Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Alaska Fairbanks (CCHA QF Game 2)
Spartans Force Game Three, 6-1
3/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 11, 2006
East Lansing, Mich. - Junior captain Drew Miller tallied a goal and three assists to lead No. 5 Michigan State to a 6-1 triumph over Alaska-Fairbanks, forcing a decisive game three in the CCHA best-of-three quarterfinals series. Jeff Lerg made 30 saves for the Spartans (21-11-8), who staved off elimination and rebounded from 2-1 loss on Friday night. MSU converted four times on eleven power play chances after going just 1-for-11 in a 2-1 loss to the Nanooks the night before.
"We played a lot better tonight," admitted head coach Rick Comley. "We got going on the power play, and that was big."
Fighting for its playoff life, Michigan State opened the contest with quick feet and dictated the flow of the game. Special teams became an early theme, as the teams played 4-on-4 and had a power play each within the game's first six minutes. After finishing last night's contest 1-for-11 with the man advantage, Michigan State scored its first of four power-play goals at the 10:09 mark of the first period, seizing a 1-0 lead.
After cycling the puck, Drew Miller drove to the net from the corner, bringing netminder Wylie Rogers down into the butterfly. Rogers made the initial save but was unable to control the rebound, allowing Bryan Lerg to step into a wrist shot inside the right circle. Camped in front of the crease, Jim McKenzie fought off a Nanook defensemen and found the second rebound, poking the puck over Rogers' blocker for his 10th goal of the season.
After playing with the lead for the entire game the previous evening, UAF was forced into a more offensive mindset after surrendering the first goal. The teams recorded six shots apiece in the opening stanza, seemingly playing into UAF's defensive game plan, but it was Michigan State that took the 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
The Nanooks controlled play early in the second period, forcing turnovers in the Spartan zone and creating traffic in front of the net. UAF's aggressiveness was rewarded with a power play at the 4:31 mark, but Lerg stopped all three UAF shots on goal, keeping MSU's one-goal lead in tact.
Less than three minutes later, the Spartans had a chance to counter on a power play of their own, but it was MSU backstop Jeff Lerg who made the big play, making a breakaway save on a UAF shorthand opportunity. Towards the end of his shift, Aaron Lee skated towards the bench for a line change, but instead picked up a clearing pass at the Spartan blue line and skated into the zone uncontested. Chris Mueller stayed with the play and caught Lee from behind, lifting his stick as Lee made his move, weakening the wrist shot and allowing Lerg to make an easy glove save.
Mueller was rewarded for his defensive effort at 11:49 of the period, starting a flurry of Spartan tallies with his 10th goal of the season. Miller's heroic individual efforts made the goal possible, as he controlled the puck nearly single-handedly before the Spartans even recorded a shot on net. Ethan Graham kept the play alive, pinching in from the blue line and putting a shot on net from the left faceoff circle. Mueller was tied up just outside the doorstep, but managed to find Graham's deflected shot and slammed the puck home, beating Rogers low glove-side.
Miller gave Michigan State a 3-0 lead 33 seconds later, capitalizing on an unforced turnover at the UAF blue line. The Nanooks' Kelly Czuy was looking to break out of the zone, but mishandled the puck at the blue line, allowing Miller to skate in on a clean breakaway. Miller made one deke and buried his 14th goal of the season, beating Rogers high glove side at 12:22 of the second period.
Over the course of the final 3:28 of the period, UAF took eight minor penalties and had as many as five men in the penalty box at once. As a result, MSU went on the power play for the remainder of the period, including two separate 5-on-3 opportunities. Michigan State took advantage, scoring twice in the final 49 seconds to extend the lead to 5-0.
After the Nanooks killed the first 2:39 of the Spartan advantage, Tim Crowder picked up his 12th goal of the season on a deflection in front of the net. Tim Kennedy set up a Corey Potter one-timer from the middle point, while Crowder set the screen in front of Rogers. Crowder tipped the puck under Rogers' blocker arm, giving MSU a 4-0 lead at 19:11 of the period.
Bryan Lerg capped Michigan State's four-goal period 26 seconds later, netting his 14th goal of the season at the 19:37 mark. Miller dumped the puck to Lerg in the corner, who walked towards the net and beat Rogers five-hole on a half-fanned shot from the doorstep. The goal chased Rogers from the game and gave MSU a 5-0 lead heading into the second intermission.
Alaska-Fairbanks took a bench minor to end the second period, putting MSU on its third two-man advantage of the night. Chris Lawrence tallied the Spartans' fourth power-play goal of the evening 57 seconds into the period, extending the lead to 6-0. At 17:56 of the third period, UAF killed the last of its penalties and returned to full strength, ending a Spartan power play that spanned 5:32. On the night, MSU finished 4-for-11 with the man-advantage, including three goals with the two-man advantage. UAF finished the night 1-for-9 on the power play.
Michigan State reversed its fortunes four minutes later, giving UAF a two-man advantage for 1:24 after Potter was given a 5-minute major penalty for checking from behind. Kyle Jones put the Nanooks on the board at the 7:51 mark, notching his 10th goal of the season. UAF worked the puck deep and controlled play in the corner before Jordan Hendry found Jones on the doorstep. Jones buried the pass into the open net, making the score 6-1.
Kennedy took MSU's second major penalty at 17:41, giving UAF its second two-man advantage. The Nanooks failed to score, and Michigan State skated to a 6-1 win, avoiding elimination. All told, the Spartans committed 15 penalties for 44 minutes, while the Nanooks committed 17 penalties for 34 minutes.
Michigan State and Alaska-Fairbanks will play in the decisive third game of the series tomorrow night at Munn Ice Arena, with the winner advancing to Joe Louis Arena for the CCHA Semifinals. Faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m.
