Michigan State University
Michigan
Spartans Topple Top-Ranked Michigan Again, 5-2
2/23/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 23, 2008
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Michigan State Head Coach Rick Michigan Head Coach Red BerensonMSU freshman Jeff MSU junior Jeff MSU junior Justin Abdelkader
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Jeff Petry had his first career three-point night, Michigan State had four other players with both a goal and an assist and Hobey Baker candidate Jeff Lerg made 31 saves as sixth-ranked Michigan State posted a convincing 5-2 victory over top-ranked Michigan on Friday night at Munn Arena. The Spartans are now 2-0-1 against Michigan this season and improved to 21-8-5, 17-5-3 CCHA. The Wolverines fall to 25-4-4, 18-3-4 in conference games.
The Spartans struggled to get pucks to the net in the first two frames, but came out with a new intensity and renewed commitment to their cause in the final period, outshooting their archrival 13-6 after UM held a 27-9 edge in the first 40 minutes. While they clung to a 2-1 lead after two periods, MSU exploded for three third-period tallies to put the game out of reach and put a decisive stamp on the victory.
Jeff Petry put the Spartans on the board 1:43 into the contest. Tim Kennedy brought the puck into the slot, and dished to Nick Sucharski at the left post. Sucharski one-timed the puck across the top of the goalmouth to Petry on the right side, and Petry had lots of open net to work with and he beat Sauer glove-side.
The Wolverines held a 8-2 shot advantage at the halfway point of the opening frame, but the Spartans put in their first shot and had a great chance on their second, when Corey Tropp went in on a breakaway. Tropp faked backhand and went back to his forehand, but his offering clanged off the right post.
MSU made its third shot count as well, as Tim Crowder got his 13th of the season with a minute remaining in the period. Freshman Andrew Rowe was the key to the play, as he picked up the puck in the neutral zone and with a defender on his hip, and carried the puck down into the left circle, where he threaded a pass across the slot to Tim Crowder. With Sauer committed to the right post, Crowder had a wide-open net, and the Spartans had a 2-0 lead going into the first intermission.
Max Pacioretty broke up the shutout at 10:45 of the second period, while skating on the power play. He was stationed at the hash marks on the slot and one-timed his pass from Travis Turnbull five-hole on Jeff Lerg for his 11th goal of the season.
The Spartans held the 2-1 lead headed into the final frame despite being outsho26-6 over the opening 40 minutes. Jeff Lerg turned away shot after shot, and kept the Spartans in the game. However, a pair of goals 18 seconds apart early in the third pushed the MSU lead to 4-1 and the building came alive once again.
Justin Abdelkader potted the first goal at 5:25, when he took a pass from Tim Crowder and skated heavily-defended into the right circle. He shot from the outside hashmark, and goalie Billy Sauer swatted at the shot but missed as it went over his right shoulder. Tim Kennedy got his second goal in three games 18 seconds later off a rebound. Jeff Petry streaked up the right side, and put a bid on his second goal of the night; Sauer made the save, but the big rebound came out to the left side for Kennedy, who had wide-open net to work with for his 15th goal of the season.
The Wolverines managed to cut into the lead to 4-2 at 11:45 with a Ben Winnett goal, but the Spartans got it back less than two minutes later while on a power play - Bryan Lerg got the puck from Petry and lasered a shot past Sauer for his team-best 18th of the yar.
Jeff Lerg finished with 31 stops on the night, while Sauer made 17 and allowed all five Spartan goals.
The teams will face off on Saturday night at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Gametime is 7:05 p.m. in a game that will be televised by FSN Detroit.
NOTES: MSU's three-goal third period was the most goals it had scored in the third all season ... Michigan State's three shots in the opening frame was the fewest it had taken in the first period all year, but MSU held a 2-0 after 20 minutes of play ... Jeff Lerg played in his 106th career game, moving into a three-way tie for fifth place with Ryan Miller and Norm Foster in that category in the MSU record book. He now sits alone in seventh place in career Spartan victories (63), with Ron Scott (64) and Mike Buzak (65) ahead of him in sixth and fifth place, respectively ... Jeff Petry's first-period goal was the second in his career, and his first since the November series vs. Mercyhurst ... Andrew Rowe had an assist on Tim Crowder's first-period tally, giving him points in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. He also had an assist last Saturday against Western Michigan on a Crowder goal ... Five players finished tonight's game with a goal and an assist: Jeff Petry, Justin Abdelkader, Tim Kennedy, Bryan Lerg, and Tim Crowder ...
