Michigan State University
Nebraska-Omaha
Hockey Ends Two-Game Skid, Beats Nebraska-Omaha 5-2
10/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Oct. 29, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State hockey team jumped out to a three-goal lead in the first period and never looked back in their 5-2 win over the University of Nebraska-Omaha on Friday night (Oct. 29). The win ended State's two-game losing streak and was UNO's first loss of the season.
Michigan State (2-3-0 overall, 1-2-0 CCHA) scored three goals in the opening period, a product of outshooting the Mavericks 16-3 and holding an 18-5 advantage in the face-off circle. Perhaps more importantly, the Spartans found the scoring touch on the power play, going 2-for-6 with the man advantage.
"The improvement on the power play was huge today," head coach Rick Comley said. "We moved the puck very well and that was obvious on our power-play goals. That is how our power play needs to work for us to win."
Nebraska-Omaha (4-1-0 overall, 2-1-0 CCHA) fought back to within one goal in the third period, but could not overcome being outshot 44-19 in the game.
"They got two good-bounce goals and the players didn't panic; I think that says a lot," Comley said. "We really bounced back in the third period and took it to them."
Junior Colton Fretter continued his recent scoring barrage, tallying the Spartans' second goal of the game and seven shots en route to being named No. 1 star of the night. Fretter now has four goals on the season and has scored in each of the four games he has played in this year.
 Sophomore defenseman A.J. Thelen had a career-best three assists vs. UNO.  | |
Two Spartans led the scoring attack with multi-assist nights. Senior Jim Slater assisted on two Spartan goals while sophomore A.J. Thelen tallied three assists on the night and captured No. 2 star of the game honors.
Senior Matt Migliaccio started his second game of the year and was tested early. At the 4:00 mark, the puck squirted out of the corner and a UNO player had an open shot in front of the Spartan net. Migliaccio went down in the butterfly and took low away from the shooter, forcing the shot from his left wide.
State got on the board first at 13:36 of the first period, after their second power-play opportunity was nullified by a penalty. Playing 4-on-4, Thelen fired a shot on goal from the point after a clean face-off win deep in the Maverick zone. After a scramble in front of the net, sophomore Tommy Goebel tapped it to junior David Booth, who backhanded it past UNO goalie Chris Holt from inside the left circle for the Spartans' opening tally.
Fretter scored at 1:16 later after sophomore Drew Miller fought two Mavericks for the puck and threw it out front. Fretter was tied up by his man but was able to tap it between the UNO goalie Chris Holt's legs for his third goal on the season.
Michigan State's first power-play goal of two came at 19:43 of the first period and proved to be the game winner. In their third power-play opportunity of the game, the Spartans used crisp passing to solve UNO's defense. After Fretter saved the play and held the puck in the zone, Slater fired a pass from the corner to a cutting Ash Goldie, who buried it beneath Holt's right arm for his second goal of the year.
UNO skated harder throughout the second period, creating more scoring opportunities and rushes into the Spartan zone. The Mavericks changed the face-off story that was one sided in the first period, pulling even with Michigan State 14-14 in the second period.
In addition, Holt kept the Mavericks in the game, making 18 saves in the period and shutting out the Spartans in the middle stanza.
Although UNO only amassed five shots in the period, they scored their first goal of the game after Migliaccio misplayed the puck behind the Spartan goal. Migliaccio stopped the puck behind the net, but the puck hopped out just beyond the goal line outside of the crease and an awaiting UNO player tapped the puck in, making the score 3-1 entering the final period.
The Mavericks continued their second-period momentum and pulled within one on a shot from the corner that deflected past the unsuspecting Spartan netminder.
 Senior forward Mike Lalonde tallied his first goal of the season vs. UNO. | |
With the score 3-2, the Spartans broke the game open and sealed up the victory with two third period goals. Estrada made the cushion two goals, burying a centering feed from Goldie top shelf over Holt's shoulder at 7:38 of the third period.
Senior Mike Lalonde scored the game's final goal and the Spartans' second power-play goal at 13:40, chipping in a rebound off of a shot from Slater.
The Spartans return to the ice Saturday night, Oct. 30, for the second game of their weekend series against Nebraska-Omaha. The game will start at 7:05 p.m. EDT.
Spartan Notebook
• Junior forward David Booth collected his first point of the season , a goal at 13:36 of the first period.
• Freshman forward Chris Mueller recorded his first collegiate point at 14:52 in the first stanza, when he assisted on MSU's second goal of the game.
 Freshman forward Chris Mueller registered his first collegiate point with an assist on State's second goal. | |
• Senior forward Mike Lalonde scored his first goal of the season on a 4-on-3 power play in the third period.
• The Spartans surrendered a goal to the Mavericks for the first time since Jan. 17, 2003. MSU had shut out UNO in its last three meetings.
• The Spartans have now won the last five games against the Mavericks, while leading the overall series 12-4-0.
• With his goal, junior forward Colton Fretter has a career-high four-game point streak heading into tomorrow's rematch vs. UNO.
• Sophomore defenseman A.J. Thelen's three assists on Friday night are a career high.
• After struggling on the power play in past outings, the Spartans went 2-for-6 on Friday night, with their game-winning goal coming on the man advantage.
• In their two victories at Munn Ice Arena, the Spartans have scored five goals to win the game. They defeated New Hampshire on Oct. 17, by a 5-1 final as well as downing UNO 5-2 in Friday's contest.
