Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Welcome Notre Dame To Munn Ice Arena
2/5/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 5, 2002
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THIS WEEK
Michigan State plays its final home series of the 2001-02 regular season as the Spartans (19-5-5 overall, 14-4-4 Central Collegiate Hockey Association) welcome Notre Dame to Munn Ice Arena for a two-game league series. Faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m. EST both Friday and Saturday.
RADIO
Friday's game can be heard live on WVFN-AM 730 "The Fan", while Saturday's game will air on WJIM-AM 1240. Play-by-play man Scott Moore, in his fifth season as the radio voice of MSU hockey, will call the action. He's joined by former Spartan All-American goaltender Joe Blackburn, who provides color commentary.
Spartan fans can also hear live play-by-play action of MSU hockey via the Internet. Broadcasts can be accessed by logging on to www.msuspartans.com, the official website of Spartan athletics, or www.espn.com.
TELEVISION
Both games will be broadcast live in the greater Lansing area on AT&T Broadband beginning at 7 p.m. Eric Peasley will handle play-by-play duties and is joined by analyst Joe Campbell and rinkside reporter Gary Durak.
TICKET UPDATE
Standing-room tickets, priced at $9, are available for all remaining MSU home games. For more information on Spartan hockey tickets, contact the MSU ticket office at (517) 355-1610 or 1-800-GO STATE.
PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY SATURDAY
Fans are asked to arrive early for Saturday's game vs. Notre Dame. Faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m. - the same time the MSU women's basketball game vs. Illinois is scheduled to start at the Breslin Center. Public parking will be at a premium that day.
MSU INJURY UPDATE (as of Feb. 4)
PROBABLE: Lee Falardeau (sprained left knee, out since Jan. 19)
OUT: Steve Jackson (sprained left thumb, out since Jan. 19)
MAN-GAMES LOST TO INJURY: 12
THE SPARTANS... Have won four in a row against the Fighting Irish since March 4, 2000, and are unbeaten in their last six games (5-0-1) vs. Notre Dame dating back to Dec. 5, 1999. Have scored four or more goals in five of their last six meetings against Notre Dame and are averaging 4.17 goals vs. the Fighting Irish in the last half-dozen contests between the two teams. Are 22-2-5 (.845) against the Fighting Irish since the series between the two teams resumed in 1992 after a 10-year hiatus. Have lost to Notre Dame in East Lansing just once since the Fighting Irish rejoined the CCHA in 1992-93. State comes into the weekend series with a 12-1-0 (.923) record against Notre Dame at Munn Ice Arena over the last nine seasons and have given up 20 goals to the Fighting Irish at home during that span. Played Notre Dame twice last season, will face the Fighting Irish twice this season and are scheduled to play two games in South Bend in 2002-03 for a total of six regular-season games over three seasons. MSU and Notre Dame met five times in 1999-2000.
THE FIGHTING IRISH... Enter the weekend tied for ninth in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association standings with a 9-14-5 overall record and a 7-11-4 mark in conference play. Were swept by Alaska Fairbanks at home last weekend despite scoring 10 goals in two games. The Nanooks took four points in South Bend, winning by 7-5 and 6-5 scores. Come into the MSU series with a three-game losing streak. Notre Dame has given up 20 goals in their last three outings. Have earned at least one point in each of their five CCHA road series to date this season. Notre Dame picked up one point in two-game league sets at Ohio State and Western Michigan and made away with splits against Northern Michigan, Bowling Green and Miami. Are paced offensively by forwards Connor Dunlop and David Inman. Dunlop, a junior, is one of three players tied for third in the CCHA in scoring and is tied for second in assists with 8-28--36 in 28 games while Inman, a senior is tied for seventh in the conference in points with 14-18--32.
THE MSU HEAD COACH
Ron Mason (St. Lawrence '64) is in his 23rd season with the Spartans and 36th year as a college coach. The winningest mentor in college hockey history, Mason has piloted the Spartans to a 626-266-67 (.688) mark since taking over for the legendary Amo Bessone in 1979. His overall record currently stands at 915-376-81 (.696), with win no. 900 coming Oct. 20 vs. Ferris State at Munn Ice Arena.
Mason guided MSU to its second NCAA hockey championship in 1986 and his 21 NCAA Tournament appearances are an all-time record. He also has taken eight teams to the NCAA Frozen Four, including seven Spartan squads. Mason has more victories at one school than all but two coaches in NCAA hockey history. He's surpassed by only Bob Peters of Bemidji State (703 wins), who retired at the end of the 2000-01 season, and Jack Parker of Boston University (647). His number of wins with the Green and White are more than all but five coaches have during their collegiate careers.
The seven-time Central Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year led the Spartans to league regular-season titles in 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1998, 1999 and 2001. He's also guided MSU to CCHA playoff crowns in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2000 and 2001. The league honored Mason by renaming the CCHA playoff trophy in his honor last year.
Mason, who won the Spencer Penrose Award as national coach of the year in 1992, has coached 20 Spartans to All-American honors and seen 45 of his former MSU skaters move on to the National Hockey League.
