Spartan Hockey Heads To The College Hockey Showcase
11/26/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 26, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
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THIS WEEK IN SPARTAN HOCKEY
Michigan State (5-6-0, 3-4-0 CCHA)at Minnesota (7-3-3, 4-2-2 WCHA)
Friday, Nov. 29, 7:05 p.m. CSTMariucci Arena (10,000) * Minneapolis, Minn.
MSU-MINN Series InformationMinnesota leads 97-40-8Last 10 games: Minnesota leads 7-2-1First Meeting: Feb. 29, 1926 - MINN 2, MSU 0Last Meeting: Nov. 25, 2001 - MSU 4, MINN 4 (OT)
Radio: WJIM 1240-AM (Scott Moore, Joe Blackburn)Television: Fox Sports Net Minnesota (Frank Mazzocco, Doug Woog)
Michigan State (5-6-0, 3-4-0 CCHA)at Wisconsin (5-7-0, 1-5-0 WCHA)
Saturday, Nov. 30, 7:05 p.m. CSTKohl Center (15,237) * Madison, Wis.
MSU-UW Series InformationMichigan State leads 44-36-2Last 10 games: Michigan State leads 8-2First Meeting: Dec. 11, 1964 - MSU 9, UW 2Last Meeting: Nov. 23, 2001 - MSU 2, UW 1
Radio: WJIM 1240-AM (Scott Moore, Joe Blackburn)Television: UPN (Madison, Wis.)
THIS WEEK'S ACTION
The Spartans (5-6 overall, 3-4 CCHA) heads to the College Hockey Showcase this weekend (Nov. 29-30). Michigan State travels to Minnesota on Friday (Nov. 29) for an 7:05 p.m. CST face-off with the Golden Gophers (7-3-3 overall, 4-2-2 WCHA). On Saturday (Nov. 30), MSU will be in Madison to meet Wisconsin (5-7 overall, 1-5 WCHA). Face-off is set for 7:05 p.m. CST.
All Spartan hockey games can be heard on WJIM 1240-AM. Scott Moore serves up the play-by-play action, while Joe Blackburn handles the analyst.
LAST WEEKEND RECAP
Friday, Nov. 22 - Bowling Green 3, MSU 2 (OT)
BGSU's D'Arcy McConvey scored with 1:50 left in overtime to give the Falcons a 3-2 victory over State on Friday (Nov. 22) at BGSU Ice Arena. John-Michael Liles got the Spartans on the board first on the power play at the 5:21 mark of the second period. BGSU would tie the game at one at the 18:31 mark of the second stanza. Jim Slater's fifth goal of the season gave the Spartans a 2-1 lead with 3:55 to go in the game. However, Tyler Knight would send the game into overtime with 1:54 to go in the game. Matt Migliaccio earned the start in goal, stopping 30 shots. Jordan Sigalet stopped 29 shots in picking up the victory.
COLLEGE HOCKEY SHOWCASE
The College Hockey Showcase celebrates its 10th year of existence in 2002-03, again bringing together four of the nation's hockey powerhouses - Michigan State and Michigan from the CCHA and Minnesota and Wisconsin from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. This year's games will be played at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis and the Kohl Center in Madison during Thanksgiving weekend.
The four teams participating in the College Hockey Showcase have won a total of 20 NCAA championships and made 87 postseason appearances. All four are among the top 15 winningest programs in college hockey history and have a combined 4,617 wins.
The complete schedule for the 2002 College Hockey Showcase (all times ET):
Friday, Nov. 29
Michigan State at Minnesota, 8:05 p.m.
Michigan at Wisconsin, 8:05 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 30
Michigan State at Wisconsin, 8:05 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 1
Michigan at Minnesota, 3:05 p.m.
MSU IN THE COLLEGE HOCKEY SHOWCASE
Michigan State has an all-time mark of 11-6-1 (.639) in the College Hockey Showcase. The Spartans compiled a 1-0-1 mark in 2001, beating Wisconsin 2-1 on Nov. 23 and skating to a 4-4 overtime tie with Minnesota on Nov. 24. The last time the Spartans hit the road was in 2000, when MSU picked up a 3-2 win at Minnesota and a 6-2 win at Wisconsin.
Since the inception of the College Hockey Showcase, MSU holds a 2-0-1 record vs. Minnesota at Munn Arena; a 1-1 record in Minneapolis and an 0-4 slate in neutral site contests. The Spartans are 2-1 vs. Wisconsin at Munn Arena; 2-0 in Madison and 4-0 in neutral site games.
FOR STARTERS
* The Spartans are just 1-4 on Friday nights this season, but have posted a 3-1 mark on Saturdays.
* State ranks ninth in the CCHA in goals per game at 2.73 and seventh in goals allowed per game at 3.36. In 2001-02, Michigan State averaged 3.15 goals per game, while allowing just 1.78 goals.
* Michigan State is 3-2 in one-goal games this season, recording victories over Colgate (2-1), Lake Superior State (3-2) and Niagara (5-4 in overtime). By comparison, the Spartans were 5-6 in one-goal games in 2001-02.
SPARTAN QUICK HITS
* MSU carries a 5-6-0 overall and a 3-4 CCHA slate into this weekend's non-conference action. The Spartans have dropped three straight contests.
* MSU is 1-4 on the road this season, including a 1-1 mark in neutral site contests.
* Senior defenseman/forward Brad Fast leads the team in scoring with 6-4--10 totals. Fast picked up his first point, an assist, in five games at BGSU.
* Sophomore forward Jim Slater (5-4--9) and senior defenseman John-Michael Liles (2-7--9) are second in scoring with nine points.
* Sophomore netminder Matt Migliaccio paces the Spartans with a 4-3 record, along with a .922 saves percentage and a 2.04 goals-against average. He ranks third in the CCHA in GAA and fourth in saves percentage.
MINNESOTA QUICK HITS
* Minnesota brings a 7-3-3 overall mark into the game. The Golden Gophers were ranked ninth in both the Nov. 18 USA Today/American Hockey Magazine and USCHO.com polls.
* The Golden Gophers are coming off a two-game sweep of Michigan Tech, 4-2 and 2-1, last weekend at Mariucci Arena, where Minnesota has compiled a 4-1-1 record this season.
* Junior forward Troy Riddle paces the Gophers in scoring with 12 goals and 22 points. Riddle ranks fifth in the nation in goals per game (0.92). Junior defenseman Paul Martin is second in scoring with 19 points (five goals, 14 assists), while freshman forward Thomas Vanek is third with 9-9--18 totals.
* Minnesota is averaging 4.4 goals per game to rank ninth in the nation in scoring. The Gophers are allowing 3.0 goals per game.
* Don Lucia is in his fourth season behind the Minnesota bench and his 16th year overall. Lucia has compiled an all-time mark of 365-198-40 (.638).
MSU-MINNESOTA SERIES INFORMATION
Minnesota holds a 97-40-8 advantage in the all-time series, which began with a 2-0 Gophers' victory on Feb. 29, 1926. The Gophers won 28 of the first 29 meetings and the other game was a 5-5 overtime tie on Munn on Feb. 25, 1955.
Michigan State holds a slim 3-1-1 edge in the last five meetings, including a 4-4 overtime tie at Munn Arena in 2001, a 3-2 victory in Minneapolis in 2000 and a 6-2 Spartan victory in East Lansing in 1999.
MSU head coach Rick Comley is 17-27-7 all-time vs. Minnesota.
WISCONSIN QUICK HITS
* Wisconsin carries a 5-7 overall record into the game. The Badgers have lost five of their last six games, but four of their five losses have been by two goals or less.
* UW dropped a two-game set at No. 4 North Dakota over the weekend by 2-0 and 3-2 counts.
* Wisconsin is averaging 2.5 goals per game, while allowing 3.1 goals per game. The Badgers have been outscored 13-to-9 in the third period.
* Freshman defenseman Tom Gilbert (3-7--10) and sophomore center Alex Leavitt (1-9--10) pace the Badgers in scoring. Senior center Brad Winchester is the team's third-leading scorer with 5-3--8 totals.
* Sophomore Bernd Bruckler and senior Scott Kabotoff have split time in goal. Bruckler has a 3-3 record, along with a 2.48 GAA and a .914 saves percentage. Kabotoff has posted a 2-4 record, along with a 3.19 GAA and a .901 saves percentage.
* Head coach Mike Eaves is in his first year behind the Wisconsin bench after spending two seasons (2000-02) as the head coach of the USNTDP in Ann Arbor.
MSU-WISCONSIN SERIES INFORMATION
The Spartans hold a 44-36-2 edge in the all-time series, which began with a 9-2 Spartan victory on Dec. 11, 1964.
Michigan State is 8-2 in its last 10 meetings with Wisconsin, including three straight victories heading into Saturday's contest. MSU posted a 6-2 victory in Madison in 2000, a 5-1 win in the NCAA West Regional in Grand Rapids in 2001 and a 2-1 victory last year in East Lansing.
MSU head coach Rick Comley is 22-38-5 all-time vs. Wisconsin.
THE ROAD WELL TRAVELED
Michigan State is in the midst of a six-game road trip as the Spartans have compiled an 0-3 mark to date. State dropped a two-game set at Ohio State (5-2 and 4-1) on Nov. 15-16 and lost 3-2 in overtime at Bowling Green on Nov. 22. MSU travels to Minnesota (Nov. 29) and Wisconsin (Nov. 30) this weekend, before closing out the trek at CCHA leader Ferris State on Friday, Dec. 6. State finally returns to Munn Arena for a single game vs. Ferris State (Dec. 7) to close out the first half of the season.
SLATER FINDS SCORING TOUCH
Sophomore forward Jim Slater has posted 4-2--6 totals in his last four games, including MSU's first goal in a 3-2 loss at BGSU last Friday. Slater is currently riding a four-game points streak heading into Friday's game at Minnesota.
The Lapeer, Mich., native has been tallying his points in bunches this season - no points in his first four games; 1-2--3 totals vs. NMU, 10/19 & LSSU, 10/24; no points in his next two contests before this current stretch.
For the season, Slater is tied for second on the team in scoring with five goals and four assists for nine points.
The David Booth-Jim Slater-Mike Lalonde line has accounted for six goals and eight assists for 14 points in their last five contests (two-game set vs. both Niagara and Ohio State and a single contest at Bowling Green).
GOALS ARE HARD TO COME BY
It's been a struggle on offense for the Spartans in 2002-03. Since scoring a season-best seven goals vs. Lake Superior State (Oct. 24), the Spartans have averaged just 2.3 goals-per-game over the past six contests and have posted two of fewer goals four times.
During MSU's current three-game losing streak, the Spartans have tallied just five goals (1.67 gpg).
For the season, State is averaging 2.73 goals per game to rank ninth in the CCHA and 35th in the nation in scoring.
DID YOU KNOW?
* Four Spartans (Lee Falardeau, David Booth, Corey Potter and Evan Shaw) skated for Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves, when he served as the head coach of the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor. Booth, Potter and Shaw were members of Team USA which captured the Under-18 World Championship in March of 2002.
* State, which carries a three-game losing streak into Friday's contest, has not dropped four straight contests since the 1990-91 season. MSU fell to Lake Superior (4-0) on Jan. 19, Western Michigan (3-2) on Jan. 25, Western Michigan (8-1) on Jan. 26 and Ferris State (3-2 in overtime) on Feb. 1.
* MSU has not lost five in a row since the 1980-81 season (Jan. 31-Feb. 14).
MAKING THE SWITCH
Senior captain Brad Fast made the switch to forward at Bowling Green last Friday. Fast, who had played defense in each of his three seasons and the first 10 games of 2002-03, played center on MSU's second line and also spent some time at the point, had one assist on the Spartans' first goal. It was his first point in five contests.
For the season, Fast leads the team in scoring with 6-4--10 totals in 11 contests.
FOUR SPARTANS RANKED IN PRELIMINARY RANKINGS FOR 2003 NHL DRAFT
The National Hockey League's Central Scouting Bureau has released its preliminary ranking for the 2003 NHL Entry Draft on a total of 42 U.S. college players. Four Spartans were among the 42 players ranked, including defenseman Corey Potter (No. 10), defenseman Evan Shaw (No. 14) and forward David Booth (No. 17). Netminder Justin Tobe was ranked fourth among goalies.
Potter has played in nine games and scored two power play goals, while Shaw has appeared in six contests. Booth leads all Spartan freshmen in scoring with 2-5--6 totals in 10 games. Tobe has played in four contests, posting a 1-3 record along with a 5.63 GAA and a .835 saves percentage.
The 2003 NHL Entry Draft will be held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tenn., on June 21-22.
ON THE POWER PLAY
Michigan State scored its first power play goal at BGSU since the first period of the Niagara game on Nov. 9. The power play tally also snapped an 0-for-16 effort with the man advantage. Over the course of the past six games, the Spartans are just 3-for-35 (.086) on the power play during this span.
A FEW TICKET PACKAGES REMAIN
Michigan State has a limited number of seven-game non-renewable mini-plan hockey tickets for the 2002-03 season on sale now. The cost of the ticket plan is $126 and includes the following games: Ferris State (Dec. 7), Alaska-Fairbanks (Jan. 10), Nebraska-Omaha (Jan. 17), Miami (Jan. 31), Northern Michigan (Feb. 21 and 22) and Western Michigan (March 8). There is also group discounts available with the purchase of 10 tickets or more. Contact the MSU Ticket Office for more information.
Tickets may be purchased through the MSU Athletic Ticket Office in Jenison Field House in person, or by calling 517-355-1610 or 1-800-GO-STATE outside the Lansing area. Tickets also may be purchased online at www.msuspartans.com. The ticket office is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
MSU HEAD COACH RICK COMLEY
A new face will be seen on the Spartan bench this season as veteran Rick Comley takes over the reigns. Comley, who was selected as the fifth head coach in MSU hockey history on April 25, 2002, replaces the legendary Ron Mason, who stepped down to become MSU's athletics director.
Comley arrived at MSU after spending the past 26 years as the head coach at Northern Michigan. The first head coach in NMU hockey history, he compiled a 538-429-68 (.533) mark behind the Wildcat bench to become one of just 10 coaches to post 500 victories at the same institution.
The Stratford, Ontario, native guided NMU to the 1991 National Championship, a thrilling 8-7 triple overtime victory over Boston University. He also led Northern Michigan to CCHA regular-season championships in 1980 and 1981. Comley piloted the Wildcats to the 1991 WCHA regular-season crown and three WCHA playoff championships. He is one of three individuals (Bill Selman and George Gwozdecky) to have coached regular-season champions in the WCHA and CCHA.
FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE SEASON
Junior forward Steve Swistak made his first appearance of the season at Bowling Green (Nov. 22). It also marked Swistak's first game since March 22, 2002 - the NCAA first round contest vs. Colorado College. He finished with one shot on goal and an even rating.
SPARTAN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore forward Jim Slater was selected as the Spartan Player of the Week following Michigan State's 3-2 loss to Bowling Green (Nov. 22). Slater scored MSU's second goal, which gave the Spartans a 2-1 lead with 3:55 to play in the third period. Slater finished the game with three shots on goal and an even rating.
The Spartan coaching staff will select a Spartan Player of the Week following the conclusion of play each week.
Past Spartans of the Week
Week 1 -- Matt Migliaccio (led MSU to first win of season, 2-1 over Colgate stopped 30-of-31 shots)
Week 2 -- Brad Fast (registered 4-1--5 totals at NMU, including game winner on Sat.)
Week 3 -- Brock Radunske (scored game-winning goal with 2.7 seconds left vs. LSSU)
Week 4 -- Jim Slater (posted 2-1-3 totals in 5-4 OT win vs. Niagara)
Week 5 -- None selected
Week 6 -- Jim Slater (scored MSU's second goal in loss at BGSU)
WHERE IS THE SCORING COMING FROM?
Over the last five games, MSU's No. 1 line of David Booth, Jim Slater and Mike Lalonde have accounted for six of MSU's 11 goals and 14 of MSU's 32 points. Slater paces the Spartans with six points (four goals, two assists) during this span, while Booth (1-3--4) and Lalonde (1-3--4) each have registered four points.
THE RICK COMLEY RADIO SHOW
The Rick Comley Radio Show will run throughout the season, on Wednesday's, at 6 p.m., on WVFN-AM 730. The hour-long show originates from Reno's East Sports Bar in East Lansing. Jerry Marshall serves as the host of the program.
UP NEXT
Michigan State closes out the first half of its schedule with a home-and-home series with CCHA leader Ferris State. MSU heads to FSU on Friday, Dec. 6, before returning to Munn Arena on Saturday, Dec. 7.
