Michigan State University Athletics
MSU Hockey Outlasts Western Michigan
1/11/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Jan. 11, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. - It was a see-saw, back-and-forth affair between Michigan State and Western Michigan at Munn Ice Arena tonight. In other words, it was a typical Spartan-Bronco contest.
MSU (16-4-2 overall, 11-3-1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association) got two goals and an assist from Kalamazoo native Adam Hall and linemate Brian Maloney (Bassano, Alta.) chipped in a goal and two assists as the Spartans downed the Broncos 6-3 in front of 6,786 fans. The win extends the Spartans' home unbeaten streak to a school-record 30 (27-0-3), snapping the previous mark of 29 (24-0-5) set three years ago.
"It was a physical game and a real entertaining game," said MSU coach Ron Mason. "I'm glad our defense picked it up in the third period. They've been under a lot of pressure lately."
The Spartans needed just 41 seconds to take the lead thanks to a goaltending gaffe by Western Michigan freshman Mike Mantua. Senior defenseman Andrew Hutchinson (Hudson, Ohio) nonchalantly flipped the puck toward the Bronco goal. Mantua came out to make a play on it, but it tipped off his glove and dribbled into the net.
Western Michigan pulled even on a shorthanded goal by Paul Davies at 7:18, but the Spartan took advantage of their next power-play opportunity when Hall scored his first of the night off a rebound of a shot from the point by junior defenseman John-Michael Liles (Zionsville, Ind.) at 8:31.
"Liles always does a great job on the power play, getting pucks to the net and that's what we keep harping on," said Hall. "We were fortunate that I just happened to be in the doorstep in one that he got through.
Freshman forward Lee Falardeau (Midland, Mich.) made the score 3-1 with 31 seconds left in the opening period with his fourth goal of the year on an assist from junior defenseman Brad Fast (Fort St. John, B.C.), who lugged the puck out of the MSU defensive zone and created the scoring opportunity. Mantua was relieved by Jeff Reynaert after a shaky first period in which he allowed three goals on 12 shots.
The Broncos (11-9-3, 5-8-2 CCHA) pulled even with the first two goals of the second period. Jeff Campbell brought Western Michigan to within one with his sixth goal of the season at 6:53 and Chad Kline evened the score on a shot from the goal line that squeezed through the pads of goaltender Ryan Miller (East Lansing, Mich.) at 14:47. Senior wing Joe Goodenow (Toronto, Ont.) squelched the Broncos' momentum with his seventh goal of the year, punching a rebound of a Hutchinson shot past Reynaert at 15:59.
Hall gave the Spartans a two-goal edge with his second goal of the game and team-best 11th of the season at 14:15 of the final period on a pretty shorthanded play set up by linemate junior Brian Maloney (Bassano, Alta.).
"The puck was rolling the whole way so I was just trying to get it to lay down," said Maloney, who scored the Spartans' sixth goal at 16:22. "I faked the shot and the goalie bit. The guy came out and I was able to slid it over to (Hall). He showed great patience and put it upstairs."
The two teams meet again Saturday in Kalamazoo in the back end of a home-and-home series.
"I would imagine there will be some feistiness tomorrow," said Mason. "That's what happens when rivals play on back-to-back nights."
