Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Northern Michigan
Spartan Hockey Rolls Past Northern Michigan, 7-4
2/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 21, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Despite a lackluster second period that saw Michigan State relinquish a two-goal lead, the Spartan hockey team defeated Northern Michigan 7-4 Friday night (Feb. 21) at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Mich.
MSU Head Coach Rick Comley was wary about a let down in the second period after MSU went ahead 3-1 in the first period.
"I cautioned them about coming out to play in the second period, but we just came out flat," commented Comley. "Their (NMU) forwards are good and they kept coming after us, and eventually it was a new game."
The Spartans' league-leading power play was running on all cylinders early in the first stanza. Senior defensemen and All-American candidate John-Michael Liles surpassed his season-best point total (35) when he notched his 14th goal of the season giving him 36 through 27 games of the 2002-03 campaign. The Liles' marker that gave MSU a 1-0 advantage just 1:30 into the game came off a textbook give-and-go play. After taking a feed from freshman David Booth in between the face-off circles, Liles tapped it over to forward Jim Slater who was blazing down the left side of the rink. Slater held the puck until two defenders challenged him, and once the NMU skaters committed he slid the puck across the goal crease to a wide-open Liles who buried it into the back of the net. With an assist on the play, Slater extended his point streak to five games.
"Offensively, we clicked well; we just need to work more on defense," commented Slater. "You want to play great for the first two periods as well as the third."
NMU responded with a marker of its own at 11:48 of the first when forward Bryce Cockburn fired a rebound past sophomore netminder Matt Migliaccio, but the Spartans responded just over a minute later.
MSU regained the lead at 12:54 of the first stanza on a power play goal from Slater. Slater's 12th tally of the season was perhaps one of his easiest. In an effort to clear a rebound off defensemen Brad Fast's shot, NMU's netminder Craig Kowalski swept the puck out of the crease, but Slater was standing at the side of the net ready to fire the puck past Kowalski giving MSU a 2-1 lead.
The Spartans registered only their second three-goal first period of the campaign when senior Brian Maloney added to the magnitude of a 10-game stretch, in which he has tallied nine goals. Maloney's 12th goal of the season was set up by an impressive individual effort by sophomore Brock Radunske. Fighting off the check of a NMU defender, Radunske took possession of the puck behind the Wildcats goal where he backhanded a pass right onto the tape of a streaking Maloney. After taking the pass between the face-off circles Maloney exposed the eight-inch hole in Kowalski's pads and gave the Spartans a 3-1 at 16:24 of the first.
Although they had several chances, the Spartans were unable to add to their 3-1 lead before the intermission.
Midway through the second stanza, NMU fought its way back into the game on the strength of an Alan Swanson goal at 9:46. As Swanson barreled down the ice toward MSU's goal, defenseman Juha Alen ripped a shot that careened off Migliaccio's pads right onto Swanson's stick. Before he crashed into the goal, the Wildcat forward was able to find the back of the net cutting MSU's lead to 3-2.
Swanson struck again at the 19:00 mark of the second knotting the contest 3-3 as the teams went to their locker rooms for the second intermission. Migliaccio was rendered helpless on the NMU tally as Swanson deflected a shot from the point over his left shoulder.
Early on in the third period, MSU finally answered the Wildcats' two-goal outburst with a score from sophomore Lee Falardeau. The goal marked the end of a 12-game goal-scoring drought for the Spartan forward. His last goal came during a 6-0 MSU victory vs. Lake Superior State on Jan. 4. For the second time in the contest, Radunske sparkled making a tremendous play to set up the goal. Operating in heavy traffic behind the Wildcats' net, Radunske found Falardeau standing on the front porch where he flipped the puck over the Kowalski's shoulder giving MSU 4-3 lead just 28 seconds into the third period. The assist on the play gave Radunske his seventh multiple-point game of the year; while Liles' assist marked third time in four game he has accomplished the feat.
 Freshman defenseman Corey Potter scored the game-winning marker for the second straight contest vs. NMU.  | |
Coming off a game that saw him end a 20-game goal-scoring drought, freshman defenseman Corey Potter netted another important goal at 12:27 of the third. The tally, which put MSU ahead 5-3, came off a draw won by fellow freshman Nenad Gajic. Gajic was able to find Potter at the point where he blistered a shot past Kowalski.
Potter's goal turned to be the game-winner as Wildcats' right-winger Mike Stutzel made it a 5-4 affair with just 1:32 left to play. The score came with an extra NMU skater on the ice, but it would be the last for the visiting Wildcats.
Booth iced the game with an empty net goal, his 16th, at the 18:55 mark putting the Spartans ahead for good 6-4.
Comley was anxious until the puck actually found the net.
"It was one of those shots where you're yelling 'No, no', but when it goes in you say good shot," said Comley. "I would have like to seen him carry to the red line before he shot it, but goal scorers see that empty net and their eyes get big."
Before the final horn sounded, Slater also found the back of the net for his 13th of the season marking his third three-point effort this year.
"We jumped off to a great start," remarked Slater. "We let them back in the game in the second period, but a lot credit goes to our guys for fighting back in the third."
Migliaccio stopped 27 shots, including 14 shots in the second stanza to earn his 16th win of the season. Kowalski made 29 saves in net for NMU.
The Spartans face-off against the Wildcats again tomorrow night (Sat., Feb 22) at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Mich.
