From The Press Box
3/4/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Michigan State vs. Notre Dame
March 4, 2005 * East Lansing, Mich.
Post-Game Quotes
MSU Head Coach Rick Comley
On how senior night affected the team's play...
"For whatever reason, it just takes them out of their pre-game routine and there was nothing; it was lifeless (in the first period). Even in the locker room after the second period - nothing. Over the years, I've had very few good senior nights as far as quality of play. And Notre Dame played well; they were smart, stretching their guys and they scored. But once we got one, I really thought we would be okay."
On the play of the team's leading scorers...
"(Slater) took over, but all our top guys did. I thought Fretter, Miller and McKenzie - that's what we needed desperately. And Dominic Vicari made a couple saves; I think he made a save late with the goalie out. He struggled on the two he gave up, but he made a couple big saves at key times. And the thing you fear, when you've had to fight for you life every night, is do they get to a point where that battle just doesn't come up to them. Human nature sometimes says that's enough, and I was a little bit worried tonight might have been that case."
Comments during the second-period intermission...
"Nothing negative, just trying to get the emotions going. You have seven seniors in there and sometimes everyone else is waiting for them to do something. And obviously we've become a team that needs our underclassmen to score. But sometimes you don't want to get in the way either; there are a lot of things that go into it. I felt honest to God that at 2-2, the next shot would go in; it wasn't the next one, but it was pretty close. That's as good a win as we've had all year because we had to have it."
ND Head Coach Dave Poulin
On the overall game ...
"We played well - we played well enough to win a hockey game, and then gift-wrapped a couple in the third period, particularly that too many men on the ice penalty. When you're playing well, those things go in your favor, when you're not, they don't - it is as simple as that. Tonight hurt. It hurt because we played well, and you want to go into the playoffs on a positive momentum. It makes tomorrow night doubly important."
On the play of MSU SR F Jim Slater ...
"The game-winning goal was similar to the game we played up here in December -- Slater picked it out of somebody's skate. The play he made on the second goal was a big-league play, and he made three plays in the third period, and that was what was necessary for MSU to win."
On getting his team ready for tomorrow night ...
"It's certainly not about physical at this point - it's about mental. They haven't quit all season, and I give credit to Cory McLean for that, because I think he's done a marvelous job of keeping the locker room together. We'll watch film, and see what we have to do technically. All-in-all, we played well enough to win."
Spartan Players
Colton Fretter, Jr., F
On the team's mindset coming into the third and final period...
"We kind of got a good talking to in the intermission. We came out in the third period and we knew that we didn't want to go on the road in the first round. Coach came in and he didn't yell at us, but he gave us a good pep talk and kind of rallied the guys up. We came out and played with a lot more passion than in the first two periods."
On how senior night could have played a role in the Spartans' come from behind victory...
"It's been a weird day actually. Coming into the day there was a lot of talk about it (senior night). With the seniors, it was their last game and they wanted to have fun with it. Once the game started though it was a completely different mentality. Personally, I didn't think anything of it. I just went out there and tried to play my game after the whole ceremony."
Drew Miller, So., F
On the value of his goal...
"In the position that we are in, we need a win. The first goal of the game, that got us the spark. It was a really big momentum swing for the team. You just have to get that first goal and get going."
On how the underclassmen wanted to get the victory for their senior teammates...
"It was definitely a big game for them, there was a lot of hype with the senior ceremony before the game. They didn't want this to be their last home game. They played with a lot of emotion and showed on the ice that they were going as hard as they could. Hopefully, we can get back here for another game and another series."
On captain Jim Slater's performance...
"He played great. He got the game-winner, which was a big goal. He led us in every aspect of the game out there. He really came out there to play as far as that game. I have a lot of respect for him."
On the difference in the third period for the Spartans...
"We went from two periods of not playing our game, to the third period, which was one of the best periods that we have played this year. That's what we need to do to get the "W." We're really excited to go into the game tomorrow and get home ice and get the win."
Corey Potter, Jr., D
On his accelerated hit on a Notre Dame player that broke the glass in the third period...
"It was just a foot-race to the puck and it got dumped in the corner. We were just going after it. I played the body and finished my check and I'm not sure what really happened after that, but it was a pretty loud bang. It was kind of a fun thing to do."
On how the Spartans' held onto their momentum after the big hit....
"That was something that we thought about. Everyone on the bench was wondering if we were going to be able to keep the momentum going. We just had got those two big goals. Everyone on the bench was wondering what was going to happen after that. But everyone was pretty positive and trying to stay in the game as much as we could. It worked out for the better."
Jim Slater, Sr., F
On the value of tonight's game in the league standings...
"This game is huge. Everything is on the line. Ohio State did us a favor tonight and they beat Miami. We got ourselves out of the hole in the third period. All in all, it was a big night for us."
On how senior night might have played a factor in tonight's game...
"I don't think it really did so. If you say anything you want to be more pumped up and get the crowd going. But we started off awful. That continued through the second period, then Coach came in and reamed us out. Then we started to pick it up in the third. We need to carry that down to South Bend and on from there."
On the sluggish opening period...
"The first couple of minutes were just boring. A lot of stupid things happened and was just slow. That continued on for the next thirty minutes. Then we started to pull away there."
