Michigan State University Athletics
From The Press Box
1/21/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
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Michigan State vs. Lake Superior State
Jan. 21, 2004 * Munn Ice Arena
Post-Game Quotes
MSU Head Coach Rick Comley
On the offense...
"It's funny; all year, we can't beg for or steal a goal and then all the sudden you get a night like tonight. I mean tonight we had some good shots and the goals weren't all the goaltenders fault, but we certainly got lucky. The puck dropped and we were in the right place at the right time. Bryan Lerg had three goals, and I'm not sure he hit the back of the net on any of them. We haven't scored eight goals in a game all year. Maybe a tonight will break it open for us."
On tomorrow's game...
"I guess coaches are made to worry. We worry whether we are going to play well. Then we play well and we worry if the kids can respect them the following night. We know how (Frank Anzalone) coaches and his thought and this won't be a fun night for those kids. We know they are going to come back tomorrow night and start over again, just like it's 0-0."
On Jared Nightingale...
"He has played very well not only tonight, but the last few games as well. I know he is someone I can count on to take a step up this year even though it has been an up and down year for him. He's becoming very steady for us this year, and it is a sign of his growth."
On the line changes...
"I have tried to keep the (Jim) Slater and (Chris) Mueller lines together and obviously, it wasn't working. I think it helps Jim (Slater) to get Ash (Goldie) up on his line and I think it helps Tommy (Goebel) to get him away from Jim. Sometimes I think there is a lot of pressure for kids to get the puck to him. It's worked out for the better. Bringing Tommy down allows me to move (Bryan) Lerg to left wing, which seems to be a very comfortable position for him. I feel that for the first time tonight; it looked like we may have three lines that are dangerous."
LSSU Head Coach Frank Anzalone
On the overall game ...
"Michigan State embarrassed us - what can you say? They jumped on us early. We didn't do anything right, and they did everything right. I guess the bottom line is: they were very good and we were very poor, and that means 8-0."
On SO G Jeff Jakaitis ...
"I thought Jakaitis didn't play very well early. I didn't like the goal that (David) Booth scored late in the second - I thought it was a soft goal. I want Jakaitis to battle, and I want him to learn, because right now, we have to embrace the guys on our team that are unafraid of the battle. If we don't learn how to battle the Michigan States of the world, we'll always be in 12th place. Jakaitis is a kid that needs to battle, and fight, so I put him back in hoping that he would grow from that. In losing, you have to grow, and that's why I put him back in."
On preparation for Saturday's game ...
"Well, even though Michigan State played really well, there were five goals that people watched (State) score, and obviously Michigan State enjoyed that, but that's not real good for us. We've got some guys on our team that need to play a little better than that to even compete. I thought we were prepared to compete, but we didn't. We're still in awe of the venue and the fact that Michigan State played very well. They were very good tonight. They were a fourth-place team tonight, not the ninth-place team that they've been, and they won't be there for long."
MSU Player Quotes
A.J. Thelen, So., D
On the night...
"It was our night, I think. Our season has been really frustrating and very up and down. Just like what we said last weekend; this weekend we will tell if we are going to turn a corner or not. I think that tonight we made a statement. I think we really got the ball rolling and tomorrow night we are going to have come out hard because we know Lake State is going to talk right now."
On Booth and Lerg scoring...
"I just hope they feel good. I am sure they feel great after tonight. It gives them a little more confidence; shoot the puck and it will go in the net. Maybe they will sit around the net and get the rebounds and just poke them in. I think it opens it up for them. I think it opens it up for a lot of the players; just search for the puck and the puck is going to go in. I hope players see how the puck went in with some of the goals we had; in the right spot at the right time."
On the crisp passes of the night...
"We have definitely have been trying to work on that. I think overall we felt pretty good. We just want to move the puck; we want to get it going. We don't want up and down play. We don't want people on our backs."
David Booth, Jr., F
On the satisfying night...
"I thought our line played good. I think that it's just a Spartan team and everyone on the team played well tonight."
On coming back from being sick last weekend...
"I just had a couple practices last week. I felt great at my first practice back in 10 days. I don't know why but it just felt good. I just got things going and it felt good tonight."
On the first period and his line...
"We came out and knew we had to win and knew what we had to do. I was excited playing with the guys I was playing with. We clicked and got some points up there."
Bryan Lerg, Fr., F
On his first career hat trick...
"I am pretty happy. I have a smile on my face, but I give my linemates basically all the credit. I was just in the right spot at the right time. A goal is a goal I guess."
On the whole team being able to score...
"I think that the team saw it as we just need to put the puck to the net more and it's going to go in. We have to keep throwing the puck to the net and just chip away and get goals like that. They don't have to be the prettiest goals."
On his good start...
"I think getting a goal in the first period gave me a lot of confidence. I just played with confidence the rest of the game and our line was jumping. We worked low and got pucks to the net. I worked real well with those two (David Booth and Tommy Goebel). Coach had us ready to play a really defensive hockey game tonight."
Jared Nightingale, Jr., D
On his career night...
"It felt good; just one of those nights the puck is bouncing your way. You got to give a lot of credit to the whole team. I thought Dom (Vicari) played well and also A.J. (Thelen), he was there every time I needed support. I thought the team really stepped up and played well. We desperately need a sweep right now. We know Lake State is going to be a lot better tomorrow night. We need to focus in and try to think about tomorrow night."
On how many goals were score during the game...
"I was surprised. If you would of asked me before, I wouldn't of thought we would put up eight (goals). But like I said, Lake State is a much improved team. They are a hard working team and they will come back. It will be a much tighter game tomorrow. I think we have to bounce back and play with just as much effort tomorrow night. It's just one of those nights. We had it happen to us when we got beat against Minnesota 5-0 and we know we are better than that. Lake State is thinking the same thing."
