Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Northern Mich
Spartans Edge NMU, Snap Two-Game Losing Skid
2/3/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 3, 2001
MARQUETTE, Mich. - John Nail (Brampton, Ont.) scored two goals to propel Michigan State (22-3-4 overall, 15-3-3 Central Collegiate Hockey Association) to a 2-1 victory over Northern Michigan (12-8-7, 8-7-6) and salvage a split in the two-game league set in Marquette. The win snaps the top-ranked Spartans' season-long two-game losing streak and ends the Wildcats' three-game unbeaten streak.
The Spartans, who controlled the flow of the game during most of the first two periods, finally broke through early in the second stanza. Nail grabbed control of a loose puck to NMU goaltender Craig Kowalski's right and tipped it past the Wildcat freshman for his 13th goal of the season at 4:47.
The trio of Nail, Andrew Bogle (Calgary, Alta.) and Sean Patchell (Moonstone, Alta.) sparked the Spartans to a two-goal edge nearly 20 minutes later. Patchell fended off a Wildcat defender, muscled the puck out of the far corner of the MSU offensive zone and passed the puck to Bogle, who was stationed in the low slot. Kowalski stopped Bogle's one-time attempt, but Nail was there to fire the rebound into a virtual empty net for his team-best 14th marker at 4:13 of the third period.
The Wildcats thwarted MSU goaltender Ryan Miller's (East Lansing, Mich.) bid for an NCAA-record 17th shutout at 7:17 of the third frame and just 10 seconds into NMU's first power-play opportunity of the night. Defenseman Sean Connolly threw a pass in Miller's general direction, but the puck appeard to deflect off a Spartan defender and past Miller's stick side.
Kowalski managed to keep MSU at bay during the first frame but almost gave the Spartans a freebie midway through the frame after Rustyn Dolyny (Fort Frances, Ont.) chipped the puck deep into the Wildcat zone. The NMU netminder went behind the net to play the puck ahead to a teammate, but instead turned it over right in front of the empty net. MSU centerman Troy Ferguson (Kitchener, Ont.) gathered in the puck and charged toward the cage, but his shot was stopped by a diving Kowalski.
Miller made 19 saves on the night for the Spartans. Kowalski stopped 20 shots for Northern Michigan.
The Spartans return to action next week as they host Alaska-Fairbanks in a two-game set at Munn Ice Arena Feb. 9-10. Faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m. both nights.
