Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Western Ontario (ex)
Spartan Hockey Downs Western Ontario, 6-2
10/8/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Oct. 8, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. - An offensively-minded Michigan State hockey team took to the ice in its final preseason game on Tuesday, Oct. 8, as the Spartans defeated Western Ontario, 6-2. MSU swarmed the net, tallying three in each of the last two periods to complete the exhibition season with a perfect 2-0 mark.
Michigan State had numerous scoring opportunities throughout the first period. The Spartans tested the Western Ontario goalkeeper early and often, attempting 32 shots in the opening 20 minutes, with 23 of the chances being on target.
Michigan State's stranglehold on the puck allowed the Mustangs just six total shot attempts. Spartan sophomore goaltender Matt Migliaccio (Wyandotte, Mich.), who was making his first start in goal this season, stopped two shots, while MSU defense deflected two others.
The Spartans opened the second period in high fashion, as senior left wing Brian Maloney (Bassano, Atla.) put Michigan State on the board. At just 1:23 into the period, Maloney took a pass from sophomore Mike Lalonde (Chetwynd, B.C.) and buried it in the back of the net.
Western Ontario wasted no time tying the score at one. WOU's Chris Haskett scored off of a Ryan Held and Joe Talbot pass, but the Spartans answered again. Sophomore Lee Falardeau (Midland, Mich.) scored off of an assist from senior captain Brad Fast (Fort St. John, B.C.) and Steve Clark (Mississauga, Ont.)
Clark added a third goal in the final seconds of the period, with assists from Troy Ferguson (Kitchener, Ont.) and sophomore Duncan Keith (Penticton, B.C.) sending the Spartans to the locker room with a 3-1 lead.
The Spartans equaled their shot attempts from the first half in the second stanza, firing 33 shots, with 21 being viable threats for the Western Ontario goalie, who stopped 18. Migliaccio was not threatened too often during the period, as the Mustangs tallied just four shots on goal.
"I totally prepared differently and didn't put a lot of pressure on myself," Migliaccio admitted about his first start of the season. "I just went out and had fun and let things develop a little. Things will work out if you just go out and have fun."
"He's a great goalie." Fast stated. "He just had an off night (at the Green and White game). He's smart enough to know he doesn't have to get down after a game and he showed it tonight."
Michigan State kept up the scoring attack to open the final period. Sophomore assistant captain Jim Slater (Lapeer, Mich.) snuck one past the WOU netminder, from a pass by Keith and sophomore Kevin Estrada (Surrey, B.C.).
Western Ontario brought the score within two as Kelly Padden scored an unassisted strike. The Mustangs tried to mount a comeback in the waning minutes, but MSU continued to dominate the game and scored two more goals.
Junior Steve Swistak (West Bloomfield, Mich.) scored his first strike of the season, with assists from a pair of freshmen - Jared Nightengale (Cheboygan, Mich.) and David Booth (Washington, Mich.). With just 30 seconds remaining in the contest Lalonde tallied his first goal from freshman Nenad Gajic (Burnaby, B.C) and senior assistant captain John-Michael Liles (Zionsville, Ind.).
"This is our training camp." Head coach Rick Comley stated after the game, in which his Spartans outshot the Mustangs 56-13. "This is exhibition and you take the good with the bad. As a coach, you take what we want out of it and go back and make the corrections. A big positive was having so many great scoring chances. We had a lot of really good shots out there."
Slater, who had his first goal of the season tonight and was the number-three star of the game, said he was glad to see the Spartans dominating the shots. "It is pretty impressive," said Slater. "Coach Comley's new system is keeping in there and getting shots and when you play good defense, you can tell by the shot total that's what happened."
Michigan State will open the regular season on Friday, Oct. 11, at the Maverick Stampede in Omaha, Neb., as the Spartans will face No. 2 Denver, at 6 p.m. CT. Colgate and Nebraska-Omaha will play in the second game.
