MSU Hockey Sweeps Northern Michigan
12/8/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Dec. 8, 2001
MARQUETTE, Mich. - Michigan State junior goaltender Ryan Miller (East Lansing, Mich.) made a season-high 41 saves - earning his sixth shutout of the season and NCAA-record 24th of his career - as the Spartans (12-3-2 overall, 10-3-1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association) defeated host Northern Michigan 3-0 Saturday. The win gave MSU a series sweep over the Wildcats (8-5-1, 6-5-1 CCHA), the first for either team in this series in Marquette.
In a reversal from Friday's game, the Spartans broke out to a 2-0 first-period lead, outplaying the Wildcats during the game's first 10 minutes. Freshman wing Mike Lalonde (Chetwynd, B.C.) got MSU on the board early in the first period, picking up the rebound off a Kris Koski (Schaumburg, Ill.) shot that NMU goaltender Craig Kowalski left near the goal mouth and putting into the net at 3:38.
Less than four minutes later, senior defenseman Jon Insana (New Baltimore, Mich.) picked up his first goal of the year on a 40-foot shot from just outside the near faceoff circle that Kowalski mishandled.
Junior wing Brian Maloney (Bassano, Alta.) notched his second goal and fourth point of the weekend, giving State a 3-0 edge with the lone goal of the second period. A Wildcat forward tried to move the puck to a teammate holding the far point in the offensive zone, but his pass caromed off the boards and into the neutral zone. Maloney picked up the loose puck near the center line, broke in on the near wing and fired a shot from the middle of the near faceoff circle that beat Kowalski five hole.
The Spartans return to action following a three-week holiday break as they take part in the 37th annual Great Lakes Invitational at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit Dec. 28-29. MSU meets Michigan Tech in a first-round game on Friday, Dec. 28, at 7:35 p.m.
