Michigan State University
St. Lawrence
Spartans Post 5-3 Nonconference Victory Over St. Lawrence
10/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Oct. 27, 2006
East Lansing, Mich. - - The Michigan State hockey team opened the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 5-3 victory over St. Lawrence on Friday night at Munn Ice Arena. The Spartans improved to 2-1-0 with the victory, while the Saints fall to 1-3-0.
The Spartans took a 1-0 lead at 12:49 on a score by freshman winger Jay Sprague. The play started when captain Chris Lawrence got the puck deep into the zone to Nick Sucharski in the corner. He found Sprague for the freshman's first collegiate tally, and third point on the year.
The Spartans held the lead through the first intermission, but St. Lawrence struck just seconds into the middle frame to knot the score at one. Saint winger collected the puck at the near half-wall and moved it into the middle. The puck deflected off a stick in the slot and directly onto the stick of Jared Ross at the far post - and he had a wide-open left side into which to deposit his second goal of the season.
MSU had its chances in the opening half of the period - a Tyler Howells backhander clanged off the crossbar five minutes into the stanza, and a three-on-one opportunity was foiled by a pass from Tim Crowder to Tim Kennedy going just out of Kennedy's reach and harmlessly into the corner.
The Spartans went back on top at 9:56. Jeff Dunne's shot from the left point was blocked by defenseman Shawn Fensel in the slot, and the puck laid just inside the hash mark for an opportunistic Bryan Lerg, who beat goaltender Justin Pesony low, glove-side for the junior's second goal in as many games. Pesony made an impressive save moments later on a point-blank offering from Sucharski to keep the MSU lead at one.
The Saints tied the game at 12:21 on a nice putback by first-line winger Charlie Giffin, who pounced on a rebound on the doorstep after Jeff Lerg made the save on a slapshot from the point by Drew Bagnall. The tie score was short lived, however, as Jim McKenzie's breakaway put the Spartans back in front. Dunne moved the puck to the winger, who broke in alone and sniped the puck over the glove-hand shoulder of Pesony.
Michigan State pushed its lead to 4-2 on a goal by its hard-working fourth line. After an impressive play to keep the puck in the zone by sophomore Kurt Kivisto, the Spartans worked and kept the puck low, and Kivisto found himself alone behind the net. He came out to the goal line to the left of Pesony, and found a sliver of light between the post and the netminder's leg pad and slipped past him his first career goal. Senior Brandon Warner and sophomore Dan Sturges were credited with assists.
St Lawrence crawled back within a goal at 8:28, as senior centerman Kyle Rank beat Jeff Lerg on a shot from the top of the right hash mark that was tipped in the air by a defender in front and sailed over Lerg's left shoulder.
Saints coach Joe Marsh pulled his goaltender for the waning moments in an effort to gain an equalizer, but the Michigan State defense was up to the task, as defenders blocked at least four shots and whatever they didn't block, Jeff Lerg got a pad on to preserve the lead. The comeback attempt was officially thwarted as Chris Mueller potted an empty net goal - his first tally of the season - off an assist from Bryan Lerg.
The Spartans will be back in action on Saturday evening, when they host Sacred Heart at 7 p.m. at Munn Ice Arena.
NOTES: Michigan State wore its alternate third jersey, a home white sweater with "Spartans" diagonally across the chest from right shoulder to left hip ... Freshman Jay Sprague's goal extended his point-scoring streak to three games, the longest on the team. He had assists in the team's first two games of the season ... Junior Bryan Lerg is the only other Spartan to register a point in every game played this season. Lerg scored in the season opener against Western Michigan, then missed the game at Western after being DQed in the game at Munn ... Junior Jeff Dunne had his first career two-point game, with two helpers. He failed to register a point in an injury-shortened sophomore campaign, and his last point came in a March 12, 2005 CCHA Quarterfinal victory over Miami (5-4 in OT) ... Kurt Kivisto's goal was the first one of his collegiate career, and also his first collegiate point. He was playing in just his third career game ... Michigan State is unbeaten in its last four non-conference games (3-0-1) played at Munn Ice Arena, last losing to Wisconsin, 3-1, in last year's College Hockey Showcase.
