Michigan State University
Ohio St
MSU Hockey Overwhelms Ohio State
2/24/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 24, 2001
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Sean Patchell (Moonstone, Ont.) and Brad Fast (Fort St. John, B.C.) each notched a goal and three assists and seven different Michigan State players scored goals as the top-ranked Spartans (27-4-4 overall, 20-4-3) pounded Ohio State, 7-2, in front of 12,322 at Value City Arena Saturday. The seven goals are the most scored by MSU since Oct. 23, 1998, when the Spartans handed Bowling Green a 7-1 defeat.
"Tonight's game really showed the kind of team we have," said MSU head coach Ron Mason. "We got going early and weren't going to give anything up."
Although the Buckeyes put forth a more spirited effort than in Friday's first period in which they didn't attempt a shot on goal until 17 minutes into the game, the Spartans again dominated early, tallying three goals in the game's first 20 minutes. Junior forward Adam Hall (Kalamazoo, Mich.) opened the scoring with a pretty breakaway goal halfway through the stanza. Winger Brian Maloney (Bassano, Alta.) sprung his linemate with a perfect feed from the neutral zone and Hall made a nifty move on OSU goaltender Mike Betz to score his 16th goal of the year at 9:05.
Sophomore rearguard John-Michael Liles (Zionsville, Ind.) doubled the MSU edge a little less than four minutes later on a blast from the blue line at 12:58, a play created when Patchell kicked the puck out of a scrum to the right of Betz and found a wide-open Liles just inside the Spartan zone.
The MSU power play, which had been dormant for the better part of two months, clicked for the sixth time in four games late in the first period. Senior winger Damon Whitten (Brighton, Mich.), stationed in front of the Buckeye net, tried to tip a Fast drive from the point past Betz. The OSU netminder made the initial save, but Whitten rammed the rebound home for his 12th goal of the year at 14:53.
Whitten helped create MSU's fourth goal, a shorthanded tally, late in the second period. Betz came out of the net to play a Spartan clearing attempt up the ice, but Whitten, on the forecheck, tied up the Buckeye defender giving chase. Betz's pass caromed off Whitten and onto the stick of Rustyn Dolyny (Fort Frances, Ont.), who easily flipped the puck into the empty net at 15:10.
The Buckeyes spoiled MSU goaltender Ryan Miller's (East Lansing, Mich.) bid for career shutout No. 18 shortly after Dolyny's marker. Sophomore forward Ryan Smith picked up a loose puck in the high slot, wheeled and fired a low shot past Miller's glove at 16:27for his first goal of the year.
MSU added its fifth goal of the night in the third period, again scoring on the power play. Patchell, coming out of the the penalty box after serving a minor penalty, skated into the play on the near-wing boards and took a pass from Fast. The senior then unloaded a bomb that beat Betz top shelf at 9:14.
"I just came out of the box and Fasty just dished it over," said Patchell. "I stepped up and kind of closed my eyes and shot."
OSU trimmed the Spartan advantage to 5-2 when Scott May's centering pass on a two-on-one break caromed off the skate of MSU defenseman Joe Markusen (Grafton, N.D.) and past Miller at 10:16. MSU regained its two-goal edge a little more than two minutes later on Fast's goal at 12:59. John Nail (Brampton, Ont.) closed the scoring with his team-leading 18th goal of the year at 15:22.
Miller made 25 saves en route to his nation's best 25th win of the season. Betz stopped 30 shots before giving way to backup Kelly Holowaty following MSU's seventh goal. Holowaty turned aside both shots he faced.
The Spartans close out regular season play Thursday as they celebrate Senior Night and accept the CCHA regular-season championship trophy when Michigan comes to Munn Ice Arena. Faceoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
