No. 14 Hockey Falls To No. 2 Michigan, 4-2
11/19/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 18, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Spartan hockey team allowed three unanswered goals in the second and third periods and could not recover from the deficit, falling to Michigan 4-2 on Thursday night (Nov. 18) at Munn Ice Arena. MSU was unable to replicate its home success against ranked opponents, losing at home to a top-15 team for the first time all season.
"The difference in the hockey game was definitely turnovers," said MSU head coach Rick Comley. "Two of their goals came from us giving the puck away. I thought we played well, we played hard and we outshot them. But, they are so dangerous and quick, that when you make mistakes, they will make you pay for them."
Michigan State (5-5-1 overall, 3-4-0 CCHA) had several opportunities in the game to take hold of momentum and capitalize on some opportunities, but turnovers and untimely penalties negated the Spartans' chance to overtake the second-ranked team in the country.
The Wolverines (8-2-1 overall, 6-1-0 CCHA) came into the game leading the CCHA in shots per game, averaging 37.2 shots each contest. Michigan State kept the puck off net, allowing only 22 shots on the evening, but Michigan was opportunistic and took advantage of its opportunities.
The teams played evenly early in the game with a good pace, matching each other hit for hit in a period that featured mostly 5-on-5 hockey. Though Michigan State outshot Michigan 16-8 in the first period and won the faceoffs, 15-8. U-M goalie Al Montoya made 16 dazzling saves to keep the Spartans off the scoreboard.
Michigan's T.J. Hensick put the Wolverines on the board first with his fourth goal of the season. Hensick took an errant Spartan clearning pass and found himself alone between the circles and fired a wrist shot that beat Spartan goalie Dominic Vicari high glove side, making the score 1-0 at 13:08 of the first period. The Spartans had not allowed a first-period goal in three games until Hensick gave Michigan the early lead.
The Spartans evened the score in the second period on Jim Slater's third power-play goal of the year. After working the puck in the Michigan zone, Colton Fretter fired a wrist shot on net from between the circles. A screened Montoya made the initial save, but could not find the rebound.
After a scramble in front of the crease, Slater found the puck on the doorstep and poked it into the net at 4:04 of the second period. Slater has scored all three of his goals on the power play this season.
With momentum on their side, MSU was poised to take control of the game. Things continued worsen for the Wolverines, as Kevin Porter took a slashing penalty 10 seconds after the Spartan goal. Despite the sellout crowd's energy, MSU did not have a chance to harness the momentum. The opportunity was negated by a penalty by A.J. Thelen 10 seconds into the Spartan's third power play of the game.
The Spartans had another chance to feed off the crowd's energy later in the second period after Vicari fought off a Wolverine power play to keep the game tied.
Vicari was screened throughout the power play and turned away three quality shots. In addition, Vicari made a great defensive play by blocking a centering pass from the corner that would have found a Michigan player on the doorstep. Drew Miller cleared the zone as the penalty expired, once again giving MSU momentum.
Shortly after MSU killed the penalty, Michigan scored the first of three unanswered goals to give them the lead for good. Michigan won a neutral-zone faceoff but could not control the puck. The Wolverine's Jason Ryznar was tied up, but tapped the puck to a streaking David Rohlfs, who blazed into the Spartan zone alone and untouched. Rohlfs deked Vicari and backhanded a shot past Vicari's outstretched stick, putting U-M ahead 2-1 at 12:59 of the period.
The Spartans, who have statistically struggled in the second period this year, were outshot in the period 9-8 but were still in the game, only trailing 2-1 going into the final period.
Michigan gave MSU a great opportunity to tie the game early in the final frame, as Brandon Rogers was called for cross checking at 0:58 of the period.
The Spartans were unable to hold the zone on the power play, and not only failed to score but allowed their third short-handed goal of the season to Michigan's Eric Werner at 1:21. Brandon Moss walked into the zone and fired a wrist shot from inside the left face-off circle. Vicari gave up a huge rebound that squirted up the middle, and a streaking Werner stepped into a slapshot that beat Vicari 5-hole and proved to be the eventual game winner.
The Wolverines padded their lead less than four minutes later on an unassisted goal by Mike Brown. Slater wrapped the puck around the Spartan net, trying to clear the zone. Brown intercepted the pass behind the end line, taking the puck back against the flow of play and his wrap-around shot slid beneath Vicari's paddle, extending the Wolverine cushion to three goals at 5:03.
 For a second straight game, freshman forward Bryan Lerg tallied a goal.  | |
Freshman Bryan Lerg scored his third goal of the season at 15:14, trying to keep the Spartans in the game. Adam Nightingale and Peder Skinner started the play, battling one Wolverine and digging the puck out of the corner. Skinner backhanded a centering pass to fellow freshman Bryan Lerg, who chipped it over Montoya's glove for his third goal of the season at 15:14.
The Spartans' second goal was not enough though, as MSU was unable to establish a late-game surge. Al Montoya kept the game at 4-2 in the final five minutes and finished with 29 saves for the game, earning No. 1 star of the night honors.
Michigan State and Michigan return to action Saturday night (Nov. 20) in Ann Arbor at 7:35 p.m.
Spartan Notebook
* The Spartans wore their third jersey for the first time on Thursday night. The jersey is silver with green trim and green lettering with a white outline.
* Thursday's loss to the Wolverines brings to a halt MSU's four-game unbeaten streak.
* The Spartan senior class suffered the first loss of their careers to the Wolverines at Munn Arena on Thursday night The Wolverines last won a game at Munn Arena on Jan. 7, 2000.
* The loss to the Wolverines is also the first defeat to a ranked opponent of the season. The Spartans were victorious against New Hampshire, ranked No. 7/8 at the time, and they tied and defeated Cornell, also ranked No.8/8.
* FR F Peder Skinner's assist on the Spartans' second goal was his first since the New Hampshire game, a 5-1 win for the Spartans.
* SR F Jim Slater's goal at 4:04 of the second period was his first since Saturday, Oct. 23 at Northern Michigan.
* Before T.J. Hensick's goal at 13:08 of the first period, the Spartans had not surrendered a goal in the first stanza in three straight contests.
* The Spartans scored in the second period for the first time since lighting the lamp three times at Ferris State on Saturday, Nov. 6, a 5-1 victory for the Spartans.
* The Spartans surrendered their third shorthanded goal of the season when Eric Werner scored. The Spartans are 0-3 when they allow a shorthanded goal.
