Hockey Faces CCHA Leader Ferris State This Weekend.
12/3/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Dec. 3, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
THIS WEEK IN SPARTAN HOCKEYMichigan State (6-6-1, 3-4-0 CCHA)at No. 9 Ferris State (11-3-0, 9-1-0 CCHA)
Friday, Dec. 6, 7:35 p.m. ESTEwigleben Arena (2,450) * Big Rapids, Mich.
Michigan State (6-6-1, 3-4-0 CCHA)vs. No. 9 Ferris State (11-3-0, 9-1-0 CCHA)
Saturday, Dec. 7, 7:05 p.m. ESTMunn Arena (6,470) * East Lansing, Mich.
MSU-FSU Series InformationMichigan State leads 53-22-12Last 10 games: Michigan State leads 7-2-1First Meeting: Dec. 7, 1979 - FSU 6, MSU 3Last Meeting: March 2, 2002 - MSU 2, FSU 0
Radio: WJIM 1240-AM (Scott Moore, Joe Blackburn)Television: Saturday only - AT&T BroadbandGreater Lansing area (Eric Peasley, Joe Campbell)
THIS WEEK'S ACTION
The Spartans (6-6-1 overall, 3-4 CCHA) return to Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) action against Ferris State this weekend (Dec. 6-7). MSU travels to Big Rapids on Friday for a 7:35 p.m. face-off with the Bulldogs at Ewigleben Arena, while Ferris State heads to East Lansing and Munn Arena on Saturday at 7:05 p.m.
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. In addition, Saturday's game will be broadcast by AT&T Broadband in the greater Lansing area with Eric Peasley handling the play-by-play and Joe Campbell as the color commentator.
LAST WEEKEND RECAP
Friday, Nov. 29 - Michigan State 5, Minnesota 5 (OT)
Spartan goaltender Matt Migliaccio stopped a career-best 46 shots as Michigan State and Minnesota skated to a 5-5 overtime tie on Friday night in Minneapolis. The game was tied at three before goals by Lee Falardeau and David Booth in the final 22 seconds of the second period gave MSU a 5-3 lead heading into the locker room at the intermission. Minnesota's Thomas Vanek scored a pair of goals at the 13:03 and the 16:42 mark to send the game into overtime. Neither team could capitalize in the extra stanza and the game ended in a 5-5 deadlock.
Saturday, Nov. 30 - Michigan State 2, Wisconsin 1 (OT)
Senior defenseman John-Michael Liles was the hero for Michigan State as he buried a puck with 1:10 to play in the extra stanza to give the Spartans a 2-1 overtime victory at Wisconsin. David Booth started the scoring for MSU with his fifth goal of the season at the 13:19 mark of the second period on the power play. Wisconsin tied the game at one at the 4:40 mark of the third period, also on the power play. Matt Migliaccio earned the win in net, stopping 34-of-35 shots.
FOR STARTERS
* MSU has sold out 290 consecutive regular-season games at Munn Arena, a streak that started on Dec. 19, 1985 vs. Northern Michigan. MSU has compiled a 213-50-26 (.782) mark during the streak.
* The Spartans are 1-4-1 on Friday nights this season, but have posted a 4-1 mark on Saturdays.
* State ranks ninth in the CCHA in goals per game at 2.85 and sixth in goals allowed per game at 3.31. In 2001-02, Michigan State averaged 3.15 goals per game, while allowing just 1.78 goals.
* Michigan State is 4-2 in one-goal games this season, recording victories over Colgate (2-1), Lake Superior State (3-2), Niagara (5-4 in overtime) and Wisconsin (2-1 in overtime). By comparison, the Spartans were 5-6 in one-goal games in 2001-02.
SPARTAN QUICK HITS
* MSU carries a 6-6-1 overall and a 3-4 CCHA slate into this week's home-and-home series with Ferris State. The Spartans snapped an 0-3-1 mark with a 2-1 overtime victory at Wisconsin last Saturday.
* MSU is 2-4-1 on the road this season, including a 1-1 mark in neutral site contests.
* Sophomore forward Jim Slater leads Michigan State in scoring with 5-7--12 totals. Slater had a season-best, five-game point streak snapped vs. Wisconsin.
* Senior defenseman Brad Fast (6-5--11), freshman forward David Booth (5-6--11) and senior defenseman John-Michael Liles (3-8--11) are tied for second in scoring with 11 points.
* Sophomore netminder Matt Migliaccio paces the Spartans with a 5-3-1 record, along with a .925 saves percentage and a 2.21 goals-against average. He ranks fourth in the CCHA in both GAA and saves percentage.
FERRIS STATE QUICK HITS
* Ferris State brings a 11-3-0 overall mark and a league-leading 9-1 mark into this weekend's action. The Bulldogs, who are ranked ninth in both polls this week, have been off since a two-game sweep of Ohio State (4-2 and 2-1) on Nov. 22-23.
* Senior left wing Chris Kunitz leads FSU and ranks second in the CCHA in scoring with 10-15--25 totals. He ranks eighth in the nation in scoring at 1.79 points per game.
* Sophomore center Jeff League (9-9--18) and sophomore left wing Derek Nesbitt (6-12--18) are tied for second with 18 points. Nesbitt leads the team with three game-winning goals.
* Sophomore Mike Brown paces the Bulldogs in net with an 11-3 record, along with a 1.86 goals-against average and a .941 saves percentage. He leads the CCHA in saves percentage and ranks second in GAA.
* Ferris State is averaging 4.43 goals per game, which ranks second in the CCHA and fourth in the nation in scoring. FSU has scored four or more goals 11 times this season, including a season-best 10 vs. Bowling Green (Oct. 18).
* The Bulldogs have allowed just 27 goals in 14 games (1.93 gpg).
* FSU head coach Bobby Daniels, an 1982 graduate of Michigan State, is in his 11th year behind the Bulldogs bench. He has compiled an all-time mark of 160-200-32 and ranks as the all-time winningest coach in Ferris State history.
MSU-FERRIS STATE SERIES INFORMATION
Michigan State leads the all-time series, 53-22-12 which began with a 6-3 Ferris State victory on Dec. 7, 1979. MSU is 32-12-4 all-time in East Lansing and 20-9-7 all-time in Big Rapids. The teams have posted a 1-1-1 mark in neutral site contests.
State holds an 11-2-2 mark in the last 15 meetings, including victories in four of the last five meetings. MSU took three out of four games in 2001-02, including a 2-0 victory in East Lansing on Oct. 20; a 3-2 win in Big Rapids on Jan. 15 and a 2-0 win in East Lansing on March 2. The lone loss was a 3-2 defeat in Big Rapids on March 1.
MSU head coach Rick Comley is 32-12-2 all-time vs. Ferris State.
THE EXTRA SESSION
Michigan State has played three straight overtime games, posting a 1-1-1 mark along the way. The Spartans dropped a 3-2 decision to Bowling Green (Nov. 22); tied Minnesota, 5-5 on Nov. 29 and beat Wisconsin, 2-1 on Nov. 30. It marked the first time since the 1998-99 season (Jan. 23-Feb. 5) that the Spartans have played three consecutive overtime games and just the fifth time in school history. The Spartan record for consecutive overtime contests is four, set in 1970-71 (Feb. 27-March 12).
BOOTH SELECTED AS CCHA ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Freshman David Booth was selected as the CCHA Rookie of the Year after his four-point performance at the College Hockey Showcase last weekend. He had two goals and an assist in Friday's 5-5 tie at Minnesota and the game's first goal in Saturday's 2-1 overtime victory at Wisconsin. It marked the first time this season that MSU has earned a CCHA Player of the Week honor.
BOOTH ROLLS ON
Freshman forward David Booth had a career-best three-point night at Minnesota (Nov. 29) as he tallied a pair of goals and added an assist. He followed that up with MSU's first goal in a 2-1 overtime victory at Wisconsin on Saturday (Nov. 30).
For the season, the Washington, Mich., native is tied for second on the Spartans in scoring with 5-6--11 totals. His 11 points tops MSU freshmen in scoring and ranks 23rd among rookies in the nation in points per game. He has posted points in six of his last seven contests, totalling 3-5--8 marks.
SLATER ON FIRE
Despite having his career-best, five-game point streak snapped at Wisconsin, sophomore center Jim Slater has been on fire for the Spartans. The Lapeer, Mich., native, who had a career-best three assists at Minnesota, has registered 4-5--9 totals during the past six games.
For the season, Slater leads State in scoring with five goals and seven assists for 12 points. The 12 points ranks tied for 21st in the CCHA in scoring.
AND EVEN MORE ...
MSU's top line of David Booth (LW), Jim Slater (C) and Mike Lalonde (RW) accounted for seven (three goals, four assists) of MSU's 13 points vs. Minnesota (Nov. 29).
Over the past seven games, this trio has accounted for 22 points. All told, Booth-Slater-Lalonde have scored 10 of MSU's last 18 goals or 55.5 percent. In addition, they have registered 22 of the team's 49 points or 44.9 percent of the team's offense.
MIGLIACCIO ROLLS ON
Sophomore netminder Matt Migliaccio stopped 80-of-86 shots on the weekend, including 46-of-51 shots at Minnesota (Nov. 29) and 34-of-35 shots at Wisconsin (Nov. 30). In 128.50 minutes of play, Migliaccio posted a 1-0-1 mark, along with a 2.79 goals-against average and a .930 saves percentage.
For the season, Migliaccio has appeared in 10 games, posting a 5-3-1 record along with a 2.21 GAA and a .925 saves percentage. He ranks fourth in the CCHA in both GAA and saves percentage.
THE HERO
Senior defenseman John-Michael Liles was the hero for Michigan State on Saturday. Liles third goal of the season with 1:10 to go in the extra stanza gave MSU a 2-1 overtime victory at Wisconsin. Senior Brian Maloney dug the puck out from behind the net and passed it out into the slot. A Wisconsin player tried to clear the puck, but it ended up on Liles stick and he buried it for his third goal of the campaign. It marked the first game winner of the season for Liles and the seventh of his career.
Liles is tied for second on the team in scoring with 3-8--11 totals in 13 games.
SHOTS ON GOAL
Michigan State has been outshot in eight of 13 contests this season. Minnesota had 51 shots on goal, which were the most shots the Spartans have allowed since Feb. 20, 1981, when Wisconsin had 54 shots.
Since outshooting Niagara (37-to-27) Nov. 9, MSU has been outshot in five straight contests by an average of 12.6 shots. Spartan opponents have averaged 38.0 shots on goal, while MSU has averaged just 25.4 shots.
The Spartans have been held to 26 shots on goal or less on seven occasions, including a season-low 20 shots, three times.
PENALTY KILL BEGINNING TO CLICK
Michigan State's penalty kill has been clicking over the past four games. MSU has killed off 19-of-22 opponent power plays (86.4 percent). MSU killed 4-of-5 attempts at Ohio State (Nov. 16); was a perfect 6-for-6 at Bowling Green (Nov. 22); stopped 5-of-6 power play chances at Minnesota (Nov. 29) and was 4-of-5 at Wisconsin (Nov. 30).
For the season, Michigan State ranks sixth in the CCHA in penalty kill at 81.4 percent (48-of-59 attempts).
OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
Michigan State's five goals at Minnesota was the team's best-offensive output since the Spartans registered five markers in a 5-4 overtime victory vs. Niagara on Nov. 9 - a span of three contests.
To put into perspective, MSU had scored a total of four goals over its past three contests (Nov. 15-22) prior to Minnesota, including a pair of games where the Spartans scored just one marker.
INJURY UPDATE
Freshman defenseman Corey Potter is expected to miss four to six weeks with a shoulder injury. Potter was injured in the first period of the Nov. 29 Minnesota game.
IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME
Michigan State will make its first appearance at Munn Arena since Nov. 9, when the Spartans entertain league leader Ferris State on Saturday (Dec. 7). Friday's game in Big Rapids marks the end of a six-game road trip where the Spartans have compiled an 1-3-1 mark to date. State dropped a two-game set at Ohio State (5-2 and 4-1) on Nov. 15-16; lost 3-2 in overtime at Bowling Green (Nov. 22); skated to a 5-5 overtime tie at Minnesota (Nov. 29) and beat Wisconsin 2-1 in overtime (Nov. 30).
Following the Dec. 7 contest, State hits the road for four more contests - at the Great Lakes Invitational in Detroit (Dec. 28-29) and Lake Superior State (Jan. 3-4) - before finally returning to Munn Arena for four straight contests (Jan. 10-18).
ONE LAST LOOK - COLLEGE HOCKEY SHOWCASE
* With a win and a tie at the College Hockey Showcase last weekend, MSU has posted an all-time mark of 12-6-2 in the annual event. This marks the second straight season that the Spartans have compiled a 1-0-1 mark with a tie vs. Minnesota and a win over Wisconsin.
* MSU has compiled a seven-game unbeaten streak in the College Hockey Showcase. The team's last lost in the annual event was in 1999 to Wisconsin (5-1).
* MSU is 1-1-1 in games in Minneapolis and 3-0 in games played in Madison.
* The CCHA won the College Hockey Showcase for a third straight year, as MSU compiled a 1-0-1 mark and Michigan, a 2-0 slate.
DID YOU KNOW?
* Eleven different Spartans registered at least one point over the weekend, led by David Booth with four points (3-1) and Jim Slater with three points (0-3).
* Freshman forward Colton Fretter registered his first career point - an assist - on MSU's third goal at Minnesota. Fretter has played in eight games this year.
* With its 2-1 victory at Wisconsin, MSU snapped an 0-3-1 mark. It was MSU's longest winless streak since the 1995-96 season when the Spartans also went 0-3-1 over a four-game stretch. MSU lost to Michigan (8-1) on Feb. 17, tied Notre Dame 4-4 in overtime Feb. 20, lost to Bowling Green 5-1 on Feb. 29 and dropped a 3-0 decision to Michigan on March 1 in 1996.
* Michigan State is 2-0-1 when scoring five or more goals, but just 0-3-1 when allowing five or more goals.
* The Spartans finished the month of November with a 2-4-1 mark. It marked the first time State has finished below .500 in the month of November since the 1990-91 season when State recorded a 3-5-1 record.
ON THE POWER PLAY
Michigan State is 3-for-12 (.250) on the power play over the past three games, including a 1-for-3 performance at both Minnesota and Wisconsin. This is a vast improvement over the previous five contests (Oct. 25 to Nov. 16) when the Spartans were just 2-for-29 or 6.9 percent with the man advantage.
SPARTAN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Freshman forward David Booth has been selected as the Spartan Player of the Week following his performance in the College Hockey Showcase. The Washington, Mich., native had two goals and an assist in Friday's 5-5 tie at Minnesota and the game's first goal in Saturday's 2-1 overtime victory at Wisconsin
The Spartan coaching staff will select a Spartan Player of the Week following the conclusion of play each week.
WHO'S HOT?
* Senior defenseman John-Michael Liles has a four-game point streak (2-2--4) heading into Friday's game at FSU. He has recorded points in 11 of his last 12 games with 3-8--11 totals.
* Freshman forward David Booth has points in eight of his last 10 games (5-6--11), including 3-2--5 totals in his last three contests.
* Sophomore forward Mike Lalonde has 2-2--4 totals in his last five games.
* Freshman forward Nenad Gajic has an assist in two of his last three contests.
* Sophomore forward Jim Slater has recorded 4-5--9 totals in his last six games.
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.
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 will break for final exams before returning to the ice at the 38th annual Great Lakes Invitational, Dec. 28-29 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Michigan State joins Michigan Tech, Michigan and Boston University in this year's field.
The 2002 GLI Tournament schedule is as follows:
Saturday, December 28
Michigan State vs. Boston University, 4:05 p.m.
Michigan Tech vs. Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Sunday, December 29
Consolation Game, 1:35 p.m.
Championship Game, 5:05 p.m.
