Michigan State University Athletics
MSU Hockey Entertains Bowling Green This Week
10/29/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Oct. 29, 2001
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THIS WEEK
The Michigan State hockey team starts a season-long, seven-game homestand as the top-ranked Spartans (3-2-1 overall, 3-2-1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association) welcome the Bowling Green Falcons (1-3-2 overall, 1-2-1 CCHA) to Munn Ice Arena for a two-game conference series. Thursday's faceoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. EST with Friday's start slated for 6:35 p.m.
RADIO
Both games of the Bowling Green series, and all MSU home and road games, can be heard live on WVFN-AM 730 "The Fan." Play-by-play man Scott Moore, in his fifth season as the radio voice of MSU hockey, will call the action. Former Spartan All-American goaltender Joe Blackburn provides color commentary.
Spartan fans can also hear live play-by-play action of MSU hockey via the Internet. Broadcasts can be accessed by logging on to www.msuspartans.com, the official website of Spartan athletics, or www.espn.com.
TELEVISION
Both games of the MSU-BGSU series will be broadcast live in the greater Lansing area on AT&T Broadband. Eric Peasley will handle play-by-play duties and is joined by analyst Joe Campbell and rinkside reporter Gary Durak. Thursday's broadcast will begin at 7 p.m. with Friday's telecast starting at 6:30. The local cable outlet is scheduled to carry a total of 12 Spartan hockey games this season.
TICKET UPDATE
Only $9 standing-room tickets remain for this week's series vs. Bowling Green. However, seats are still available for four upcoming MSU games - Nov. 23 vs. Wisconsin, Nov. 25 vs. Minnesota and Jan. 4-5 vs. Quinnipiac. Price is $18 for the general public and $8 for MSU students with a valid ID.
A five-game ticket plan can also be purchased for the 2001-02 hockey season. The plan includes games vs. Wisconsin (Nov. 23), Minnesota (Nov. 25), Quinnipiac (Jan. 4-5) and Ferris State (March 2). Cost is $90 for the general public and $40 for MSU students with a valid ID.
For more information on Spartan hockey tickets, contact the MSU ticket office at (517) 355-1610 or 1-800-GO STATE.
MSU INJURY UPDATE (AS OF OCT. 29)
Probable -- Lee Falardeau, shoulder (missed Oct. 27 game at Nebraska-Omaha)
THE SPARTANS... Enter the weekend series looking to extend their current 20-game home unbeaten streak (18-0-2). Should MSU win or tie in the series opener vs. BGSU Thursday, they'd own the second-longest home unbeaten streak in school history. The longest is a 29-game stretch from Jan. 9, 1998-March 5, 1999 during which State was 24-0-5.
Are unbeaten in their last eight games against Bowling Green, posting a 6-0-2 record during that span. The Falcons' last win in the series came in a 1-0 shutout of MSU on Dec. 7, 1997 in East Lansing.
Hope to avoid their first three-game losing streak in nearly two years, when MSU dropped both ends of a CCHA series at Miami Nov. 19-20 followed by a loss to Wisconsin at Munn Ice Arena six days later in the first game of the College Hockey Showcase.
Have not had two losses this early in the season since the 1996-97 campaign, when State opened with three straight wins before dropping back-to-back decisions to Boston College and Northeastern.
Own a 16-3-0 (.842) record in the first game after suffering back-to-back losses since the start of the 1991-92 season.
Open a seven-game homestand with this week's series against BGSU. It's MSU's longest stretch of games at Munn Ice Arena since they hosted seven straight from Feb. 8-March 1, 1986.
THE FALCONS... Are off to a 1-3-2 start this season. BGSU opened the year with a loss to host Maine and a tie vs. Clarkson at the Ice Breaker Tournament, posted a loss and a tie in its first CCHA series of the season at Northern Michigan and earned a split with Ohio State last weekend.
Have scored two or fewer goals in 11 of its last 12 meetings with MSU dating back to March 1, 1997, when the two teams skated to a scoreless tie. Bowling Green is 8-1-3 against the Spartans during that span.
Were a surprise participant in the 2001 CCHA Tournament at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The ninth-place team in the regular-season standings upset second-place Miami in the first round of the league playoffs and ousted fifth-place Northern Michigan in the play-in game. BGSU was ultimately eliminated by the Spartans in a conference semifinal match.
Trail the all-time series with MSU by a 50-22-9 margin. MSU has posted 50 or more wins than all but three CCHA schools - Nebraska-Omaha, Notre Dame and Western Michigan.
THE MSU HEAD COACH
Ron Mason (St. Lawrence '64) is in his 23rd season with the Spartans and 36th year as a college coach. The winningest mentor in college hockey history, Mason has piloted the Spartans to a 611-263-65 (.685) mark since taking over for the legendary Amo Bessone in 1979. His overall record currently stands at 900-373-79 (.695), with win no. 900 coming one week ago vs. Ferris State at Munn Ice Arena.
Mason guided MSU to its second NCAA hockey championship in 1986 and his 21 NCAA Tournament appearances are an all-time record. He also has taken eight teams to the NCAA Frozen Four, including seven Spartan squads.
Mason has more victories at one school than all but two coaches in NCAA hockey history. He's surpassed by only Bob Peters of Bemidji State (703 wins), who retired at the end of the 2000-01 season, and Jack Parker of Boston University (616). His number of wins with the Green and White are more than all but five coaches have during their collegiate careers.
The seven-time Central Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year led the Spartans to league regular-season titles in 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1998, 1999 and 2001. He's also guided MSU to CCHA playoff crowns in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2000 and 2001. The league honored Mason by renaming the CCHA playoff trophy in his honor last year.
Mason, who won the Spencer Penrose Award as national coach of the year in 1992, has coached 20 Spartans to All-American honors and seen 44 of his former MSU skaters move on to the NHL.
