Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Shut Down Yale 4-0
1/6/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Jan. 6, 2001
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State sophomore goaltender Ryan Miller (East Lansing, Mich.) stopped 36 saves, tying the school record with his 12th shutout, as the Spartans blanked Yale, 4-0, tonight.
Much like last night, the top-ranked Spartans (16-1-4, 9-1-3 CCHA) team dominated the game with special teams in front of 6,751 fans -- the 262nd consecutive regular-season sellout at Munn Ice Arena.
"We beat a team that, on paper, made it look easy but the score was no indication of either game," said MSU head coach Ron Mason. "The special teams were critical. Our penalty killing was good again and they got in to some penalty problems and we were able to score on the power play."
Spartan junior Andrew Hutchinson (Rochester Hills, Mich.) notched MSU's first goal of the night 4:49 into the first period. Troy Ferguson (Kitchener, Ont.) fed the puck back to Hutchinson off the face-off, and the defenseman blasted a drive through the five-hole of Yale goaltender Dan Lombard.
Adam Hall (Kalamazoo, Mich.) gave the Spartans a 2-0 lead 9:26 into the first with a power-play goal, his second of the series. John-Michael Liles (Zionsville, Ind.) took possesion of the puck at center ice and fed it deep into the Bulldogs zone to Jeremy Jackson (Langley, B.C.) who then found Hall all alone in the slot for the easy score.
"I actually thought the first period we played our best hockey and the second period they probably played their best," said Mason. "We got two goals out of ours and they got nothing out of theirs. They put a lot of pressure on us - they have great speed, play their positions extremely well and make good decisions. Take out the special teams and this could have been quite a different series."
With no scoring in the second period, MSU senior Damon Whitten (Brighton, Mich.) started the third period by tipping in a shot from the point 5:52 into the third. Brad Fast (Fort St. John, B.C.) and Ferguson each earned assists.
"It's like a movie lately," said Whitten. "Michigan Tech was the exact same way. There was a big lane open and Fast got it down to me."
Whitten recorded his ninth goal of the season 10:07 into the third on the power play. Fast and John Nail (Brampton, Ont.) each received helpers.
Miller, who blanked the Bulldogs one night after teammate Joe Blackburn turned the trick against the Bulldogs, tied Chad Alban for the MSU all-time mark with 12 shutouts. Lombard stopped 23 shots for Yale.
Michigan State returns to CCHA action Jan. 12-13, when the Spartans travel to Sault Ste. Marie to take on Lake Superior State. Both games start at 7:05 p.m. EST.
