Spartans Fall, 4-1, to Michigan Tech

Dec. 28, 2007

Detroit, Mich. - A tight 2-1 game late in the third period saw Michigan Tech score two goals in the final minute of play to post a 4-1 victory over Michigan State in the semifinals of the 43rd annual Great Lakes Invitational. Tyler Shelast had a pair of goals and an assist for the Huskies, who advance to play Michigan in the final. MSU's goal came from Tim Kennedy in the opening period and the Spartans got 25 saves from Jeff Lerg in the loss. Michigan State will play Providence in the third-place game on Saturday at 4:35 p.m.

"I thought this was a very hard-fought game, and credit goes to Michigan Tech," noted head coach Rick Comley after the game. "I thought we worked hard and had our chances, but couldn't find the back of the net."

Trailing 2-1 with just over a minute remaining, Jeff Lerg headed to the Michigan State bench with 1:04 remaining in favor of an extra skater. The Spartans had trouble moving it off their own blueline, and turned the puck over in the high slot. Shelast's second goal of the night went into the empty net to ice the game at 19:14. Jimmy Kerr added another at 19:33 to push the final score to 4-1.

The Spartans best chance of the early part of the game came less than five minutes in, when Tim Kennedy put a nice backhand pass through the crease to Mike Ratchuk, but Ratchuk's shot was saved on a great effort by Rob Nolan, which kept the game scoreless.

The Huskies got on the board at 13:47 while skating on the power play. Winger Jimmy Kerr had the puck at the left point and sent a wrister netward that was tipped in front by Tyler Shelast. MSU got the goal back at 15:06, when Tim Kennedy potted his team-best 13th of the season. Justin Abdelkader got the puck from Brandon Gentile and unleashed a shot from the left point that was saved by Nolan. Kennedy collected the rebound as he moved left-to-right across the top of the crease, and had a wide-open right side into which he backhanded the tying goal. Tech outshot the Spartans 15-13 in the opening frame, but the teams went into the locker room tied at one.

Michigan Tech took its second lead of the game midway through the second period. Applying good pressure in their offensive zone, they kept the puck deep in the right corner. The teams vyed for possession in the right circle, and Peter Rouleau pounced on a loose puck below the dot and sniped the puck through traffic and over the glove-hand shoulder of Jeff Lerg. Assists were credited to Malcolm Gwilliam and Shelast.

The Huskies had a bid to add to their lead a minute into the final frame, but Eric Kattelus' shot off the two-on-one was saved by a nice right-pad save by Jeff Lerg. The teams were scoreless until that wild final minute.

NOTES: Michigan Tech scored the first goal of the game, the first time in six games the Spartans have not gotten on the board first ... MSU trailed 2-1 after the second period, just the fourth time this season the Spartans entered the third period down. MSU is now 0-3-1 when trailing after two periods ... Justin Abdelkader skated in his 100th career game as a Spartan, the second junior (Tim Crowder) to reach that milestone this season ...