Michigan State University
Michigan
MSU Hockey Downs Michigan
2/16/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 16, 2002
DETROIT, Mich. - This time, there was a winner.
Senior wing Joe Goodenow (Toronto, Ont.) scored two goals and junior goaltender Ryan Miller (East Lansing, Mich.) made 27 saves as Michigan State downed Michigan 3-1 in a non-conference match in front of 20,058 at Joe Louis Arena Saturday. The Spartans (21-6-5 overall, 15-5-4 Central Collegiate Hockey Association) extend their unbeaten streak against Michigan to six games (4-0-2) while snapping the Wolverines' five-game winning streak.
MSU and UM had skated to ties in their two previous meetings this season.
"It was another good college hockey game," said coach Ron Mason. "Both teams settled in and played solid I thought both ways. It was a typical Michigan-Michigan State game in terms of no strength around the puck, a lot of emotion, a lot of good hitting and not many penalties."
The Spartans grabbed an early lead when Goodenow notched his first goal of the night and ninth of the season 1:36 into the game. He emerged from a scrum in front of Michigan goaltender Josh Blackburn and batted a rebound off a John-Michael Liles (Zionsville, Ind.) into the cage.
"Liles took a point shot and hit a guy's skate in front and I kind of had a free lane," explained Goodenow. "I didn't see a lot of net to shoot at so I threw a fake and tried to get (Blackburn) moving. Once I shifted to the left and John went to the side, I saw a little opening over his pad inside the post and I was fortunate enough to hit it."
Michigan (18-9-5, 15-5-4 CCHA) would answer a little more than two minutes later on a goal by East Lansing native Charlie Henderson. Linemate Dwight Helminen drew the puck back to the freshman forward, who fired a shot from just inside the far faceoff circle that hit Miller in the left shoulder, fluttered in the air and slid across the goal line before MSU defenseman Jon Insana (New Baltimore, Mich.) could keep it from going into the net at the 3:50 mark of the first period.
Goodenow notched his second goal of the game at 4:49 of the first on another strange play. The Spartan senior skated the puck across the blue line into the Michigan end and took a wrist shot that hit a rut in the ice and glanced off Blackburn's glove and into the net.
"I kind of bumped it in there and it just popped in," said Goodenow about his fourth game-winning goal of the season. "It was just a lucky ding. I was hoping I was going to get another one. He robbed me pretty good on the power play in the second period so I guess that worked out. The one I should have scored on, I didn't score on, it evened out in terms of getting the lucky one."
Neither team managed a goal in the second period, during which Michigan outshot MSU 11-3. In fact, the game remained scoreless until midway through the third period, when freshman Mike Lalonde (Chetwynd, B.C.) added an insurance goal for the Spartans with 9:41 left in regulation. The rookie wing powered through a Wolverine defender as he drove toward the net on the far wing and got off a shot that tipped off Blackburn's glove.
"The third goal was the key goal," said Mason. "When it's 2-1, usually the team that gets the next goal has the best chance to win. Had Michigan got it, they would have probably had a better chance to win. Tonight, we got it and it gave us a bit of a buffer.
The Spartans return to CCHA play next weekend when they travel to Oxford, Ohio, for a two-game set with Miami Feb. 22-23. Faceoff is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. EST both nights.
