Spartans Earn 3-2 Overtime Win Over Lakers

Jan. 19, 2007

Bryan Lerg played the role of hero 2:52 into overtime, netting his fifth game-winning tally of the season and 14th overall to propel Michigan State to a 3-2 victory over visiting Lake Superior State. The Spartans, who have won in overtime twice in their last three games, win their fourth straight game and improve to 15-8-1, 11-6-1 in the CCHA. Lake Superior is now 13-9-3, 7-7-3 in conference play after suffering its third straight loss.

The overtime game-winner marred an otherwise stellar outing by the Laker freshman goaltender Pat Inlis, who finished with 37 saves and earned the game's third star. His counterpart, Jeff Lerg, made 27 saves in an impressive outing of his own.

The play which led to Lerg's goal started below the goal line, as Nick Sucharski corralled the puck to the right of freshman goaltender Pat Inglis and threw it out to Brandon Gentile at the left point. Gentile wasted little time firing the puck netward, and Lerg, stationed at the base of the left circle, managed to chip the puck past Inglis.

It was the second consecutive Friday with an overtime win for MSU, which defeated Alaska by the same score in the opener of last weekend's CCHA set. Michigan State is undefeated in overtime this year (2-0-1), and has not lost in its last 11 games which have gone to an extra frame (4-0-7).

Michigan State spent a majority of the opening minutes of the game with pressure in the Laker offensive zone, peppering Inglis with several attempts and forcing the goaltender to make four saves before the game was four minutes old.

The Lakers settled into a rhythm and started to get into an offensive flow, generating chances in front of Jeff Lerg. A shot from the high slot by freshman blueliner Simon Gysbers was saved by Lerg, but the rebound bounced into the crease for an opportunistic Josh Sim, who slipped it past Lerg's right skate. Each netminder recorded 13 saves in the opening period, and the Lakers held the 1-0 advantage.

A pair of Laker penalties whistled 30 seconds apart put the Spartans on a 5-on-3 advantage early in the second frame. After the first penalty to Ryan Baird had expired, the official had his arm raised for a delayed call against the Derek R. Smith for holding. With Jeff Lerg on the bench in favor of an extra skater, Nick Sucharski tipped in a loose puck while stationed at the right post to tie the game at one with the Spartans skating 6-on-4.

With the goal - and the call against Smith - going on the board at 5:14, the Spartans continued to cycle with the man advantage. The Lakers managed to poke the puck out of the zone, resulting in Jeff Lerg having to make a save on a breakaway attempt by freshman Nathan Perkovitch, With the seconds ticking off the Laker penalty, MSU made a last push, getting the puck to Justin Abdelkader at the top of the left circle. He glided into the high slot and fired a slapshot that made its way through the traffic in front of the net, and the puck beat Inglis over his left shoulder at 7:11. Neither team would score again in the period - despite an impressive effort by Bryan Lerg and Chris Mueller on a 2-on-1 break on the penalty kill late in the frame - to find Michigan State in the locker with a 2-1 advantage in the second intermission.

The Lakers gained the equalizing tally with just over five minutes remaining in regulation. It was Sim again - this time on the right post - who redirected a loose puck in front, off assists from linemates John Scrymgeour and Troy Schwab.

Both teams pressed late for a go-ahead tally, with a best Spartan chance coming on a 2-on-1 break by Bryan Lerg and Jim McKenzie; the rush was broken up by the trailing defender and the teams went to overtime, setting up Bryan Lerg's heroics.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday at Munn Arena. Gametime is 6 p.m.

NOTES: The Spartans have now won eight of nine games and tied their season-long winning streak at four games ... With 23 points and in third place in the CCHA standings, the Spartans now trail second-place Miami (which skated to a 4-4 tie with Ohio State) by just three points and with a game in hand; MSU is just four points out of first place, as league-leading Notre Dame lost at Western Michigan, 3-2. Notre Dame has played one fewer game than the Spartans ... MSU is now 9-1-1 at home this season ... The Spartan penalty kill has extinguished 24 of their last 25 chances against, dating back to the GLI Championship game against Michigan. With a 6-for-6 performance, it was MSU's eighth game this year in which it hadn't allowed a power play goal ... MSU has scored two shorthanded tallies in that same span ... The power play clicked twice in six chances after a 2-for-19 stretch over the last four games ... All three overtime games played by Michigan State this year have been at Munn Arena ... Justin Abdelkader had his second goal in three games since returning from the World Junior Championship ... Jim McKenzie extended his point scoring streak to four games with his pair of assists ... Sucharski has a goal and assist in each of his last two games ... Tim Kennedy was held scoreless in back-to-back games for just the third time this season ... Bryan Lerg is tied for the national lead in game-winning goals with five ... Spartan alumnus Colton Fretter scored the game-winning goal in the East Coast Hockey League All-Star Game on Wednesday night ...