Michigan State University Athletics
MSU Hockey Stymies Ferris State
3/2/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 2, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State hockey team honored its seniors and coach Ron Mason in the best way possible Saturday - with a win in the regular-season finale at Munn Ice Arena.
The Spartans (24-7-5 overall, 18-6-4 Central Collegiate Hockey Association) downed Ferris State 2-0 in a hard-fought game. MSU finished second in the CCHA standings, two points behind Michigan, and will host Bowling Green in a best-of-three, first-round league playoff series next Friday and Saturday, with Sunday's game being played if necessary.
State's five seniors - Joe Goodenow, Adam Hall, Andrew Hutchinson, Jon Insana and Nathan Shopbell - were recognized during a pre-game ceremony. Mason, who will leave coaching at the end of the season to become MSU's next director of athletics, was cheered by an adoring sellout crowd following the win.
"It was pretty neat that everybody stayed around," said college hockey's all-time winningest coach. "You never think this is going to come to an end, and it isn't yet really from a coaching perspective. This is kind of a finality in terms of myself with the fans and having a chance to acknowledge them.
"I know a lot of these people because they've been here for 23 years. They came back when we weren't winning and they came back in 1979 when the rink was half full. They're very loyal people and we've been able to keep that together and it's part of the reason that Spartan hockey is where it's at. It was a very, very nice occasion."
Ferris State goaltender Mike Brown was the story in the first two periods, as the Spartans outshot the Bulldogs 21-11 but couldn't solve the freshman netminder. The MSU power play, which was successful once in 10 opportunities against Ferris State Friday, was held scoreless in its first six chances Saturday.
The Spartans appeared to be snakebit in the third period as well. Freshman Ash Goldie (London, Ont.) hit the post and crossbar on the same shot and shortly thereafter, freshman Jim Slater (Lapeer, Mich.) fired a blast that ricocheted off the post.
Senior wing Joe Goodenow (Toronto, Ont.) made the Bulldogs pay for their penalty-prone ways with a power-play goal on State's seventh extra-man opportunity of the game, scoring his 11th goal of the season - and team-best fifth game-winner, outmuscling a Ferris State defender on a wraparound attempt.
"I did all I could to get that shot off," said Goodenow of his goal 5:13 into the final period. "I had guys hanging all over me."
Goldie, who sparkled offensively in both games of the Ferris State series, notched an insurance goal with 8:13 left in regulation. Linemate Kevin Estrada (Surrey, B.C.), skating through the far circle, warded off a Bulldog defenseman and chipped the puck to Goldie in the slot, who beat Brown for his eighth goal of the season.
"I give all the credit to my wingers - Estrada and (Mike) Lalonde," said Goldie. "They were down low working the whole play. It popped up to me and I shot it and it went in. Most of the credit goes to them for working hard down low and getting the puck out."
While the MSU defense, which limited Ferris State to 16 shots, played exceptionally well, goaltender Ryan Miller (East Lansing, Mich.) was sharp when tested and recorded his eighth shutout of the season and NCAA-record 26th of his career.
"Our team persevered tonight," said Mason. "This is playoff hockey. It's great for us to play games like this because it's going to prepare us for next weekend."
