Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Bowling Green
Spartans Extend Unbeaten Streak to Five
2/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 20, 2009
Ice Hockey Podcasts
RickBrockJeffDaultan
East Lansing, Mich. - Michigan State extended its unbeaten streak to five games with a 3-2 win over Bowling Green at Munn Ic e Arena on Friday evening. The Spartans scored twice in a 26-second span in the third period to record the victory. Jeff Lerg had 35 saves, while Matt Schepke, Daultan Leveille, and Brock Shelgren had the Spartan scores. The teams face off again on Saturday at 5 p.m. in a game that will be televised by FSN Detroit.
Box Score | Game Highlights | Post-Game Interviews
The Falcons snapped MSU's streak of scoring first in games with a power-play tally at 13:44. Kevin Schmidt took a pass from Kai Kantola and launched a shot from the right point; the puck made its way through screens in front, bounced off the left post, and into the back of the net.
Schepke tied the game for MSU seven minutes into the second frame. The Spartans converted on the man advantage, with Tim Buttery handing off to Schepke below the blue line. Schepke moved laterally and threw the puck netward - it eluded the defenders in front and went into the back of the net. It was Schepke's 14th of the season.
The visitors regained the lead with a goal as a man advantage expired at 14:40. As Matt Crandell was coming out of the penalty box, Tomas Petruska took a feed from Wade Finegan behind the goal line to Lerg's right; the pass forced Lerg to move to his left, but Petruska' shot from the doorstep was sent under his glove-hand.
MSU scored twice in a 26-second span six minutes into the final frame to turn a deficit into a 3-2 advantage. The first came off a crafty play by freshman Leveille - he settled an errant clearing attempt in the high slot, split the defenders, and roofed the puck over the blocker-hand of Jimmy Spratt at 6:06. At 6:32, Shelgren's slapshot from the left point beat Spratt for the freshman's first collegiate tally. The Spartans looked to add to their lead at the midpoint of the period when the Falcons were whistled for minors just six seconds apart to give MSU a two-man advantage. Bowling Green was able to kill of the advantage, however, and despite a penalty-plagued remainder of the period, neither team was able to convert on the power play. Spratt was pulled for the final 1:50 of regulation, but the Spartans - who saw Ohio State tie the game with 10 seconds remaining last week - kept the defensive pressure on and kept the Falcons from getting a tying tally.
NOTES: Michigan State is unbeaten in five straight games (3-0-2), tying its longest unbeaten streak of the season set from Oct. 17-Nov. 1 (also 3-0-2) ... MSU also won two straight games for just the second time this season ... MSU's streak of scoring first was snapped when The Falcons got a power-play tally nearly 14 minutes into the game ... MSU scored three goals, the first time it had scored more than two in a game since the Jan. 24 game against Michigan (L, 5-3) ... MSU is now 6-1-0 in one-goal games ... Lerg's streak of games with 29+ saves has reached 15 games ... Jeff Lerg has 3,884 saves, needing just 50 to surpass Glen Healy (Western Michigan) for the CCHA record ...
