Spartans Kick Off NCAA Title Defense in Colorado

3/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey

March 26, 2008

Michigan State makes its 26th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance. The reigning National Champion Spartans, a No. 3 seed, have drawn No. 2 seed Colorado College in the first round of the 2008 Tournament. Colorado College is hosting the West Regional at the Colorado Springs World Arena on Friday and Saturday, with No. 1 New Hampshire and No. 4 Notre Dame rounding out the field.

NCAA West Regional:
Date/Time: March. 28, Colorado Springs, Colo.; 10 p.m. eastern
Audio: WVFN 730 AM (Fri.) / WJIM 1240 AM (Sat.)/ msuspartans.com
Scott Moore (PBP) and Rob Woodward `00 (Analysis)
Television: ESPNU
ESPNU appears on DirecTV Channel 609 (sports pack) and on Dish Network channel 148 (America's Top 250 / America's Everything Pack)
Download MSU Hockey Notes (PDF)

Tuesday Press Conference Audio:
Head Coach Rick Senior Alternate Captain Daniel Freshman forward Corey Junior Alternate Captain Tim Junior forward Tim

history lesson
The Spartans are 28-28-1 all-time in its previous 25 appearances, with three NCAA titles (1966, 1986, and 2007) and 11 Frozen Four appearances.

series histories
Friday will serve as the 80th meeting of Michigan State and Colorado College; MSU trails the all-time series 33-45-1 and CC holds a 26-13-0 edge all-time in Colorado Springs. The teams last met in the 2005 Great Lakes Invitational final, a 6-3 Tiger victory.
This will be the third NCAA Tournament meeting of the schools: The Spartans won, 4-3, in the 1999 quarterfinals in Madison, Wis.; the Tigers took a 2-0 decision when the teams met in the 2002 quarterfinals in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Should the Spartans advance past the host Tigers, they would take on a team which they had faced in recent NCAA Tournament action. MSU and New Hampshire met in the 2006 first-round game in Albany, with the Spartans getting a 1-0 shutout. MSU owns a 4-6-0 record in the 10 all-time meetings with New Hampshire, but has won three straight in the series.
CCHA mate Notre Dame and the Spartans met in the Midwest Regional final a year ago in Grand Rapids, when MSU posted a 2-1 victory to end the season of the overall #1 seed. MSU leads that all-time series 58-32-8.
how they got here
The Spartans enter the NCAA Tournament - their third straight selection to the field and 26th overall, with a 24-11-5 overall record and finished third in the CCHA regular-season behind Michigan and Miami. In the league's post-season tournament, the Spartans fell to Northern Michigan (5-1, 1-2, 2-3 OT) in the best-of-three CCHA quarterfinal series at Munn Arena and missed out on the league's championship weekend for the first time in 17 seasons.
Colorado College won the McNaughton Cup as the regular-season WCHA champion, but finished fourth in its conference tournament with losses to Denver and North Dakota; the Tigers are currently 28-11-1.
New Hampshire (25-9-3) won the regular-season Hockey East title and fell to eventual champion Boston College in the semifinals of the conference tournament, while Notre Dame (24-15-4) finished fourth both in the CCHA regular-season and in the post-season tournament in Detroit, falling to Miami in the semifinal and Northern Michigan in the consolation game.
fun fact

In its previous two NCAA title seasons, MSU returned to the Frozen Four the following year, finishing third 1967 as the runner-up in 1987.
in the record book
Michigan State's 26 NCAA Tournament appearances ranks fifth all-time in the NCAA annals, and MSU is one of 14 schools to win multiple NCAA Ice Hockey Championships. The Spartans' streak of nine consecutive appearances from 1982-1990 ranks fourth all-time, while its 11 Frozen Four appearances rank in a tie for eighth place with Maine.
against the field

MSU has faced six of the other 15 teams in the NCAA Tournament field this season, and owns a 3-3-4 mark against those schools. MSU is 2-1-1 against overall top seed Michigan, 0-2 against No. 2 Miami, and 1-0-1 against Notre Dame, all in conference play; the Spartans have also taken on North Dakota (6-0 loss to open the season), and skated to ties with Minnesota (2-2) and Wisconsin (4-4) in the College Hockey Showcase.

we like the three

Michigan State is a No. 3 seed in the tournament, and won the 2007 title as a No. 3.
Last year, three No. 3 seeds advanced to the Frozen Four, and went 8-3 overall in tournament play - the No. 1 seeds went 2-4, No. 2 went 3-4, and No. 4 went 2-4.
comley in the tourney
MSU head coach Rick Comley is making his 11th NCAA Tournament appearance, and fourth as the coach of the Spartans. He owns an overall 15-11-0 (5-2 at MSU) mark in NCAA Tournament games, with three trips to the Frozen Four and two NCAA titles - with Northern Michigan in 1991 and last year with Michigan State.
repeat visits and victories
The Spartans are the first defending champion in three years to qualify for the tournament the year after winning the championship: both the Denver Pioneers (2005 champions) and Wisconsin Badgers (2006 titleists) failed to qualify for the 16-team field the season following their title.
MSU is looking to become the third team this decade to repeat, however - Denver won in 2004 and 2005, which immediately followed Minnesota's back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003.
select company
Rick Comley is one of three coaches all-time to win NCAA Division I hockey championships at two different institutions. Ned Harkness won titles at Renssleaer (1954) and Cornell (1967 and 1970) and Jerry York at Bowling Green (1984) and his alma mater, Boston College (2001).
milestones
Friday's regional semifinal will be the 250th game behind the Michigan State bench for head coach Rick Comley. He owns a 141-84-24 mark in his six-year tenure as the head coach of MSU.
on the big sheet
MSU will be playing on Olympic ice (200x100) for the fifth time this season, and is 2-2 in previous games. The Spartans swept at Alaska in November, then lost a set at Northern Michigan in February.
UNH also plays on an Olympic-sized ice sheet, while the Joyce Center rink at Notre Dame is an NHL sheet (200x85).
against the dub
MSU is 0-2-2 against teams from the WCHA this season, losing at North Dakota (6-0) in the US Hockey Hall of Fame Game and falling to Michigan Tech (4-1) in the first round of the Great Lakes Invitational. MSU tied Minnesota (2-2) and Wisconsin (4-4) in East Lansing.
the last meetings
Michigan State and Colorado College last met in the 2005 Great Lakes Invitational final, a 6-3 victory for the Tigers.
CC jumped out to a 5-0 lead by the seven-minute mark of the second period, but Jeff Lerg came on in relief of Dominic Vicari and held the Tigers to just one goal over the balance of the game. The Spartans got a pair of goals from Tyler Howells in the second period to cut the lead to 6-2, then got a third-period marker from David Booth for the final 6-3 margin. Chris Mueller was the only current Spartan skater with a point in the game, and Jeff Lerg made 15 saves in 33 minutes of work for a no-decision. Brian Salcido and Joey Crabb each had a pair of tallies for CC in the contest.
MSU and New Hampshire last met in the first round of the 2006 tournament in Albany, as Tim Crowder's first-period tally held up for the only score in the contest and Jeff Lerg recorded the first-ever NCAA Tournament shutout in MSU history. Jeff Pietrasiak made 29 for the Wildcats.
As a fellow CCHA member, MSU and Notre Dame met in a home-and-home this season, with the Spartans winning, 3-1, in East Lansing and skating to a 1-1 tie with the Irish in South Bend. The teams last met in the post-season last year, a 2-1 MSU win in the Midwest Regional final.
regular-season recap
Michigan State finished third in the CCHA standings, with a 19-6-3 CCHA record. The Spartans were three points behind league champion Michigan and two behind second-place Miami.
The Spartans won five of their last six games of the regular season, and were an impressive 10-3-1 on the road this year. MSU's only road losses this season came in the curtain-lifter at then-No. 1 North Dakota, and the sweep at the hands of Northern Michigan in Marquette in February.
The Spartans were swept in only two CCHA sets - at home against Miami in November, and at Northern. The Spartans swept Northern Michigan at Munn, Alaska, Lake State, and Ohio State on the road, and took home-and-home series with Ferris State, Bowling Green, and Western Michigan. In addition, MSU posted three-point weekends against Notre Dame, Lake Superior, and Michigan. There were only two weekend splits, and both came in February: against Nebraska-Omaha, and in the home-and-Joe series against Michigan.
he's kind of a big deal, part I
On Thursday, March 20, it was announced that Jeff Lerg was one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. Joining him on the list is Nathan Gerbe, Boston College; Ryan Jones, Miami; Lee Jubinville, Princeton; Simon Lambert, RIT; Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, North Dakota; Ryan Lasch, St. Cloud State; T.J. Oshie, North Dakota; Kevin Porter, Michigan; and Kevin Regan, New Hampshire.
Lerg is the 13th player in Michigan State history to be a finalist for the Hobey and first since Jim Slater in 2004.
Four players have been finalists twice: Ron Scott (1982, 1983), Kip Miller (1989, 1990), Mike York (1998, 1999), and Ryan Miller (2001, 2002). Both Millers went on to win the statue - Kip in 1990, and Ryan in 2001.
Other Michigan State finalists were Kelly Miller (1995), Craig Simpson (1985), Mike Donnelly (1986), Bobby Reynolds (1989), Bryan Smolinski (1993), Anson Carter (1995), Chad Alban (1998), Shawn Horcoff (2000), John-Michael Liles (2003) and Slater (2004).
he's kind of a big deal, part II
On Thursday, March 20, Lerg was announced as one of one of five finalists for the prestigious James E. Sullivan Award. Lerg and the other four finalists will attend the Sullivan Award Ceremony in New York, N.Y. on April 1 at the New York Athletic Club.
Known as the " Oscar" of sports awards, and older than The Heisman, the AAU Sullivan Award honors the outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. It has been presented annually by the AAU since 1930 as a salute to founder and past president of the Amateur Athletic Union, and a pioneer in amateur sports, James E. Sullivan. Based on the qualities of leadership, character, sportsmanship, and the ideals of amateurism, the AAU Sullivan Award goes far beyond athletic accomplishments and honors those who have shown strong moral character. AAU officials, U.S. Olympic Committee members and college sports information directors are among those who vote for the top amateur athlete.
In addition to Lerg, the other four finalists are Tim Tebow, Football, University of Florida; Philippa Raschker, track and field (Masters Division); Angela Tincher, softball, Virginia Tech; and Jonathan Horton, gymnastics, University of Oklahoma.
ccha honors
Two Spartans picked up four awards at the RBC Financial CCHA Awards Show on Thursday, March 20.
Jeff Lerg was named the CCHA Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The faculty athletic representative (FAR) at each school, in consultation with the head coach, selected the institution's Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Each school's Scholar-Athlete of the Year serves as the school's nominee for CCHA Scholar-Athlete of the Year, which is voted on by the league's FAR's. Lerg, who was also MSU's Scholar-Athlete last season, owns a 3.75 GPA as a finance major.
Lerg was also the Perani Cup winner for MSU, and finished second in the league's overall Perani Cup Standings. Based on number of selections as one of the "Three Stars of the Game" throughout the conference season, Lerg finished second overall to Michigan's Kevin Porter, the CCHA Player of the Year. Lerg has been MSU's Perani Cup champion in each year of his MSU career.
Justin Abdelkader picked up a pair of awards as well - he was voted the league's Best Defensive Forward, and was also selected as the recipient of the Mike and Marion Ilitch Humanitarian Award. Among Abdelkader's considerable community service commitments was creating MSU's "Shoot for a Cure" initiative, which raised more than $5,000 for children's cancer.
In addition, Jeff Lerg was one of three finalists for Player of the Year, Jeff Petry was a Rookie of the Year finalist, and Daniel Vukovic was a finalist for Best Defensive Defenseman.
they're honored
Five players earned All-CCHA honors, as announced by the league office on Wednesday, March 12. Jeff Lerg earned first-team All-CCHA, Tim Kennedy was a second-team selection, and three players earned Honorable Mention All-CCHA distinction: junior forward Justin Abdelkader, and defensemen Michael Ratchuk, and Daniel Vukovic. Senior captain Bryan Lerg and freshman blueliner Jeff Petry appeared in the "also receiving votes" category.
Jeff Lerg earned seven of 11 first-place votes and 42 points to earn first-team honors. The junior led the conference in wins, shutouts, save percentage, and games/minutes played.
Kennedy was the team's leading scorer, and had 12-17-29 in conference games (19-21-40 overall), ranking seventh. He owns five power-play goals, three game-winners, and is +16.
Abdelkader ranks third in scoring for the Spartans with a 18-19-37 scoring line, and is +15. The league's top defensive forward, he leads the team in penalties and penalty minutes (38/95).
The trio of blueliners all received considerable attention - Ratchuk received two first-place votes and Vukovic one, and each had 12 points. Petry, a selection to the All-Rookie team, had 11 points.
honors, inc.
With five players receiving All-CCHA recognition, it marks the most MSU players honored by the CCHA since the 1999-2000 season when five Spartans [Shawn Horcoff and Mike Weaver (first team), Adam Hall and Ryan Miller (second team) and John-Michael Liles (HM)] were honored by the league. MSU had a school-record seven players honored in 1985 (which included current CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos), six players in 1989 and 1990, and five in 1983, 1987, 1998, 2000, and now 2008.
law of averages
MSU's roster averages: 6-0, 188 lbs., and the average age is 20 years, 11 months.
sister-kissers
MSU finished with five ties this season, tied for the third-most all-time in the Spartan annals. The school record of eight was set in 1991-92 and tied in 2005-06.
bonus hockey
The Spartans had their 20-game undefeated streak in overtime games (6-0-14), snapped on Feb. 1 when they dropped a 5-4 decision to Nebraska-Omaha. The Mavericks had been the last team to defeat MSU in the extra period, back on Nov. 12, 2005 (3-2).
MSU has now lost two straight overtime games, as the Spartans fell to Northern Michigan, 3-2, in the deciding game in the best-of-three series in the CCHA Quarterfinals on March 16.
Michigan State is 0-2-5 in overtime games this season, and has played overtime games in four of its seven CCHA regular-season series in 2008.

quite the cluster
MSU finished the season tied with Michigan for the most wins in games among its clustermates this season with a .708 winning percentage. (Michigan State and Michigan were paired this season with Lake Superior and Northern Michigan). MSU went 7-3-2, while the Wolverines were 7-2-3, Northern Michigan was 4-5-3, and the Lakers went 1-8-3.
The cluster of MSU, Michigan, Northern Michigan and Lake Superior had an overall winning percentage of .584 (77-52-20), and finished third, first, sixth, and 10th respectively in the CCHA standings.
Miami (2nd), Ohio State (11th), Nebraska-Omaha (T-7) and Alaska (T-9) went a combined 67-69-14 (.493), while Notre Dame (4th), Bowling Green (T-7), Ferris State (5th) and Western Michigan (12th) were 65-72-12 (.477).
blankings
With the Jan. 19 win at Ohio State (4-0) and the 1-0 victory at Michigan on Jan. 25, MSU recorded consecutive shutouts for the first time since Feb. 20-21, 2004, (vs. Nebraska-Omaha, (3-0, 5-0). MSU posted its third shutout of the year at home against Western Michigan on Feb. 15, then capped the regular season with a 4-0 win at Bowling Green. Three of MSU's shutouts this season have come on the road.
MSU was shut out for the second time this season on Feb. 9 at Northern Michigan. Two of MSU's three road losses this season have been shutouts - the first was opening night at North Dakota (Oct. 13), 6-0.
january gems
The Spartans finished the month of January unbeaten (5-0-3) - their first unbeaten regular-season month since February 2006 (6-0-1). MSU was also unbeaten in April 2007 (2-0).
february flats
MSU has nearly half (six of 11) of its losses this season since the first of February.
superlatives
MSU is tied for seventh nationally in winning percentage with Denver (66.2%).
strong second halves
During the Rick Comley era, the Spartans have traditionally been a second-half team. The first three months (October, November, December) of his first five seasons (2002-07), the Spartans were a combined 48-43-8 (52.5%), then compiled a 69-33-10 mark in the second half (66.1%).
The 2007-08 Spartans had their best first-half record under Comley (12-5-2, 68.4%), and are 12-6-3 since the start of 2008 (64.3%).
roadies
The Spartans have played 23 of their 40 games at home this season, and own a 10-3-1 mark in 14 road contests. Nine of the 10 victories have come as part of CCHA sweeps - at Alaska, Lake Superior, and Ohio State and in home-and-home series with Ferris State, Western Michigan, and Bowling Green. The Spartans earned their road tie at Notre Dame (Jan. 13), and defeated Michigan at Yost in a three-point weekend. The Spartans went 0-3 in their only three neutral-site games, all at Joe Louis Arena.
high-yield returns
Michigan State is one of four teams in the CCHA that returned 20 letterwinners this season, the highest number in the CCHA. The Spartans returned 83.9 percent of their goal scoring from a year ago (115 goals), tops in the league. MSU returned 73.9 percent (263) of its points from a year ago, which ranked second in the CCHA behind Miami (81.5%). The Spartans returned five of their top six forwards: seniors Bryan Lerg and Chris Mueller, and juniors Tim Kennedy, Justin Abdelkader, and Tim Crowder.
if it was baseball, we'd win the cy young
MSU has now won 20+ games in 16 consecutive seasons.
early birds
Michigan State earned its 20th victory of the season on Feb. 16 at Western Michigan, the earliest the Spartans have reached 20 victories under Rick Comley. In 2003-04, MSU earned its 20th victory on Feb. 21 vs. Nebraska-Omaha (5-0).
simply the best
Michigan State finished the pre-playoff portion with a 23-5 record, the most regular-season victories in the Rick Comley era.
home sweet home
In 2007-08, MSU played 20 regular-season games at Munn Arena, compared to 15 a year ago. Fourteen of the 20 were televised.
the number ones
MSU took five points from No. 1 Michigan in four games this season, snapping a three-game losing streak to teams ranked No. 1 in the national polls. In last year's NCAA Tournament, the Spartans defeated both Notre Dame (2-1) and Boston College (3-1) when they held the top ranking.
Michigan State has 11 losses this season, and four were to teams which held the No. 1 ranking at the time of the game (North Dakota, Michigan, and twice against Miami).
strong starts
MSU has scored the first goal of the game in 18 of its last 27 games and in 24 games overall. The Spartans own a 21-1-2 record when scoring the game's opening tally, and are 3-10-3 when letting their opponent get on the board first.
MSU's only loss when netting the first goal of the game came against Providence in the GLI (Dec. 29).
specialties
Michigan State has allowed just seven power play goals in its last 22 games, and earlier had a streak of 32 consecutive kills over eight games. Most recently, the Spartans extinguished 23 straight chances against over their last five-plus games before allowing an overtime power-play game-winner in the third game with Northern Michigan in the CCHA quarterfinal.
In those 22 games, the Spartans killed 93 of 100 chances against (93%), dating back to the Providence game (Dec. 29). The penalty kill is now at 86.7 percent for the season (156/180) and ranks 10th nationally.
The MSU power play also ranks 10th nationally (46/221, 20.8 percent).
high yield
In its first nine games, MSU scored nearly half (15 of 34) of goals on the power play. That pace has slowed somewhat, as 30 of its last 97 have come with a man advantage.
its hot when we win
MSU has converted 36 of 130 chances on the power play (27.7%) in its 24 victories, while scoring just five times in 66 opportunities (7.6%) in its 11 losses.
The penalty kill is at 88.3 percent (98-of-111) in victories, and just 40-of-50 (80%) in losses.
In its five ties, MSU's power play has connected five times in 26 chances (19.2%) - but has gone 18-for-19 on the penalty kill (94.7%).
peppered
Michigan State's 52 shots on net against Mercyhurst (Nov. 10) was the most since a 52-shot effort against Wayne State in a 7-2 victory on Nov. 21, 2003. The Spartans had their second-highest shot output of the season on Dec. 1 at LSSU (41 shots).
and not
On Jan. 13 at Notre Dame, the Spartans had their fewest shots on net (15) since a 1-0 victory over Michigan on Nov. 4, 2000, in which they had 13 shots.
fast starts
MSU has established a pattern of fast starts - the Spartans hold a 45-25 (+20) scoring edge in the first period this season. MSU has outscored its opponents 39-31 (+8) in the middle frame and holds a 47-36 advantage in the third (+11).
MSU has allowed multiple third-period goals on eight occasions. The Spartans allowed a season-high four goals to Providence in the third period on Dec. 29, and twice allowed three (Oct. 13 at North Dakota, and Oct. 26 vs. Northern Michigan).

that said
If Michigan State holds a lead entering the final period, it's a good bet to finish off the game. The Spartans are 22-0-2 if they lead at the second intermission, and are 2-3-2 when tied entering the final frame.
assert yourself
Only nine times this season has MSU been assessed more penalty minutes in a game than its opponent (and is 7-2-0 in those games).
MSU was whistled for its season-high in penalties (11) on Jan. 13 at Notre Dame and on Jan. 26 agaisnt Michigan, and its season high for penalty minutes (31) came in the Jan. 19 game against Ohio State and again on Feb. 1 against Nebraska-Omaha.
puttin' on the foil
Northern Michigan was assessed 66 penalty minutes in the Feb. 8-9 series against the Spartans, the most against MSU in a two-game set this season. Miami was whistled for 50 in the Nov. 15-16 set, the previous high.
postseason heavyweights
Tim Kennedy leads all current Spartans in NCAA Tournament scoring, with a 3-6-9 scoring line in six career games. Tim Crowder ranks second, with five goals and an assist for a point-per-game average in six contests, while Chris Mueller and Justin Abdelkader share third place on that list with five points each - Mueller with three goals and two assists, Abdelkader with a goal and four helpers.
little big man
In six career NCAA Tournament games, Jeff Lerg has allowed nine goals and made 169 saves - a 1.50 GAA and .950 save percentage with one shutout; he is tied for third all-time in the NCAA annals in GAA, and ranks fourth in save percentage. With a 5-1 career NCAA Tournament record, he ranks ninth in winning percentage (.833).
playoff experience
The Spartans put four players on the All-Tournament teams in both the regional and Frozen Four a year ago, and lost only one of those athletes to graduation: Tyler Howells, who was named to both the regional and Frozen Four All-Tournament teams. Tim Kennedy, Chris Mueller, and Jeff Lerg made the regional squad, with Lerg earning MVP honors; Kennedy, Lerg and Justin Abdelkader (MVP) return to the Spartans this season from the Frozen Four All-Tournament team.
second-half scoring surges
The junior class has accounted for more than half of the team's scoring since the calendar turned to 2008. In 21 games, the juniors have 88 of MSU's 181 points (48.6 percent) and have 36 of the 67 goals scored (53.7 percent). Junior netminder Jeff Lerg has posted a 1.91 GAA and .937 save percentage.
Since Jan. 1, senior Bryan Lerg leads the team in scoring with 24 points (12g, 12a) - juniors Justin Abdeklader and Tim Crowder each have 23 points, and Abdelkader shares the goal-scoring lead with Lerg during that stretch.
hot hands
Bryan Lerg owns the team's current active point-scoring streak at four games (2-2-4), and has a point in 15 of the last 17 games, with 10 goals and 11 assists in that span.
Jeff Petry has come on strong of late as well. In his last eight games, the freshman blueliner has 10 points (2-8-10) with three multiple-point games.
important firsts
Nine of Bryan Lerg's 20 goals this season have been the first goal of the game. MSU is 21-1-2 this season when scoring the first goal.
more hot hands
Junior Tim Crowder has exploded in the second half, with 23 points since Jan. 1. With 36 points on the season (15g, 21a), Crowder has surpassed his previous single-season high (set his freshman year) of 30 points. He had 25 in his sophomore campaign.
factors on special teams
Michigan State has scored 46 power-play goals this season, and Daniel Vukovic has been on the ice for 28 of them (61%). He has 11 points (2g, 9a) on power-play scores. Michael Ratchuk has been on the ice for 18 power play goals this season, and had a hand in scoring 15 of them (3-12-15).
Bryan Lerg has been on the ice for 25 PPG, while Tim Kennedy, Tim Crowder, and Chris Mueller have all been on the ice for 23 of the 46 extra-man tallies. Kennedy leads the bunch in power-play points (8-10-18), and Lerg has 10-7-17.

milestones
Junior Tim Kennedy potted his 100th career point with a second-period goal against Bowling Green on March 1.
Senior Chris Mueller netted his 100th career point against Michigan at Joe Louis Arena on Feb. 22, a second-period goal on a nifty spin/backhanded move.
Kennedy and Mueller join Bryan Lerg as the only current Spartans to surpass 100 career points - Lerg has 68 goals and 59 assists for 127 points.
Two other Spartans are within striking distance: Justin Abdelkader (92) and Tim Crowder (91).
he's back
Tim Kennedy has five goals in his last nine games, and he had a three-point weekend against both Michigan (Feb. 22-23) and Bowling Green (Feb. 29-March 1).
Kennedy snapped a 13-game streak without a goal with a score on Feb. 15 against Western Michigan, then had a goal each night against the Wolverines and Falcons. He now has 102 career points (41g, 61a).
shorties
Tim Kennedy netted his third shorthanded goal of the season in the Feb. 15 game against Western Michigan. Its the fourth-highest total in the country this year, and places him tied for ninth in the country.
mad hatter
Justin Abdelkader potted his first collegiate hat trick on Feb. 29 at Munn Arena against Bowling Green. It was the first for the Spartans since March 12, 2006, when Drew Miller scored three times against Alaska in the quaterfinals of the CCHA Tournament.
to the winners go the spoils
Daniel Vukovic has been on the ice for 17 of 24 game-winning goals this season, and has had a hand in scoring seven of them (1g, 6a). Tim Crowder has a hand in 10 game-winners (3g, 7a), and has been on the ice for 12 of the 21.
Tim Kennedy has scored a team-best five of MSU's game-winners, has assisted on three others, and has been on the ice for 14 of 24 game-winners this season. Kennedy has also been on the ice for both of MSU's game-tying goals this season, and had a hand in scoring both - he netted the tying goal against Minnesota (Nov. 23), and assisted on Michael Ratchuk's equalizer in the Lake Superior State deadlock (Jan. 5).
offensive defensemen
Michigan State owns one of the top-scoring defensive units in the country, ranking fifth overall and second in the CCHA. MSU's blueliners average 2.33 points per game (15- 78- 93). North Dakota's defensive corps leads the nation (2.55 ppg), followed by RIT (2.54), Miami (2.40), and Wisconsin (2.39).
Three blueliners rank among the Spartans' top 10 scorers: Michael Ratchuk leads in goals (6) and has 19 assists for 25 points, good for seventh; Jeff Petry is eighth on the team in scoring (3-20-23) and is second on the team with 20 assists, while Daniel Vukovic has 22 points (3g, 19a).
multiplicity
Tim Kennedy leads the Spartans with 12 multiple-point outings this season, followed by Tim Crowder (10), Bryan Lerg and Justin Abdelkader (9).
moving up the charts
Jeff Lerg moved into third place on the MSU all-time career saves list on March 16 against Northern Michigan, surpassing former Spartan great Ron Scott (2,884 saves). Lerg has 2,892 career saves, just 36 behind Jason Muzzatti who holds the second spot with 2,928. .
March 16 was Lerg's 112th game between the MSU pipes, tying him with Scott for fourth place in that category.

tight squeezes
Jeff Lerg is now 6-3 this season in one-goal games, with the two of the losses coming in overtime. Lerg already has five ties on his ledger this season as well.
In his career (112 GP), Lerg has 10 shutouts, and 27 games in which he has allowed a single goal. He has allowed just two goals on another 31 occasions - a grand total of 68 of 112 games that he has allowed two goals or fewer.
whitewashes
Jeff Lerg has posted a single-season best four shutouts on the season, the most recent coming in the regular-season finale at Bowling Green. It was the 10th of his career.
He previously posted a shutout of Western Michigan, and earlier this season, Lerg posted back-to-back shutouts of Ohio State (Jan. 19) and Michigan (Jan. 25), and ran his shutout streak to 190:54 through all or part of 11 periods of hockey. The streak was snapped with a second-period power play tally on Jan. 26 against Michigan.
In his career, Lerg has two shutouts against Michigan and has twice posted a 1-0 victory - the first was in the 2006 NCAA East Regional against New Hampshire. Two of Lerg's shutouts this season have come on the road.
what have you done for me lately?
Jeff Lerg has been an intregal part of MSU's success. Since Jan. 1, he boasts a 1.91 GAA and sports a .937 save percentage. In the three series at the end of January, (No. 6 Notre Dame, Ohio State, No. 1 Michigan), Lerg's numbers were beyond outstanding - he boasted a .971 save percentage, and 0.86 GAA.
why not help out offensively, too?
Jeff Lerg has two assists this year, and four in his career. He recorded an assist on a Tim Kennedy shorthanded goal on Feb. 15, a 3-0 MSU victory, and also had an assist on another Kennedy strike in the March 14 game against Northern Michigan.
The MSU record for goaltender points in a season is nine (9 a), set by Jason Muzzatti in 1989-90. He finished his career with 18 points, all assists.
death, taxes, and Jeff Lerg
Jeff Lerg ranks third in the nation in minutes played (2345:01), and ranks sixth in percentage of team minutes played, (96.1 percent).
In 2006-07, Lerg logged 96.9% of available minutes for MSU, (2465:06), which ranked second only to Boston College's Cory Schneider.
he's a winner
Jeff Lerg's 5-1 win over Northern Michigan on March 14 was the 66th victory of his career, which puts him fifth in the MSU annals in that category. Ryan Miller is fourth with 73 wins (1999-2002).
shooting gallery
Jeff Lerg ranks first among all Division I goaltenders in saves (1,072) and faces an average of 27.5 shots per game, the third-most of any CCHA netminder and 15th nationally. Only three goalies ranked in the top 15 in saves per game play for teams that are better than .500: Lerg, Alex Kangas of Minnesota, and Kevin Regan of New Hampshire. All three are competing in the NCAA Tournament this weekend.
in the annals
Jeff Lerg has moved into top-10 positions in several netminding categories at Michigan State. His current 1,072 saves is fourth all-time in a single season, edging his total of 1,042 in 2006-07 down to fifth place.
Lerg also stands among leaders in the following categories: Career wins (66), fifth; career games played (112), T-fourth; career GAA (2.22), third; career save percentage (.922), third; career saves (2,892), third; career shutouts (10), fourth; wins in a season (26), T-fifth; games played, season (42), T-first; saves, season (1,072 (current) and 1,042 (2006-07)), fourth. He also sits eighth and 10th in shutouts in a season: his four this year is eighth, the three he recorded as a freshman and a sophmore put him tied for 10th.
stopper
Jeff Lerg's penalty-shot save on Feb. 2 against Bill Bagron of Nebraska-Omaha was his second of the season, and also of his career. He previously stopped Tyler Burton on Oct. 20 in a 2-1 victory over Colgate. He made 37 saves in that win over UNO, tied for his third-highest single-game total of the season. He made 40 against Providence (Dec. 29) and 39 against Michigan at Joe Louis Arena (Feb. 23).
against the big boys
In eight games against the other top three teams in the CCHA (Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame), Jeff Lerg owns a 1.84 GAA and .943 save percentage, with a shutout at No. 1 Michigan on Jan. 25. Those three rank (as of March 15) first, second, and 21st nationally in team offense.
Against the CCHA's top 15 overall scorers in the regular season (excluding the three skaters who play for MSU) Lerg has allowed just seven goals and 14 assists for 21 points in a combined 28 games. Has allowed just two assists to the league's top scorer, Michigan's Kevin Porter, in four games; Ryan Jones (Miami) was limited to an empty-net tally, and Bowling Green's Derek Whitmore was held without a point in that series. Did not allow a goal to any of the conference's top four goal scorers (Porter, Jones, Whitmore, and Chad Kolarik of Michigan).
milestones
Three players reached the 100-games milestone in the series against Nebraska-Omaha. Junior netminder Jeff Lerg played in his 100th career game on Feb. 1, just the seventh MSU netminder to reach that milestone. Senior blueliner Jeff Dunne and junior winger Tim Kennedy reached the 100-game mark on the next evening. Three other juniors reached the milestone earlier this season: Nick Sucharski (at Notre Dame, Jan. 13); Justin Abdelkader (vs. Michigan Tech, Dec. 28); and Tim Crowder (at LSSU, Dec. 1).
double dips
MSU has boasted two, two-goal scorers three times this season, the most recent Michael Ratchuk and Tim Crowder against Lake Superior State on Jan. 4.
Dustin Gazley and Matt Schepke each had two-goal outings on Oct. 19, a 6-2 victory over Colgate, and Schepke and Bryan Lerg completed the feat again against Wisconsin (Nov. 23) in a 4-4 tie.
double dips, part II
In 42 games last season, there were 15 occasions where an MSU skater recorded two goals in a game. Through 40 games this year, it has already happened 15 times.
at the dot
MSU benefits from a deep corps of quality centermen who excel on faceoffs. Senior Chris Mueller has won 296-of-512 faceoffs, for a team-best 57.8 percent; since Jan. 1, Mueller has won an even more impressive 59.2 percent (164-of-277). Bryan Lerg is at 54.1 percent (344-of-636), Justin Abdelkader has won 423-of-781 (54.0%), Zak McClellan is at 53.7 percent (139-of-259), and Nick Sucharski has won 176-of-332 (53.0%).
skill-ful
Senior captain Bryan Lerg has been selected to represent Michigan State at the NCAA Skills Challenge at the Frozen Four in Denver, Colo., on April 11. Now in its third year, the event will be held at the Pepsi Center in Denver and will highlight the Friday Night at the Frozen Four. Only seniors are eligible; those selected will concede their spot for an alternate should their college team advance to the NCAA semifinals. Colton Fretter was selected in 2006, and Tyler Howells was picked last year - but had to forfeit his spot when MSU advanced to St. Louis.
career years
Nine veterans have already surpassed their single-season record point totals. Tim Crowder's 36 points betters his freshman-year total of 30, and his 21 assists is a career best, while Justin Abdelkader's 37 points has tied his career high set last year. Classmate Matt Schepke has already bettered his sophomore-year point total (2-3-5) with his 11-14-25 scoring line, while Nich Sucharski has tied or surpassed his career goal, assist, and point totals with a 9-17-26 scoring line. Tim Kennedy has set a new career high in goals (19).
Among the seniors, Bryan Lerg has tied his sophomore-year point total of 38 points, while blueliner Daniel Vukovic, who recorded a 7-5-12 stat line in what was a breakout junior season, has three goals and 19 assists for 22 points - the 19 assists betters his career total of nine coming into the season, and puts him third on the team in that category this season.
Sophomore Michael Ratchuk has bettered his 12 points he recorded as a freshman (6-19-25), while classmate Ryan Turek and junior Brandon Gentile are also already ahead of their totals from a year ago. Turek has five assists this season after just two as a freshman, while Gentile's nine helpers betters his total of four last year.
earning their roles
Sophomore Justin Johnston has earned an everyday spot in the MSU defensive corps. He has appeared in 17 of the last 19 games for the Spartans, and has steadily shown growth and improvement this season. Johnston's emergence has not only added another dimension to the defensive corps, but the Spartans have ferquently employed to a seven-defenseman lineup as they did during the 2007 National Championship run.
Freshman Andrew Rowe is making a case for more ice time as well. Playing in just his 10th game of the season, Rowe was inserted into the lineup for the Feb. 2 game against UNO on the second line with Bryan Lerg and Tim Crowder. He responded with a career-best three-point night (1-2-3) and helped MSU earn a split with the Mavericks. Rowe had a hand in all three even-strength tallies on the night, and has stuck on that line in the last five series.
collegiate debuts
The freshman class has found ways to make an impact in their first collegiate season. Five of the six MSU freshmen have recorded their first collegiate goal, with blueliners Jeff Petry and AJ Sturges getting their first on Nov. 10 against Mercyhurst. Petry, a regular on the MSU power play, currently has a 3-20-23 line. Dustin Gazley had an impressive home debut, netting a pair of goals in his first home game (Oct. 19 vs. Colgate) and currently has three goals and eight assists; Corey Tropp leads freshmen in goal scoring (6-11-17). Andrew Rowe played in his first game in green and white on Oct. 26 against Northern Michigan, and has a 3-4-7 line on the season. Forward Joey Shean has played in six games, and still looks for his first collegiate tally - but has played well in his role when called upon.
gentleman and a scholar
Senior Jeff Dunne has been honored with a Charles E. and Frances M. Osterman Scholarship. Robert Osterman, past president of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, provided this scholarship to the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences in memory of his parents. Dunne, a crop and soil science major, has a cumulative grade point average of 3.771.
"shoot for a cure"
The Michigan State hockey team has joined the fight against children's cancer. For the past three years, team members have been volunteers at the Sparrow Hospital Pediatric Ward. Through the Spartan Buddies program, they have visited with many children who have had to face this awful disease. In an effort to help, MSU juniors Justin Abdelkader and Daniel Sturges have spearheaded an initiative called "Shoot for a Cure"
Every 2008 home game through Feb. 22nd, 200 pucks were sold for $1 each. Weekly prizes were awarded from the puck numbers sold at that game, with winners receiving a prize package courtesy of the MSU hockey family. Fans brought back purchased pucks to the Feb. 22nd game against Michigan for "Chuck A Puck", with the grand prize package consisting of items donated by former Spartans now playing in the NHL. In the prize package was a puck from the Frozen Four, a touque identical to the one worn by Ryan Miller in the Outdoor Classic on New Year's Day; a game-used David Booth stick, and gloves autographed by Jim Slater. More than $2,500 was raised through "Shoot for a Cure" t-shirt sales and chuck-a-puck.
Thanks to the generosity of the former MSU skaters now in the NHL, there were also silent auction items which netted more than $2,000. Silent auction items included a Ryan Miller autographed baseball cap from the Outdoor Classic, a Miller autographed photo from the 2007 NHL All-Star Game, and a stick autographed by the Sabres goaltender; a stick autographed by Anaheim's Drew Miller, a John-Michael Liles Colorado Avalanche jersey autographed by all the members of the 2007-08 Avalanche team, an autographed picture of Sindey Crosby. Also included in the silent auction will be an autographed street-pole banner from the 2007 Frozen Four in St. Louis, autographed by the MSU coaching staff, as well as a 2007 team picture with the National Championship trophy also signed by the staff.
in-game, and in-home entertainment
MSUSpartans.com has continued its weekly video content in its All-Access subscribers. "In the Box with Zak McClellan" provides interviews with players and personnel within the MSU hockey program. McClellan's guests have also included the Hanson Brothers, Gary Thorne and Barry Melrose.
McClellan, a Frankenmuth, Mich., native and senior forward for the Spartans, is the three-time winner of the team's Goofus Award, given annually to the team humorist at the team's awards banquet.
In addition, McClellan has added some in-arena entertainment to his resume this season. He headlines "Zak and the Macs", a lip-synch music video series that began as a backdrop for highlight packages. The videos can only be seen in Munn Arena, and a new Zak and the Macs premiered during the home game against Michigan on Feb. 22. In addition, a "Zak and the Macs: Behind the Story" is part of the "In the Box" series.
Also participating as band members in the "Zak and the Macs" videos are Justin Abdelkader, Michael Ratchuk, Kurt Kivisto, Dan Sturges, and Jay Sprague. The "band" premiered Loverboy's "Workin for the Weekend" in late November, rolled out Hall and Oates' "You Make my Dreams" in January, and joined with three MSU football players (Otis Wiley, Ross Weaver, and A.J. Jimmerson) to do Run DMC and Aerosmith's "Walk This Way."
spartan pros
A total of 11 former Spartans are currently on NHL rosters: David Booth (Florida), Rod Brind'Amour (Carolina), Adam Hall (Pittsburgh), Shawn Horcoff (Edmonton), Duncan Keith (Chicago), John-Michael Liles (Colorado), Ryan Miller ( Buffalo), Jim Slater (Atlanta), Bryan Smolinski (Montreal), Mike Weaver (Vancouver) and Mike York (Phoenix).
In the American Hockey League, the Spartans boast an additional eight pros: Drew Miller (Portland), who won the Cup with the Anaheim Ducks last year; Jim McKenzie (Binghamton); Colton Fretter (Bridgeport); Jon Insana (Grand Rapids); Corey Potter (Hartford); Andrew Hutchinson (Hartford); Ethan Graham (Iowa); and Kevin Estrada (Manitoba).
Spartans in the East Coast Hockey League include Lee Falardeau (Charlotte), Jared Nightingale (Charlotte), Ash Goldie (Victoria), and Chris Snavely (Wheeling).