Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Miami Ohio
Spartans Score Late, Down Miami
2/23/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 23, 2002
OXFORD, Ohio - Junior Brian Maloney (Bassano, Alta.) scored his fourth point of the night on a goal with 51 seconds left in regulation as Michigan State escaped with a 4-3 win over Miami at Goggin Ice Arena Saturday. The Spartans (23-6-5 overall, 17-5-4 Central Collegiate Hockey Association) maintain a share of first place in the CCHA standings with the win.
Maloney scored on a slap shot from the far faceoff circle that trickled between the legs of Miami goaltender David Burleigh and allowed the Spartans to salvage a win in a game in which they let a two-goal lead slip away. The line of Maloney, Jim Slater (Lapeer, Mich.) and Adam Hall (Kalamazoo, Mich.), which had combined for seven points in MSU's previous seven games, exploded in a first period in which the Spartans jumped out to a 3-1 lead. Slater broke the ice eight minutes into the game on a play that started with a shot by Hall. Miami goaltender David Burleigh made the first save but Hall controlled the rebound and moved the puck to Slater, stationed to the right of the RedHawk cage. The freshman centerman got off a quick wrist shot went into the upper right corner for the net, snapping a seven-game goal drought in the process.
Hall gave the Spartans a 2-0 lead a little more than two minutes later on a wrist shot from the right circle. Slater and Maloney assisted on the MSU captain's 16th goal of the season at the 10:25 mark.
Miami pulled to within one on an unassisted goal by defenseman Jake Ortmeyer on a screen shot from the near point with 4:14 left before the first intermission, but MSU regained its two-goal edge just before the break on Hall's second goal of the night, a power-play marker during State's first man-advantage opportunity of the game. The big right winger came up with a rebound off a shot from the point by freshman defenseman Duncan Keith (Penticton, B.C.) and converted on an attempt from the far faceoff circle with 13 second left in the first period. Maloney also earned an assist - his third of the period - on the play.
The RedHawks (11-19-2, 8-16-2 CCHA) controlled the flow in a free-wheeling second period, scoring a pair of goals to draw even with the Spartans. Nick Jardine trimmed the MSU lead to 3-2 with his ninth goal of the season, a one-timer off a feed from linemate Derek Edwardson. Mike Kompon tied the score just 42 seconds prior to the second intermission. Edwardson won a faceoff in the MSU zone back to Kompon, whose one-timer beat Miller through the five-hole.
Miller made 33 saves for Spartans. Burleigh stopped 23 shots for the RedHawks.
The Spartans wrap up the 2001-02 regular season next weekend with a home-and-home series against Ferris State. Friday's game is in Big Rapids with Saturday's rematch taking place at Munn Ice Arena.
