Icers Win, Lerg Saves

Oct. 31, 2008

Final Stats | Quotes Post-Game Audio:: Rick | Jeff | Daultan

Video: Jeff

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Jeff Lerg became Michigan State's all-time save leader and freshman Daultan Leveille had his first career multiple-goal game as the Spartans posted a 3-1 victory over Western Michigan on Friday night at Munn Ice Arena. MSU improves to 4-2-1, 2-0-1-1 in CCHA play; Western is now 1-5-1, 0-2-1-1 in conference action. br>

Lerg surpassed Dave Versical's all-time saves record (3,108) in his 120th career contest. Lerg either owns or ranks among the school's top five in seven of eight career statistical categories.

Michigan State jumped on the board at 12:41, when Andrew Conboy got his stick on the puck in a scrum in front of the net and lifted it over the glove hand of goalie Riley Gill. The visitors countered with a power-play strike at 14:09, from Max Campbell. It was just the second game this season and third power-play goal overall allowed by the Spartans this season.

Jeff Lerg became the all-time saves leader in Michigan State history at 10:58 of the middle frame, when he caught a seemingly harmless shot by WMU freshman Greg Squires from the right half-wall.

The Spartans gave Lerg some insurance before the end of the period. Freshman blueliner Brock Shelgren twice kept WMU clearing attempts in the zone, and walked around both defenders at the right point to get the puck netward for Leveille. Leveille, stationed at the left post, redirected the puck past Gill for his second goal in as many games.

Leveille padded the lead further at 13:20, when he redirected a pass from Dustin Gazley in the right circle and beat Gill five-hole. It was the first multiple-goal game of his career.

The teams will meet again on Saturday night in Kalamazoo to wrap up the home-and-home series. The puck drops at 7:35 p.m. at Lawson Ice Arena.

NOTES: Jeff Lerg became the program's all-time saves leader in the second period (10:58), making a glove save on a Greg Squires shot from the right half-wall. Lerg broke Dave Versical's career record of 3,108 set in from 1975-78. Versical and Lerg are the only goaltenders to ever serve as captains of the Spartans ... MSU finished the game with 37 shots on net, the fourth consecutive game that they have had 28 or more saves. In the first three games of the season, the Spartans managed 16, 13, and 16 shots ... The 37 shots tied MSU's single-season high ... Michigan State scored the first goal of the game for the third time in seven games, and is now 3-0-0 in those games ... MSU finished the first period with 14 shots on goal, the most its had in an opening frame this season ... Max Campbell's power play goal in the first period snapped a streak of 22 successful kills for the Spartans over four games ... Daultan Leveille scored his second goal in as many games when he had a go-ahead tally for the Spartans in the final minute of the second period. His third-period strike gave him his first career two-goal game ... Levielle now shares the team goal-scoring lead with Andrew Rowe (3) ... Lerg collected his 70th career victory, three behind Ryan Miller in fourth place in the all-time victories list. Chad Alban (88) is the career leader in that category ... Ler's 120 career games is 11 shy of tying Alban's school record in that category ... Amy Cremen, a Michigan native who is appearing on NBC's reality show "The Biggest Loser" sang tonight's national anthem ...