Spartans Look To Get Back On Track
11/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 18, 2005
East Lansing, Mich. - The Michigan State men's ice hockey team (5-4-2, 2-3-2) looks to snap a three-game losing streak on Friday vs. Western Michigan. The Broncos enter the weekend riding a four-game losing skid of their own and stand just 2-6-0 overall and 2-4-0 in CCHA action. The two teams will meet again on Saturday at 7:35 at Lawson Ice to complete the home-and-home series. MSU will wrap up its difficult two-week stretch in which they played eight games; to date the Spartans are just 2-3-1 in the two-week span.
SCOUTING WESTERN MICHIGAN
Current Spartan forwards, junior Drew Miller and senior Colton Fretter paced the Spartan offense last season in a series split with Western Michigan. Miller notched his lone career hattrick in a 5-4 loss on Saturday Jan. 15, while Fretter netted three assists in that game and added a helper in game two of the series to total four points vs. the Broncos in 2004-05. The Spartans are 55-23-6 in 84 games vs. the Broncos. The Green and White hold a 30-4-5 advantage at Munn Ice Arena site of Friday night's contest and a 22-17-1 edge in games played at Western's Lawson Arena. The two teams split a pair of games last season, pushing the Spartan edge in the last 15 games to 8-4-3
GETTING AHEAD
Ohio State's Tom Fritsche scored at 10:52 of the first period to stake the host Buckeyes to a 1-0 lead over MSU. The goal snapped a five-game streak in which the Spartans had opened the scoring; the last time Michigan State fell behind 1-0 was on Oct. 29 during a 4-3 victory over then No. 2 Cornell.
POWER OUTAGE
Freshman Justin Abdelkader's second-period, power-play goal gave the Spartans their first man-advantage tally since a Nov. 5 win over Northern Michigan. The Green and White were held scoreless with the extra-attacker in a weekend sweep at the hands of Nebraska-Omaha and entered Tuesday night's contest just one for its last 18. The Spartans are now 14-74 (18.9 percent) on the PP this season.
SPARTAN SHOOTERS
Michigan State was outshot for just the third time in 2005-06 when they surrendered 35 shots to Ohio State, while managing just 16, Tuesday night in Columbus. The 35 Buckeye shots were the most allowed in a single game this season by the Green and White, whose 16 attempts on OSU goaltender Dave Caruso also marked a season low. Tuesday's contest was just the second time this year that MSU has allowed an opponent to fire 30 or more shots on goal. Freshman Jeff Lerg stopped 29 of 32 shots in a 2-2 at Ferris State on Nov. 8.
QUICK STRIKES
The Spartans struck quickly to take a 2-1 lead over the Buckeyes midway through the second period of Tuesday night's CCHA matchup. Justin Abdelkader scored on the power-play at the 9:50 mark and sophomore Jim McKenzie lit the lamp just 0:14 later with his team-leading sixth goal of the season. For Michigan State it was the fastest-two goal outburst since Feb. 11 of last season, when forwards David Booth and Bryan Lerg scored just five-seconds apart during a 6-5 overtime loss at Alaska-Fairbanks.
LERG SETTLES IN AS SPARTAN PLAYMAKER
Known more as a goal-scorer during his days with the U.S. NTDP and throughout his freshman season, sophomore Bryan Lerg has found his niche, early in the 2005-06 season, as a playmaker on the Spartan second line. Lerg netted another assist in a 3-2 loss to Ohio State Tuesday, raising his season point totals to 2-14-16. His 14 helpers are already a career high, while his 16 points already surpass his total from last season, when the Livonia, Mich. native managed 10 goals and five assists for 15 points.
STREAKING SPARTANS
A pair of Spartan forwards enter the weekend carrying impressive point-streaks with them; sophomore Bryan Lerg boasts a sevengame point-streak, posting 1-11-12 in that span. Lerg's linemate and classmate Jim McKenzie has registered a goal in each of his last four games. McKenzie added an assist on Nov. 12 vs. Nebraska- Omaha and has posted 4-1-5 totals during his four-game run. The team's longest individual point-streak of the season was eight games by the third member of MSU's second line, Tyler Howells. Howells had his streak snapped. after he went scorless over the weekend vs. UNO, but got back on track with an assist in Tuesday night's contest at Ohio State.
COMLEY'S ANGELS
Following a tuesday night 2-2 tie at Ferris State, in which they were whistled for 11 minor penalties, the Spartans were called for only 13 in a weekend series with UNO. MSU was disciplined on Tuesday night when they skated cleanly through the first two periods. Michigan State was penalized just three times in its 3-2 loss to the Buckeyes, unfortunately two of those infractions came when freshman Tim Crowder was called for checking from behind and received a game-misconduct. OSU scored the game-tying goal on the ensuing power-play.
SOMETHING HAD TO GIVE
Michigan State entered Tuesday night's contest a perfect 3-0-0 when leading after two periods and a winless 0-3-3 when trailing after the first this season. Something had to give and unfortunately for the Spartans they dropped a 3-2 decision to Ohio State on Nov. 15. OSU had a 1-0 lead after the first period of play, but it was the Spartans who led 2-1 following the second stanza.
EIGHT IN FIFTEEN
Michigan State is now just 2-3-1 on its current stretch of eight games in 15 days. After sweeping NMU and posting a 2-2 tie at Ferris State, the Spartans dropped a pair of games at home vs. Nebraska-Omaha and a tight 3-2 decision at Ohio State. The Green and White will wrap up the difficult stretch when it plays a home-and-home series vs. Western Michigan this weekend.
CHECK YOUR PROGRAM
Spartan fans are getting to know some new faces this season. Sucharski's and Gentile's first collegiate appearances marked the ninth and tenth career debuts for MSU this year. Sophomore forwards Daniel Sturges and Zak McClellan appeared in their first games this season, after sitting out the entire 2004-05 campaign. Freshmen Justin Abdelkader, Tim Crowder, Tim Kennedy, Kurt Kivisto, Jeff Lerg and Matt Shouneyia have all also appeared in Green and White for the first time this year.
ANYONE HOTTER THAN POTTER
enior defenseman Corey Potter matched a career-high for points in a game on Friday night with 1-1-2. It marked the third time Potter has netted two points in a single contest. Most recently he accomplished the feat on Mar. 17, 2005 with a pair of assists vs. UNO. The Mason, Mich. native also potted his first goal since his freshman campaign, snapping a 78 game drought. He has now posted 1-5-6 on the young season and is just two points away from matching his single season career high of eight.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
Sophomore forward Daniel Sturges pulled the Spartans within three goals, at 7-4, Friday night with his first-career goal. Sturges collected a pass from linemate sophomore forward Zak McClellan, spun and slid the puck past Maverick goaltender Jerad Kauffman. Sturges' father Jon, a Spartan letterman from 1973-1976, tallied 77-132-209 in his career at MSU. The line of Stuges, junior forward Chris Lawrence and McClellan has now combined for four points in the last five games. In that stretch a member of the fourth line has picked up atleast one point in every game.
LERG STRONG START CONTINUES
Spartan freshman goaltender Jeff Lerg completed the week at 0-1-1 but made 58 saves in the two games. Lerg is now 1-1-1 but leads the Spartans with a 2.53 GAA and a .909 save percentage in three games.Last season in the shadow of the Qwest Center Lerg posted a 36-11-0 record while sporting a 2.16 GAA and a .916 save percentage with the Omaha Lancers. Those 36 wins set a new USHL record.
SPARTANS SWEPT AFTER OVERTIME LOSS
Michigan State dropped its first overtime contest of the 2005-06 season with a 3-2 loss to UNO. Maverick forward Bill Thomas' overtime goal was the first allowed by MSU since last February, when the Spartans dropped a 6-5 decision at Alaska Fairbanks. The loss also marked the first time Michigan State was swept at home since the Miami RedHawks took two games from the Spartans on Jan. 30 and 31, 2004. Miami took the first game 2-1 and followed that up with a 3-1 win on Saturday. The last time the Green and White were swept in any series was last season at UAF, the Spartans dropped 6-5 ot and 1-0 games in that series on Feb. 11 and 12.
MSU AND RANKED OPPONENTS
Of the Spartans first six games, five have been against opponents ranked in the top 15. Michigan State is 4-1-1 in those games beating then #14 Northern Michigan twice, shuting out current #5 North Dakota, splitting at then #2 Cornell and drawing in its first contest with then #1 Michigan. The upcoming schedule features 13th ranked Ohio State on Nov. 15, college hockey showcase action against #7 Minnesota and #9 Wisconsin, a trip to Alaska to take on the 17th ranked Nanooks, and a GLI matchup with either Colorado College (#1) or Michigan (#3).
CENTURY CLUB
With fellow senior David Booth out of the lineup, forward Colton Fretter is making a lone charge at the 100 point plateau. Fretter, a native of Harrow, Ont. has posted 2-4-6 this season to raise his career totals to 35-54-89 and is now just 11 points shy of the milestone. Booth, who was off to a quick start posting 1-2-3 in three games prior to his injury, currently boasts 33-40-73 in his Spartan career.
ClIMBING THE LADDER
Michigan State head coach Rick Comley enters the season, his fourth at MSU and the 33rd of his legendary career, in sole possession of sixth place on the all-time coaching wins list in Division I hockey, with 665. Now in his 33rd season, Comley is 668-527-80, good for a .560 winning percentage. He needs just five victories to pass former Clarkson and Boston College head coach Len Ceglarski for fifth place all-time, but still has a ways to go to catch the NCAA's all-time winningest bench boss. Former Spartan head coach and current athletic director Ron Mason earned 924 victories in his illustrious career.
LEFTY McFADDEN CHAMPIONS
Michigan State opened the 2005-06 regular season with a win over Wayne State, 5-1, and a 3-0 win over North Dakota to capture the fourth annual Lefty McFadden Invitational tournament title. Forwards Bryan Lerg and David Booth and defenseman Tyler Howells earned all-tournament team honors for their performances. Lerg paced the Spartan offense with a goal and three assists, Booth chipped in a shorthanded goal and a pair of assists, while Howell added two assists from the blueline. MSU junior goaltender Dominic Vicari earned the victory in both contests allowing just one goal on 41 shots for the tournament.
CAPTAIN MILLER
Junior forward Drew Miller has been selected to captain the 2005-06 Michigan State hockey team. Miller, an assistant last season, is the 10th member of his family to don the Green and White. The East Lansing, Mich., native has posted a career-line of 21-22-43. Joining Miller for his third season as an assistant captain is senior defenseman Jared Nightingale, along with seniors, defenseman Corey Potter and forward Colton Fretter.
THE 2005-06 SPARTANS
The Spartans return seven of their top 10 scorers from the 2004-05 season, including double-digit goal scorers Colton Fretter (20-24-44), Drew Miller (17-16-33), Jim McKenzie (11-7-18) and Bryan Lerg (10-5-15). On defense, the talented tandem of Ethan Graham and Corey Potter return and are expected to once again play a lot of minutes on the Spartan blueline in 2005-06. Junior goaltender Dominic Vicari played in 38 games last season for the Green and White, posting a 2.30 GAA and a .923 Spct., while making 1,027 saves. The Spartans finished the 2004-05 season with a record of 20-17-4 (12-13-3 CCHA) and just missed qualifying for the program's 24th NCAA Tournament appearance.
FRESH FACES
The Spartan hockey program welcomes nine newcomers, five forwards, two defensemen and two goaltenders, into the fold for the 2005-06 season. Forwards Justin Abdelkader (Muskegon, Mich.), Tim Crowder (Victoria, B.C.), Tim Kennedy (Buffalo, N.Y.), Kurt Kivisto (Milford, Mich.) and Nick Sucharski (Toronto, ONT.), defensemen Nick Gentile (Clarkston, Mich.) and Matt Shoyneyia (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) and goaltenders Jeff Lerg (Livonia, Mich.) and Steve Mnich (Northville, Mich.) should all compete for playing time this season, while adding immediate depth to the MSU lineup.
LIKE CLOCKWORK
The 2005-06 season marks the 40th anniversary of the Spartans first national championship in 1966 and the 20th anniversary of the program's 1986 national title. The 1966 team rebounded from a rocky 4-9-0 start to win 12 of its final 16 games to qualify for the national tournament. MSU would defeat Clarkson University, 6-1, behind the goaltending of Gaye Cooley. In 1986, the Green and White rode the goalscoring of senior forward Mike Donnelly; Donnelly scored his 59th goal of the season to lock up the Spartans' second national title, 6-5, over the Harvard Crimson.
DRAFTED SPARTANS
Three Spartans were selected in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft; incoming freshmen Justin Abdelkader, selected in the 2nd round (42 overall) by the Detroit Red Wings, Tim Crowder, chosen in the 5th round (126) by Pittsburgh and Tim Kennedy picked 181st overall by the Washington Capitals, raise the number of drafted Spartans to eight. NHL teams also own the rights of Michigan State forwards Colton Fretter (ATL - 8th round, 2002), Drew Miller (ANA - 6th round, 2003), Jim McKenzie (OTT - 5th round, 2004) and David Booth (FLA - 2nd round, 2004) as well as defenseman Corey Potter (NYR - 4th round, 2003).
