Michigan State University Athletics
Hockey Travels To College Hockey Showcase
11/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 24, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
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THIS WEEK'S ACTIONM
Michigan State (5-6-1 overall, 3-5-0 CCHA) heads to the 12th annual College Hockey Showcase this weekend. MSU faces Wisconsin in Madison, Wis., on Nov. 26, before heading to Minneapolis, Minn., to face Minnesota on Nov. 27. Face-off is set for 8:05 p.m. EST both nights.
LAST WEEKEND RECAP
Thursday, Nov. 18 -- Michigan 4, at Michigan State 2
Michigan skated to a 4-2 win over Michigan State on Thursday night. U-M jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a goal by T.J. Hensick, off a Spartan turnover at the 13:08 mark of the first period. Jim Slater tied the game at one with a power-play marker, just 4:04 into the middle stanza. However, three unanswered goals by the Wolverines put them up, 4-1. Bryan Lerg finally broke MSU's drought with his third goal of the season at the 15:14 mark of the third period to close the gap to two, 4-2. U-M's Al Montoya finished with 29 stops, while MSU's Dominic Vicari recorded 18 saves. MSU was 1-for-5 with the man advantage, while U-M was 0-for-3.
Saturday, Nov. 20 -- at Michigan 5, Michigan State 4
In a wild affair that saw a combined seven first-period goals, it was Michigan that came out on top, 5-4, in Ann Arbor Saturday. The Spartans took a 4-3 leading into the lockerroom after one period on goals by Jim Slater, Drew Miller (2) and Ash Goldie. However, the Wolverines would tally two second-period markers to take a 5-4 lead after 40 minutes. Neither team could muster much offense in the third period as U-M outshot the Spartans, 7-5. Al Montoya finished with 20 saves, while Dominic Vicari stopped 26 shots.
BREAKING THAT (GOAL) DROUGHT
SR F Jim Slater scored his first goal in seven contests in Thursday's 4-2 loss to Michigan. His power-play marker, just 4:04 into the second period, evened the game at one. He had just four assists during this seven-game goal drought. He also tallied a goal and an assist in Saturday's 5-4 defeat for his third multiple-point game of the season.
The Lapeer, Mich., native has played in all 12 games to date, posting four goals and seven assists for 11 points. Three of his four goals have come via the power play.
FOR STARTERS
• MSU is 4-3-1 at Munn Ice Arena this season and 1-3 in games played on the road.
• SO F Drew Miller recorded his first multiple-goal game of his career with two in Saturday's 5-4 loss to Michigan.
• Four of SR F Ash Goldie's six goals have been scored via the power play. His six goals are tied for the team lead in that category.
• Last year, Spartan blueliners accounted for nearly 12 percent of the team's goals. This season, State rearguards have scored just one goal (Ethan Graham) in 12 games, accounting for just 2.9 percent of the team's goal production.
• SR F Jim Slater, who led the team in plus/minus one year ago at +27, is at the bottom of the stat sheet at -8 this season.
• The Spartans are 5-3-1 when they score the first goal of the game.
• MSU is 0-2 in one-goal games this season.
MICHIGAN STATE QUICK HITS
• MSU brings a 5-6-1 overall, 3-5-0 CCHA slate into this weekend's College Hockey Showcase. The Spartans are coming off a pair of losses to No. 2 Michigan (4-2 and 5-4) last weekend.
• JR F Colton Fretter (6-6--12) continues to pace the Spartans in scoring with 12 points, while SR F Jim Slater (4-7--11) is second with 11 points. SO F Drew Miller (5-4--9) is third with nine points, while SR F Ash Goldie (6-2--8) is fourth with eight points.
• In goal, SO Dominic Vicari is 4-5-1 with a 2.36 goals-against average and a .917 saves percentage, while SR Matt Migliaccio is 1-1 with a 2.59 GAA and a .901 saves percentage.
• State has converted on 14-of-88 (.159) of its power-play attempts, while killing off 52-of-61 (.852) of its opponents' power-play chances. MSU's power play ranks 36th in the country.
• MSU is second in the CCHA in shots on goal, averaging 34.8 shots per game. However, when it comes to netting goals, State ranks 10th in the CCHA and 38th in the nation, averaging 2.83 goals per game.
• Defensively, the Spartans are allowing 2.58 goals per game to rank fourth in the CCHA and tied for 17th in the nation.
WISCONSIN QUICK HITS
• Wisconsin carries a 9-3-0 overall, 7-3-0 WCHA slate into this weekend's game. The Badgers have won four straight games heading into Friday's match-up against MSU, including a sweep at Alaska Anchorage (4-1 and 4-1) last weekend.
• Wisconsin, under the direction of third-year head coach Mike Eaves, is 7-1 at home this season.
• Three of the Badgers top four scorers are sophomores and are led by SO F Robbie Earl with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists). FR F Joe Pavelski is second with 16 points (six goals, 10 assists), while SO F Ross Carlson (7-4--11) and SO F Jake Dowell (6-5--11) are tied for third with 11 points each.
• In goal, SR Bernd Brückler is 6-3 with a 2.58 GAA and a .909 saves percentage.
• Wisconsin is tied for third in the nation, averaging 4.00 goals per game. U-W's defense is allowing just 2.00 goals per game to put them tied for third in the nation in scoring defense.
• Wisconsin's power play is connecting at 22.1 percent (19-of-86) while its penalty kill has stopped 61-of-70 attempts (.871). U-M's power play is fifth in the CCHA and 29th in the nation.
MINNESOTA QUICK HITS
• Minnesota enters this week with an 8-3-0 overall, 6-2-0 WCHA slate. The Golden Gophers had won six straight before dropping a 5-2 decision at Denver on Saturday. Minnesota faces Michigan on Friday before battling MSU Saturday.
• The Golden Gophers are riding a school-record 15-game home winning streak and a 15-game home unbeaten streak heading into Friday's game vs. Michigan.
• Minnesota is under the direction of sixth-year head coach Don Lucia.
• SO F Ryan Potulny (12-4--16) and SO F Danny Irmen (6-10--16) pace Minnesota in scoring with 16 points apiece. In addition, Potulny leads the nation with 12 goals on the season and has seven power-play markers among his 12 tallies.
• In goal, SO Kellen Briggs is 8-2-0 with a 2.20 GAA and a .925 saves percentage.
• Minnesota is averaging 3.82 goals per game to rank seventh in the nation in scoring offense. Meanwhile, the Golden Gophers scoring defense also is seventh in the nation, allowing 2.36 goals per game.
• Minnesota's power play is connecting at a 19.4 percent rate (14-of-72) to rank 19th in the nation. The teams penalty kill is 20th in the nation at 84.9 percent (62-of-73).
SERIES INFORMATION
Michigan State holds a slim 45-37-2 edge in the all-time series with Wisconsin. The series began with a 9-2 Spartan victory on Dec. 11, 1964 in East Lansing. Overall, Wisconsin is 21-16-2 all-time in games played in Madison. The Spartans have won eight of the last 10 meetings between the schools.
Minnesota holds a 100-40-9 edge in the all-time series which began with a 2-0 Golden Gophers win on Feb. 29, 1926. However, in the last five meetings, the Spartans are 2-1-2. In games played in Minneapolis, Minnesota holds a 49-13-6 edge.
COLLEGE HOCKEY SHOWCASE
The College Hockey Showcase celebrates its 12th year of existence in 2004-05, again bringing together four of the nation's hockey powerhouses - Michigan State and Michigan from the CCHA and Minnesota and Wisconsin from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association over the Thanksgiving weekend.
The four teams participating in the College Hockey Showcase have won a total of 21 NCAA championships, including back-to-back championships by Minnesota (2002 and 2003) and made 93 post-season appearances. All four are among the top 15 winningest programs in college hockey history and have combined for 4,716 wins.
MSU IN THE COLLEGE HOCKEY SHOWCASE
Michigan State has an all-time mark of 12-8-2 (.591) in the College Hockey Showcase. The Spartans compiled a 0-2 mark in 2003, falling to Minnesota, 5-1, and Wisconsin, 2-1 in overtime.
Since the inception of the College Hockey Showcase, MSU holds a 2-1-1 record vs. Minnesota at Munn Arena; a 1-1-1 record in Minneapolis and an 0-4 slate in neutral site contests. The Spartans are 2-2 vs. Wisconsin at Munn Arena; 3-0 in Madison and 4-0 in neutral site games.
 Mike Lalonde  | |
Friday, Nov. 28, 2003 -- Minnesota 5, at Michigan State 1
Minnesota skated to a 5-1 win over Michigan State in the first game of the College Hockey Showcase. The Gophers jumped out to a 2-0 lead, before Mike Lalonde tallied his 10th goal of the season to cut the lead to 2-1. However, the Gophers would score three more goals (one in the second and two in the third) for the win. The teams combined for 59 penalty minutes as Minnesota went 3-for-7 on the power play and MSU was 0-for-5. Dominic Vicari stopped a career-high 47 shots for MSU.
Saturday, Nov. 28, 2003 -- Wisconsin 2, at Michigan State 1 (OT)
Wisconsin's Jeff Liken's power-play marker at 1:07 of overtime gave the Badgers a 2-1 win in game two of the College Hockey Showcase. UW jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with a goal at the 13:59 mark of the opening stanza, before Mike Lalonde evened the game at one with his team-best 11th goal of the season at the 13:48 mark of the third period. MSU netminder Matt Migliaccio stopped 33 shots, while UW goalie Brian Elliott finished with 29 saves.
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Michigan State's 2004-05 roster features four players with ties to the State of Minnesota as JR F Chad Hontvet (Warroad), SO F/D Tyler Howells (Eden Prairie), FR F Jim McKenzie (Woodbury, Minn.) and SO D A.J. Thelen (Savage) all call the Land of 10,000 Lakes home.
Howells has appeared in seven games, all at the blueline, picking up two helpers. Meanwhile, McKenzie has skated in 11 games with 1-5--6 totals, while Thelen has appeared in all 12 games with seven assists.
ONE LAST LOOK - MSU VS. U-M NOTEBOOK
Notes from Thursday's 4-2 U-M win:
• The Spartans wore a third jersey for the first time on Thursday night. The jersey was silver with green trim and green lettering with a white outline.
• Thursday's loss to the Wolverines brought a halt to MSU's four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1).
• The Spartan senior class suffered the first loss of their careers to the Wolverines at Munn Arena. The Wolverines last won a game at Munn Arena on Jan. 7, 2000.
• The loss to the Wolverines marked 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.
Notes from Saturday's 5-4 U-M win:
• 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.
• Ash Goldie's first-period power-play marker was his team-best fourth power-play tally of the season.
• 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, who trailed 5-4 heading into the lockerroom after two periods, is now 0-6 when trailing after 40 minutes of play this season.
DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE
As might be expected, it has been a tale of two teams this season for Michigan State. For example:
• In its four victories, MSU is averaging 4.2 goals per game. On the other hand, State has scored a combined 12 goals (2.0 gpg) in its six losses.
• Defensively, it's almost the exact same story. The Spartans have allowed just six goals (1.2 gpg) in their five wins, while State has given up 24 goals (4.0 gpg) in its six losses.
• MSU is connecting at a 27.6 percent clip (8-of-29) on the power play when it wins and just 9.8 percent (5-of-51) when it loses.
• The first period has been MSU's strong suit in victories as the team has nine first-period tallies and are 5-0 when leading after one stanza.
• In its six losses, the first two periods have been State's down fall as opponents have outscored the Spartans by a combined margin of 17-to-7. The Spartans are 0-6 this season when trailing after 40 minutes.
 Drew Miller | |
SO F Drew Miller is this week's Spartan Player of the Week after his performance in MSU's two-game set with Michigan. In Thursday's 4-2 loss, Miller set up State's first goal. On Saturday, the East Lansing, Mich., native scored a career-best two goals in MSU's 5-4 loss in Ann Arbor.
The Spartan coaching staff will select a Spartan Player of the Week each Monday.
THIS HAS BEEN ONE TOUGH STRETCH
Michigan State is in the tail end of one tough stretch of opponents. MSU's last two opponents (Cornell and Michigan) were both ranked in the top 10, while this week's opponents (Wisconsin and Minnesota) have a combined mark of 17-6-0.
After recording a sweep at Alaska Anchorage last weekend, the Badgers moved into the No. 2 spot in both the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine and the USCHO.com/CSTV Hockey polls. In addition, the Golden Gophers are now the No. 3 team in the land, while last week's opponent (Michigan) became the new No. 1 team in the country.
THE THREE "ER" LINE
One of MSU's top lines to date has been the three "ers" or the line of Drew Miller, Chris Mueller and Colton Fretter. The trio not only has been the grinders on the team, but they have been lighting up the scoreboard. The line, which began playing together for the Oct. 17 New Hampshire game, has accumulated 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in the 11 games they have played as a line -- an average of 2.5 points per game.
All told, they have been responsible for 29.5 percent of the team's offensive production, including 35.3 percent (12-of-34) of the team's goal scoring.
BREAKING DOWN THE THREE "ER" LINE
Fretter, a junior, paces the team in points with 12 (six goals, six assists). Fretter picked up an assist on State's first goal in Thursday's 4-2 loss to Michigan. With six goals to his credit, the Harrow, Ont., native is just one goal shy of his career-high seven, set during his rookie campaign in 2002-03.
Miller, a sophomore, has nine points (five goals, four assists) in 12 games after scoring just 10 (four goals, six assists) all of last season. In addition, he is one of the team's top defensive forwards with 24 blocked shots to his credit. The East Lansing, Mich., native had a career-high two goals in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Wolverines.
Mueller, only a freshman, has seven points (one goal, six assists) in 12 games. He is listed No. 22 among college skaters in the Central Scouting Services preliminary rankings for the 2005 NHL Draft. The interesting note on Mueller is the fact he has only played high school hockey (Nichols School - Buffalo, N.Y.) and midget AAA hockey prior to arriving at MSU.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Of the 23 forwards and defensemen who have suited up for MSU this season, 20 of those 23 players have at least one point. Among this group, 12 of the 23 have at least one goal through the first 12 games.
Of MSU's top-10 point producers: two are seniors (Jim Slater and Ash Goldie); two are juniors (Colton Fretter and David Booth); three are sophomores (A.J. Thelen, Drew Miller and Tommy Goebel); and three are freshmen (Bryan Lerg, Chris Mueller and Jim McKenzie).
MOVING UP THE CAREER CHARTS
SO G Dominic Vicari posted his first shutout of the season and the eighth of his career as he stopped 32 shots in a 2-0 win over Cornell (Nov. 14). With the shutout, Vicari moved into third place on MSU's career blankings list, surpassing Bob Essensa (1983-87) who had seven. Ryan Miller (1999-2002) is State's career leader with 26, while Chad Alban (1994-98) is second with 12.
INCONSISTENCIES WITH MAN ADVANTAGE
It has been a struggle at times for the Spartans with the man advantage. In their five wins, the Spartans are connecting at a 27.6 percent clip (8-of-29) with the man advantage. State has at least two power-play tallies in three of the five victories, including a season-best three in MSU's 5-1 win at Ferris State (Nov. 6).
However, it has been a different story in the team's five losses as MSU is just 5-for-51 (.098) with the extra skater. The Spartans have had plenty of opportunities in those games as State had 11 power-play attempts vs. St. Lawrence (0 goals); 12 and 10 vs. Northern Michigan (1 goal each night); seven vs. Nebraska-Omaha (0 goals); five vs. Michigan (1 goal); and six at Michigan (2 goals). MSU's two power-play goals at U-M marked the first time all season that State had scored two power-play markers in a loss.
POWER PLAY MUST BE KEY TO SUCCESS
One of the keys to Michigan State's success over the past few seasons has been the Spartans' power play. In 2003-04, MSU's power play ranked 25th in the nation and fourth in the CCHA at 17.8 percent (31-of-174).
To further illustrate MSU's success, take note: MSU led the CCHA and ranked third in the nation with the man advantage at 27.5 percent (50-of-182) in 2002-03. MSU led the CCHA and finished ninth in the nation on the power play in 2001-02 at 22.5 percent (45-of-200). The Spartans also led the CCHA and ranked seventh in the nation at 22.7 percent (52-of-229) in 2000-01, while in 1999-2000, State once again led the CCHA and ranked sixth in the nation at 22.9 percent (56-of-245).
DID YOU KNOW?
Eight current Spartans (Tyler Howells, Chris Lawrence, Bryan Lerg, Drew Miller, Adam and Jared Nightingale, Jim Slater and Dominic Vicari) have fathers who played college or professional sports. However, of those eight, only Howells', Lerg's and Miller's dads played college hockey. Howells' dad, Robert, played at Bemidji State; Lerg's father, Dan, played at Michigan; while Miller's dad, Dean, was a Spartan.
ON THIS DATE
On games played on Nov. 26, MSU is 5-5-0 all-time:
• In 2000, the Spartans downed the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison, 6-2. Brad Fast contributed three assists, and Damon Whitten netted two goals in the victory.
• In 1986, the Spartans netted three goals in the first 11 minutes of the first period and never looked back against Michigan Tech. State went to on win the contest, with a convincing 6-0 defeat.
On games played on Nov. 27, MSU is 7-6-1:
• In 1999, MSU defeated the Minnesota Golden Gophers, 6-2, in East Lansing. Rustyn Dolony had two goals, and Adam Hall and Shawn Horcoff each added one. John Michael Liles had three assists.
• In 1992, State beat Notre Dame 8-4 in South Bend. Rem Murry contributed a hat trick to the Spartan win. Steve Suk, Brian Clifford and Bryan Smolinski all had two or more points.
STAYING OUT OF THE PENALTY BOX
The Spartans are the least penalized squad in both the CCHA and nation, averaging 13.8 penalty minutes per game. For comparison purposes, the top penalized team (Ohio State) is averaging 33.3 penalty minutes per game.
Two Spartans Ranked In Central Scouting Preliminary Rankings
The National Hockey League's Central Scouting Service has released its preliminary rankings for the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and two Spartans are ranked among the top 30 U.S. college players, who are eligible for the draft. Freshman forward Chris Mueller (West Seneca, N.Y.) is listed 22nd, while freshman forward Bryan Lerg (Livonia, Mich.) is ranked 27th.
In addition, the CSS also ranked USHL and high school players, including several who have already inked National Letters of Intent. Two incoming Spartans - Justin Abdelkader and Tim Kennedy - were listed in this group.
Abdelkader (F, 6-1, 195), who was listed among the USHL "A" players, is in his first year with the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders. The Muskegon, Mich., native has played in 16 games, tallying seven goals and seven assists for 14 points. He was named Mr. Hockey 2004 by the Michigan High School Coaches as a junior at Muskegon Mona Shores High School as he tallied 80 points (37 goals, 43 assists) in 28 games.
Kennedy (F, 5-11, 170), who was listed among the USHL "B" players, is in his second season with the Sioux City Musketeers. The Buffalo, N.Y., native has appeared in 18 games, posting seven goals and eight assists for 15 points. He has two power-play goals, one shorthanded marker and three game winners among his five goals. In 2003-04, he recorded 9-10--19 totals in 56 games for Sioux City.
The 2005 NHL Entry Draft to be held at the Corel Centre in Ottawa, Ont., on June 25-26.
 Rick Comley | |
In his third season behind the Michigan State bench is Rick Comley. Comley, who was named head coach on March 25, 2002, became just the fifth head coach in MSU hockey history.
He carries a 648-512-76 (.555) career record in 31 seasons and ranks seventh all-time on the NCAA hockey coaches wins list. In addition, his 648 career victories ranks third among active NCAA coaches, behind Boston College's Jerry York (702 wins) and Boston University's Jack Parker (699 wins).
The 2003-04 Spartan squad finished the season with a 23-17-2 overall slate en route to advancing to the NCAA Tournament. State came within three points of winning the league's regular-season crown as the Spartans finished with a third-place 17-9-2 CCHA mark. State, which made its 23rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2004, finished the season ranked 14th in the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine poll and 12th in the USCHO.com poll.
The accolades continued to pile up for MSU players as forward Jim Slater and defenseman A.J. Thelen both earned All-America Second-Team honors for the first time in their careers. Slater also was a Hobey Baker Finalist, marking the seventh straight year that the Spartans have had a Hobey Baker finalist. In addition, Thelen and goaltender Dominic Vicari were selected to the CCHA All-Rookie Team. Thelen became the third Spartan blueliner to receive the CCHA's Best Offensive Defenseman award, while Vicari picked up the CCHA's Best Goaltender after leading the conference with six blankings.
In his first season at MSU, he led the Spartans to a 23-14-2 (.615) overall mark. He became one of just seven coaches to reach the 600-win plateau, a feat he accomplished on Oct. 24, 2002, when the Spartans beat Lake Superior State, 7-0. In addition, he coached a pair of All-Americans in senior defensemen John-Michael Liles and Brad Fast. Liles led the team in scoring en route to earning the CCHA Best Offensive Defenseman award, while Fast finished second in scoring and was the recipient of the CCHA's Best Defensive Defenseman award.
Comley brings 31 years of head coaching experience and a proven record of success at the conference and national levels. During his career, he's coached nine Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalists, including 2003 finalist John-Michael Liles and 2004 finalist Jim Slater; 14 All-Americans; four league players of the year; 25 first-team all-league selections, including 2004 honorees Jim Slater and A.J. Thelen; and 80 academic all-league selections.
SPARTAN HOCKEY TICKET INFORMATION
Single-game tickets are available for all games. Single-game tickets are $20 each, $8 for MSU students with one per ID.
There is also the "Hat Trick" Plan where fans can pick any three games for $54.
Group tickets are available for all remaining games. Tickets are $8 each for groups of 30 or more.
Tickets can be purchased in person at the MSU Athletics Ticket Office in Jenison Field House, by phone (1.800.GO STATE or 517.355.1610) or online (msuspartans.com). The ticket office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
If you need more information or have additional questions, please contact the MSU Athletics Ticket Office.
THE Rick Comley RADIO SHOW
The Rick Comley Radio Show will run throughout the season, on Wednesdays at 6 p.m., on WVFN-AM 730. The hour-long show originates from Reno's East Sports Bar in East Lansing. Jerry Marshall serves as the host of the program.
UP NEXT
Following the College Hockey Showcase, MSU faces Bowling Green in a home-and-home series. On Dec. 3, the teams meet in East Lansing, while on Dec. 4, the series switches to Bowling Green, Ohio.
