49.4 percent), including 18 of MSU's 32 power-play goals (56.3 percent). He has either scored or assisted on 10 of MSU's 19 game-winning goals. Horcoff has had 14 multiple-point games in 28 outings this year, including seven games with three or more points.
Post-it Notes
A special team -- Michigan State leads the CCHA with a 20.8 percent power play and a 90.1 percent penalty kill. The Spartans have scored three or more PPGs in a game four times this year. In CCHA games, MSU has scored almost as many short-handed goals (six) as it has allowed power-play goals (seven). The Spartans have killed off 58 of their last 61 (95.1 percent) and 35 of their last 36 (97.2 percent) short-handed situations.
Get the sensation! -- Mike York, the 1999 CCHA Player of the Year and the three-time MSU leader in scoring, is in attendance tonight. York, who leads all NHL rookies in goal with 17 (four more than the No. 2 rookie), is enjoying the All-Star break after starring for the New York Rangers in the first half of the season. A Calder Trophy candidate, York is fourth on the Rangers in scoring (17-17-34) and shares the team lead in goals with Petr Nedved and Adam Graves.
Goode for the goose and the gander -- Sophomore forward Joe Goodenow made his return from a hip injury last Saturday and scored his first goal of the season Thursday night to make the score 2-0. Goodenow, who had three goals and 10 assists (13 points) while skating on the second line last season, had surgery in the fall.
Red-hot rookies -- Michigan State's freshmen have had a big impact this season, with two rookies (left wing Brian Maloney and defenseman John-Michael Liles) among the top five on the team in scoring. Overall, Spartan freshmen lead MSU's classes in points and trail only the junior class in goals (29 to 24). A breakdown of MSU's goals, assists and points by class:
Class (Skaters) G-A-P PPG SHG GWG Seniors (3) 15-46-61 3 2 2 Juniors (6) 29-34-63 11 1 6 Sophomores (4) 21-14-36 7 3 5 Freshmen (7) 24-41-65 10 1 5
Four score -- Michigan State is outscoring opponents 8-1 in four-on-four action this year.
Fast starters -- Michigan State has outscored opponents 20-3 in the first period of its last 14 games. The Spartans have had at least 11 shots on goal in the first period of its last seven games, and their 21 shots on goal in the first period Thursday night marked a season high for shots in a period.
Fast starters II -- Michigan State has not allowed a goal in the first three minutes of a game this season and not in the first six minutes of its last 15 games. The Spartans are outscoring opponents in the first (3-1) and last (5-2) minutes of a period.
Spreading the wealth -- Twelve different players have combined for the Spartans' 19 goals in their last eight games. Eleven different players have combined for MSU's 18 game-winning goals, including Adam Hall, who shares the national lead with five GWGs.
FORMER SPARTAN OF THE WEEK -- Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) left wing Tony Tuzzolino (MSU 1993-97), an Anaheim Mighty Ducks prospect, has three goals and an assist in his first four games with the Wolf Pack. (Honorable mention: Tyler Harlton (MSU 1994-98) of the St. John's Maple Leafs scored his first goal of the season last Friday. Harlton has 1-4-5 totals, a -1 rating and 50 PIM in 35 games played this season.)
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 18-2-2 in games it has led at one point and 2-8-0 in games it has trailed at one point ... MSU has not allowed a goal in the first three minutes of a game and not in the first six minutes of its last 15 games ... the Spartans are outscoring opponents in the first (3-1) and last (5-2) minutes of a period ... 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.
SERIES INFORMATION vs. LAKE SUPERIOR:
* 82nd meeting: MSU leads, 45-28-8
* In Joe Louis Arena: MSU leads, 6-4-0
* First meeting: MSU 5, LSSU 2 (12/19/80)
* Last meeting: MSU 3, LSSU 0 (2/3/00)
* Last year's series: MSU won, 5-0-0
* MSU has won 10 in a row, the longest streak in series history
* MSU has not given up more than two goals in any of the last eight meetings
* MSU is 10-0-2 in the last 12 meetings, since a 5-0 loss on 12/27/96 at Joe Louis Arena
* MSU has shut out LSSU for the last 126:15, spanning three games since 3/12/99
MSU CAREER LEADERS vs. LSSUPlayer (Yr., Pos.) GP, G-A-PShawn Horcoff (Sr., C) 12 GP, 4-6-10Adam Hall (So., RW) 6 GP, 5-1-6Rustyn Dolyny (Jr., F) 9 GP, 4-1-5Mike Weaver (Sr., D) 13 GP, 1-3-4Brad Hodgins (Sr., D) 13 GP, 0-4-4Joe Blackburn (Jr., G) 5-0-0, 1.15, .937Ryan Miller (Fr., G) 1-0-0, 0 GA, 22 saves
