Michigan State University Athletics
Ferris State Rallies, Downs Michigan State 3-2
3/1/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 1, 2002
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. - Junior wing Phil Lewandowski capped a Ferris State rally with the lone goal of the third period as the Bulldogs downed Michigan State 3-2 at Ewigleben Ice Arena Friday.
The loss, which snapped the Spartans' 15-game unbeaten streak in Big Rapids, puts a serious dent in MSU's hopes for a share of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season title. State (23-7-5 overall, 17-6-4 CCHA) trails Michigan, a 4-2 winner over Western Michigan Friday, by two points with one regular-season game remaining. The Spartans can still earn a share of the league crown with a win against the Bulldogs at home and a Wolverine loss at Western Michigan tomorrow. MSU will be the top seed in the conference postseason tournament with a victory, a Michigan loss and a Northern Michigan win or tie at Lake Superior State.
"We've got to remind ourselves that it's not over yet," said junior defenseman John-Michael Liles (Zionsville, Ind.). "Michigan still gets to go to Western and we've got to play tomorrow night."
Trevor Large set up the game-winner by swatting the rebound off a MSU shot off the boards and out of the FSU end. Junior defenseman Brad Fast (Fort St. John, B.C.) tried to pinch and keep the puck low, but Lewandowski beat him and poked it toward open ice. MSU goaltender Ryan Miller (East Lansing, Mich.) raced out of the crease in an attempt to play the puck to safety, but Lewandowski slid the puck underneath the Spartan netminder before he could make a play.
"I though he'd cut across," said Miller, who stopped 24 shots on the night.
For the second time in as many games, the Spartans allowed their opponents to erase a two-goal, second-period deficit. Ferris State's Derrick McIver answered Goldie's goal at 8:01 with his tenth goal of the year, a slap shot from the top of the near faceoff circle after linemate Jeff Legue cleanly won a draw in the offensive zone. Troy Milam evened the score a little more than four minutes later on a fluke goal from just inside the red line. The junior defenseman's shot richoted off the inside of Liles' right skate and past Miller at the 12:37 mark.
"Ferris scored the goals, we didn't," said coach Ron Mason, whose team lost at Ewigleben Ice Arena for the first time since Nov. 30, 1990. "It's a classic example of a team that really just playing to win the game as opposed to playing for a championship, but I'm not taking anything away from our team at all. I thought we played hard tonight."
The Spartan power play, which sparkled in last weekend's sweep at Miami, came up empty in its first three man-advantage opportunities of the first period but clicked on its fourth chance. Junior wing Brian Maloney (Bassano, Alta.) picked up his 17th goal of the season with 2:43 left in the period, gathering a rebound off a shot from the point by Liles and backhanding the puck into an empty net with a little help from Ash Goldie (London, Ont.) - the freshman center got his stick behind Maloney's and tried to shoot just as his linemate controlled the carom. Ferris State goaltender Mike Brown, who made the initial save on Liles' shot, had been knocked out of the crease by a teammate and couldn't scramble back to his feet in time to stop Maloney.
"I didn't even know I scored it," said Maloney.
Unfortunately, Ferris State (15-17-1 overall, 12-14-1 CCHA) shut down the MSU power play for the remainder of the game. The Spartans, who entered the night leading the league in power-play percentage, were 1-for-10 with the man advantage.
Goldie gave MSU a two-goal edge 7:06 into the second period. Maloney tapped the puck into the neutral zone while battling with a Bulldog defender, springing Goldie with speed into the neutral zone. Goldie's drive from the far wing hit and dribbled across the goal line for his seventh goal of the season.
The Spartans wrap up the 2001-02 regular season at Munn Ice Arena tomorrow with the back end of the home-and-home series against Ferris State. Senior Night festivities will get underway at approximately 6:45 p.m. with faceoff scheduled for 7:05.
