Spartan Hockey Loses 3-1 Heartbreaker to No. 2 Wisconsin

Nov. 26, 2005

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State hockey team lost a 3-1 decision to No. 2 Wisconsin in the first game of the College Hockey Showcase Friday night at Munn Ice Arena. Freshman Jeff Lerg (Livonia, Mich.) made 18 saves in a loss that extends Michigan State's (5-6-3 Overall, 2-4-3 CCHA) winless streak to seven games.

"I thought the kids worked very hard. We hit the post halfway through the third period, and if that goes in, it puts us up 2-0 and the game is over," said head coach Rick Comley. "They're a good team, and I knew we had to score a second goal, we just couldn't get it in the net. It's tough to win a game 1-0."

The Spartans drew two Badger penalties within the first five minutes, but could not convert on either power-play. MSU's best scoring opportunity came on a dump-in attempt that took a funny bounce off the end boards. The puck squirted out in front of the crease, and freshman Tim Crowder (Victoria, B.C.) thought he had the game's first goal on his tape. With the goalie out of the net, set to play the puck in the corner, Wisconsin captain Tom Gilbert made a goal-saving stick save, and after breaking his stick, was also able to help clear the puck and negate the MSU scoring chance.

Michigan State and Wisconsin played a fluid and even opening stanza. The teams played nearly five minutes of continuous hockey without a whistle midway through the period, and the Badgers held a slim 9-7 advantage in shots. The differences were in penalties called against each team (Michigan State had two penalties called against the team, while the Badgers were whistled for five infractions) and the final seconds of the period.

With the first period set to expire, junior Drew Miller (East Lansing, Mich.) beat the buzzer and gave the Spartans a 1-0 lead heading into the intermission. Sitting on the doorstep, Miller roofed a rebound over the outstretched glove of Wisconsin's goaltender, netting the power-play goal with 0.2 seconds remaining on the clock. Senior Colton Fretter (Harrow, Ont.) and sophomore Bryan Lerg (Livonia, Mich.) picked up assists on the goal.

The goal was Miller's sixth on the season and first since Nov. 5 vs. Northern Michigan, a span of six games. Of Miller's six goals this season, five have come on the power play.

In a tightly played second period, the Badgers didn't record a shot on goal until over seven minutes into the middle stanza. The best chance of the second came at the 15:00 mark, when senior David Booth (Washington, Mich.) and Bryan Lerg (Livonia, Mich.) were whistled for penalties, giving the Badgers a two-man advantage for 1:05.

On the ensuing power play, Miller blocked a shot and cleared the puck during the 5-on-3, and with two big saves by freshman Jeff Lerg, Michigan State maintained its one-goal lead after two periods.

Freshman Nick Sucharski (Toronto, Ont.) had a chance to put the Spartans up by two goals just four minutes into the third, but his wrister from inside the circle hit the far post past Elliot's glove. The lead remained 1-0, and the Badgers took advantage of the opportunity.

With shots still at a premium, the Badgers found the equalizer and finally solved Lerg at 10:19 of the third period, tying the game at 1-1. Wisconsin's Ryan MacMurchy battled for the puck behind the net and snapped a pass to Jake Dowell just inside the circle. Dowell fired a shot that rang off the post and beat Lerg high on the glove-side.

Jeff Lerg kept the game deadlocked with five minutes left in the game, making a sprawling save on Wisconsin's Nick Licari. Licari sliced past a Spartan defenseman and fired a shot on net, but Lerg came up huge, making a pad save on Licari's shot from just outside the crease.

Less than a minute later, however, Wisconsin pulled ahead at the 15:49 mark on Adam Burish's third goal of the season. After already making a save, Lerg was unable to locate the puck in a scrum in front of the net, and Burish buried the rebound to put the Badgers up 2-1 with 4:11 left in the game. Joe Pavelski and Robbie Earl picked up assists on the goal.

With the goalie pulled for an extra attacker, MacMurchy scored his second goal of the night at 19:04, sealing Wisconsin's come-from-behind victory. MacMurchy tipped a pass at the Spartan blueline, and the puck found its way into the empty net, making the final margin 3-1.

The Spartans complete the College Hockey Showcase tomorrow night against Minnesota. The game is set to start at 7:05 p.m. at Munn Ice Arena.

Spartan Notebook:

* Senior forward Colton Fretter extended his point-streak to three games with an assist on Drew Miller's first-period goal. Sophomore Bryan Lerg also assisted on the play, marking a point in 8 out of his last ten contests.

* The Spartans are now winless in their last 7 games, with a record of 0-5-2 in that span, after opening the season at 5-1-1. The stretch is the longest winless streak for MSU since 1980-81, Ron Mason's second season in East Lansing, when the Green and White were 0-7-1 from Jan. 23 to Feb. 14.

* MSU dropped to 4-2-1 against ranked opponents in 2005-06 after the 3-1 setback to the Badgers.

* Spartan freshman goaltender Jeff Lerg earned third-star honors after making 18 stops against Wisconsin. Lerg made 15 saves before allowing a goal at the 10:19 mark of the third period.

* Michigan State held its opponent without a power-play tally for the 1st time in three games and just the 4th time in fourteen games this season. The Badgers managed just three shots, while going 0-4 with the man-advantage.

* MSU entered the contest 12-3-0 vs. Wisconin in the past 15 meetings between the two schools. With the loss, the Spartans are 11-4-0 in its last 15 vs. UW and are now 10-3-0 vs. the Badgers in College Hockey Showcase action.