Michigan State University Athletics
Spartan Skid Reaches Six With 3-1 Loss at UNO
11/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 22, 2008
Omaha, Neb. - Michigan State's losing streak reached six games on Saturday evening when it fell at Nebraska-Omaha, 3-1, as the Mavericks swept the series. The Spartans, who are struggling to score goals (four goals in their last five games) kept it close for more than two periods, but saw their hosts score twice in the final 15 minutes to record just the third sweep in series history. Michigan State is now mired in its longest losing streak since 1981.
Drew Palmisano drew the start for the Spartans, and made 33 saves. His counterpart, Jerad Kaufmann, made 19 stops in a winning effort. MSU's goal came from senior Matt Schepke, a power-play strike in the final minute of the middle period.
Michigan State came out strong, holding a 5-2 shot advantage through the opening 10 minutes of the game. The host Mavericks came alive with a flurry and extended possession deep in the MSU zone around the seven-minute mark; Palmisano responded with a big save off a backhanded pass and shot from the low slot, then another seconds later to keep UNO off the board.
A penalty to Matt Schepke late in the period put UNO on the power play for the first time on the night. Almost immediately, the puck squirted free out of the zone and senior Kurt Kivisto gave chase, leading to a shorthanded attempt that Kaufman was able to corral in the crease. The Spartans were aggressive on the kill, not allowing the Mavericks much in the first minute; a sharp-angle shot with 46 seconds remaining in the advantage was the first puck UNO got to the net on the power play. Eddie DelGrosso's shot from the left point was also saved by Palmisano, and the Spartans successfully killed the man advantage. Daultan Leveille and Schepke had a two-on-one break immediately after the penalty expired, but the UNO defender broke up the play deep in the zone.
The Mavericks broke the scoreless tie at 5:39. Nick Fanto had the puck on the right wall below the circle and threw it in front for a crashing Jordan Willert, and the freshman tipped it past the left pad of Palmisano for his second of the season.
UNO controlled play for great stretches of the second period, and held a 17-8 edge in shots in the frame. Much like Jeff Lerg the night before, Palmisano made key saves to keep the Spartans in the game; the difference was the play in front of the goaltender. The Spartans had a chance with a little over 90 seconds remaining in the period when Schepke went in alone on a breakaway, but Kaufman came out to the bottom of the left circle to make the save. A skirmish ensued deep in the zone, putting the Spartans on the power play for the first time on the night.
MSU set up in the zone and moved the puck well, and got on the board with 54 seconds remaining in the period. Tim Crowder took a feed from Tim Buttery in the left circle and moved it to Schepke at the far post. Schepke's first offering was saved by Kaufman, but the puck wiggled loose for Schepke to get a stick on it in the crease and knock it into the back of the net to send the teams into the locker rooms deadlocked at one.
UNO scored a go-ahead tally at 5:24 of the third period. Tomas Klempa broke into the zone one-on-one with the MSU defender; he got around the blueliner and put a shot on net. Palmisano made the glove save, but the puck popped up and over his glove hand and into the back of the net.
The Spartans got their second power-play opportunity of the night with 12:53 remaining in regulation. After Andrew Rowe tried to stuff the puck past Kaufmann at the far post, extracurriculars broke out around the net between three pairs of opposing players. The result was an extra two minutes for the Mavericks, and the Spartans felt the urgency of tying the game. Corey Tropp had what appeared to be a goal 26 seconds into the advantage with a shot from the left circle, but it was waved off on a man-in-the-crease call. The Spartans struggled to set up in the Mavericks zone for the balance of the man advantage, and pressed on into the final 10 minutes still trailing by a score.
The backbreaker came at 16:25. The Spartans were pushing in the offensive zone, and the UNO defender sent it out of the zone. Fanto got a jump on the MSU defender and went in alone on a breakaway, and beat Palmisano stick-side for his second point of the night.
Michigan State will be on the road again next weekend, when it takes on Big Ten foes Wisconsin and Minnesota in the College Hockey Showcase. The Spartans and Badgers will face off in Madison on Friday at 8 p.m. eastern, followed by MSU's game at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis on Saturday, also at 8 p.m Eastern. The Spartans' game against the Golden Gophers will air live on the Big Ten Network.
NOTES: MSU's losing streak is at six games, the longest since the 1980-81 season when the Spartans dropped eight straight (Oct. 31-Nov. 22) ... Matt Schepke's power play goal was the first man-advantage goal for the Spartans since Oct. 25, and snapped an 0-for-37 streak with a man advantage. Daultan Leveille had the last PPG for the Spartans in that game in the second period, a 2-0 victory over Northern Michigan ...Tim Crowder's assist on Schepke's goal served as his 100th career point ... MSU kept the Mavericks off the board in three chances on Saturday evening, and went 5-for-6 on the weekend ... MSU's scoring drought - which has now reached five goals over six games - is the most prolific drought in program history. The previous low was eight goals over six games in the 1950 season ...
