Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Michigan
Spartan Hockey Surprises No. 8 Michigan, 5-3
2/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 15, 2003
Final Stats?|? Quotes?|? Notes
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - John-Michael Liles had the first two goals and fellow defenseman Corey Potter scored the game-winner as Michigan State beat No. 8-ranked Michigan 5-3 Saturday to split their weekend hockey series.
Liles, the game's first star, tallied twice in 2:37 early in the second period and assisted on the Spartans' third goal, a tip-in by center Jim Slater early in the third period.
But it took a blast from the middle of the blue line by Potter, who hadn't scored since Oct. 24, to give Michigan State (17-11-2, 13-8-1 CCHA) a 4-1 lead with 11:33 left.
The Wolverines (21-8-1, 15-6-1) scored twice in 20 seconds on left wing Jeff Tambellini's shots midway through the third period. But the Spartans regrouped as goalie Matt Migliaccio made 12 of his 32 saves in the final period.
``It would've hurt a lot be swept by them, especially when we were up three goals,'' Liles said. ``Michigan has the capability to come back with the firepower they have. But we were able to regroup. And it felt good not be behind in the first minute, the way we were Friday.''
An empty-net goal by Brian Maloney with 1:37 left ended the suspense and left the Wolverines in third place, four points behind Ferris State, while Michigan State remained in fourth, eight points back.
``I'm not sure we played any better tonight than we did last night,'' said Spartans coach Rick Comley. ``A lot of guys were nervous before the game. It's that big a rivalry. But I think now they believe in themselves.''
After a scoreless first period, the Spartans made it 1-0 on a power play. Liles' long flip shot from the right point got past defenseman Andy Burnes and fooled goalie Al Montoya just :48 into the second period.
With Michigan State swarming the Michigan net for several good chances, Liles made it 2-0 at the 3:25 mark, lunging for the puck and beating Montoya to the glove side again from short range, after the second assist from Colton Fretter.
``That second goal was as slow as any goal that has ever gone in,'' said Liles, a senior from Zionsville, Ind. ``Fretter did a great job to keep the puck in. And somebody had my stick tied up. I finally got it free enough to sweep at it just as I was going down.''
The Wolverines reversed the momentum, kept the puck in the Spartans' end and made it 2-1 when Dwight Helminen pushed his own rebound past a sprawled Migliaccio at the 7:45 mark.
Michigan State went up 3-1 on Slater's pretty deflection of Liles' blast from the left point 2:20 into the third period. For Slater, whose goal with :47 left tied the ``Cold War'' outdoor game last season, it was another goal at the right time against the right team.
``I definitely hate Michigan,'' said Slater, a sophomore from Lapeer, Mich. ``I came here for a reason.''
Fretter's third assist set up Potter, a freshman from nearby Mason, Mich., who used a screen from Kevin Estrada to make it 4-1 and give his team a little breathing room, before oxygen became tougher to find.
``When it was 4-1, a lot of guys laid back,'' Fretter said. ``And when they scored two quick ones, everyone kind of froze. But I thought we were playing great hockey. We just had to keep doing that.''
Tambellini, who had two goals in Michigan's 3-1 win Friday in Ann Arbor, tried to bring his team all the way back. But the Spartans held on before 7,113 -- their 298th-straight, regular-season home sellout and the third-largest crowd in Munn Ice Arena.
``I told myself they weren't going to score again,'' Migliaccio said. ``I had to do it. I'd waited all my life for a situation like that. And as unbelievable as the Michigan State hockey fans were, they never would've let us forget it if we'd let that game slip away.''
