Spartans Sweep LSSU with 5-2 Victory

Dec. 1, 2007

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - Michigan State got a pair of goals from senior captain Bryan Lerg, and a goal and assist from both Tim Kennedy and Mike Ratchuk to post a 5-2 victory on Saturday night at Lake Superior State and complete the sweep of the CCHA series. Michigan State is now 10-3-2 on the year and 6-2-0 in CCHA play, and has one CCHA set on tap next weekend before breaking for the holidays.

MSU held a 1-0 lead at the first intermission, thanks to Ratchuk's tally midway through the period. Kennedy made an outstanding individual effort in the defensive zone, maneuvering around a defenseman to move the puck out of the corner and streak up the left side. He fed Ratchuk in the high slot, and the sophomore's shot went high, glove-side over Pat Inglis for the 1-0 lead.

The first half of the middle frame was a wild affair, as it was a 2-2 game at the 10:36 mark of the middle frame. The homestanding Lakers tied the game at 7:01 on the power play, when Zac MacVoy's shot from the right circle was tipped at the left post by Rick Schofield for the freshman's second goal of the weekend. MSU countered with an extra-man tally at 10:01, when Jeff Petry faked a shot at the top of the slot, but instead moved the puck to Ratchuk in the left circle. Ratchuk pushed the puck low into traffic, where Tim Crowder beat Inglis stick-side for the winger's second goal of the season.

Lake Superior tied the game just 35 seconds later, on a goal which had to be reviewed before it was allowed to stand. Nathan Perkovich's offering from the right side was saved by Jeff Lerg, but the puck jumped out of his glove, and into the back of the net.

Michigan State regained the lead at 15:02, on another goal generated with traffic in front. It originated as a four-on-one break for the Spartans into the zone - Kennedy led the rush up the left side, and passed into the slot for Crowder, who was a shade ahead of the pass, but defender Brandon Gentile was able to loop back in and shoot it netward. By then, a crowd had formed at the goalmouth, but Kennedy was able to poke the puck free and into the back of the net.

Bryan Lerg scored twice in the third - with goals 10 minutes apart - to open the Michigan State lead to 5-2. He first added to the lead at 2:32; coming off a power play, the Spartans were still moving well deep in the Laker zone, and Lerg took a pass from Matt Schepke in the right circle. He was attempting a cross-slot pass, but the puck bounced off of Inglis' pad and into the back of the net for the senior captain's seventh goal of the season. His second of the period came at the 11:39 mark on the man advantage. Nick Sucharski originated the play from the left point with a slapshot, which was saved by Inglis. Schepke redirected the rebound from the low slot out to Lerg in the right circle, and the senior had a wide-open right side into which he deposited his second goal of the night.

In a bold move to get his team going, Laker coach Jim Roque pulled Inglis with just over five minutes remaining in favor of an extra skater. Nathan Perkovich's penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct at 15:49 put the Lakers down a man, ending the six-on-five for LSSU and putting the Spartans on the power play. Bryan Lerg's bid for a hat trick rung off the right post with 3:30 remaining, but MSU maintained good pressure throughout the man advantage. A penalty against Scofield for holding with 1:38 remaining negated any momentum the Lakers hoped to build for a final tally, and the Spartans closed out the 5-2 victory.

MSU has a home-and-home series with Ferris State on tap next weekend before it breaks for the holidays.

NOTES: Michigan State is now 7-0-1 when scoring the first goal of the game ... MSU is a perfect 4-0 in CCHA road games this season ... The Spartans had as many shots after two periods (22) as they did in all of Friday's game, and posted 38 in the Saturday game, their highest total in a CCHA game this season ... Tim Kennedy broke out of his two-game scoring drought - tied for his longest of the season - with a goal and an assist. His second-period goal stood as the game-winner, his nation's-best fifth of the season ... Tim Crowder celebrated his 100th career game as a Spartan with a second-period goal ... Bryan Lerg had his second two-goal effort in his last three games.