Michigan State University
Michigan
Hockey Falls To No. 2 Michigan, 5-4
11/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 20, 2004
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - In yet another classic battle between the Spartans and Wolverines, No. 2 ranked Michigan escaped with a hard-fought 5-4 win over Michigan State at Yost Ice Arena Saturday night (Nov. 20). The game was everything that it was billed to be, including a combined seven goals scored in the first period.
"It's a tough loss," said MSU head coach Rick Comley. "I thought we played really, really hard. We fought hard. We played a great first period. Their team speed is so tough to defend against all the time.
"They got a couple of goals in the second. We would like to have a few of those back. Then, we started to try almost too hard and started to turn the puck over once again. If you shrink the rink with their speed, Michigan can really hurt you."
Michigan State jumped out to a 1-0, just 30 seconds in the game as Jim Slater (Sr., Lapeer, Mich.) tallied his fourth goal of the season. Slater took a pass from Jim McKenzie (Fr., Woodbury, Minn.) and split the Wolverines' defense and shot the puck past Al Montoya. For Slater, it marked his second straight game with a goal.
MSU's lead was short lived as the Wolverines responded with two quick goals, about three minutes apart. Brandon Kaleniecki started the scoring with a goal at the 2:15 mark, followed by a power-play marker by Milan Gajic at the 5:09 mark to put U-M up, 2-1.
However, State would bounce right back and take a 3-2 lead on back-to-back goals by Drew Miller (So., East Lansing, Mich.). Chris Snavely (So., Lancaster, Pa.) and Chris Mueller (Fr., West Seneca, N.Y.) drew the assists on Miller's first tally, while Tyler Howells (So., Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Slater picked up the helpers on his second tally which came via the power play.
"I thought we came out in the first period and played a good period," said Miller. "The second and third periods kind of turned around on us. We couldn't control their speed - that was the big difference. We stopped playing our game plan and it cost us."
U-M would even the score at three as T.J. Hensick used a great individual effort to push the puck past Dominic Vicari (So., Clinton Township, Mich.) for his fifth goal of the season.
 Forward Ash Goldie tallied his sixth goal of the season vs. UM.  | |
Ash Goldie (Sr., London, Ont.) gave MSU a 4-3 advantage with a power-play marker with 17:43 left in the opening stanza. McKenzie found Goldie all alone in the slot, who one timed a shot from the slot for his sixth goal of the season. All told, three of Goldie's six goals have come via the power play.
Michigan would answer the call in the second period with a pair of goals to take a 5-4 lead into the lockerroom after 40 minutes. Hensick's second goal of the game came at the 10:48 mark to knot the score at four, followed by an Eric Nystrom tally at the 12:21 mark for U-M's fifth marker.
The third period saw tremendous back and fourth action as both teams had numerous opportunities to score, but neither team could find the back of the net.
"We played two tough games against them," remarked Comley. "Obviously, the teams are very evenly matched. We will see them again."
Vicari finished with 26 saves, while Montoya stopped 20 shots.
The Spartans (5-6-1 overall, 3-5-0 CCHA) return to action at the College Hockey Showcase next weekend. MSU faces Wisconsin in Madison, Wis., on Nov. 26, before heading to Minneapolis, Minn., to face Minnesota on Nov. 27.
Spartan Notebook
* SO F Drew Miller recorded his first multiple-goal game of his career with a pair of goals.
* JR D Corey Potter picked up his first points of the season with an assist on State's first goal.
* Three of SR F Ash Goldie's six goals have come via the power play.
* SR F Jim Slater posted his third multiple-point game of the season with a goal and an assist.
* FR F Jim McKenzie finished with a career-best two assists.
* SO D Chris Snavely picked up an assist on State's second goal for his first point in eight games.
* 25 of the last 26 meetings between Michigan State and Michigan have been decided by two goals or less, including five ties.
* MSU is 0-6 when trailing after 40 minutes of play this season.
* The annual "Skate with the Spartans" will be held on Monday, Nov. 22, from 6-7 p.m., at Munn Ice Arena.
