Michigan State University
Notre Dame
Icers Fall to Notre Dame, 4-2
11/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 20, 2010
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SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Michigan State lost a heartbreaking 4-2 decision at Notre Dame on Saturday evening, seeing the Irish tally the game-winning goal shorthanded with 2:23 remaining and ice the game with an empty-net tally two minutes later. MSU falls to 4-5-3, 1-5-1 CCHA, while league-leading Notre Dame is now 9-3-1.
A failed clearing attempt at the half wall deep in the Spartans defensive zone led to the Irish game-winner with 2:23 on the clock. Torey Krug tried to backhand the puck out of the zone and away from the Notre Dame forechecker, but a crashing Ryan Guentzel gathered the puck, sent it across the slot for Sean Lorenz, and he was alone with the goalie and beat Yanakeff for the shorthanded game-winner.
The first period featured plenty of action, a stark contrast to the relative yawner of an opening frame the night before. Yanakeff had little time to settle into the game, as Derek Grant was whistled for hauling down Ben Ryan on a breakaway chance, giving the senior center a penalty shot just 22 seconds into the game. Ryan tried to go low blocker-side, but Yanakeff came up with the save with his right leg pad.
Ryan converted the game's first goal at 6:53 however, to atone for the penalty-shot miss. He took a backhand pass from Calle Ridderwall in the slot, and finished the play from just inside the left dot over Yanakeff's blocker hand.
The Irish's bid to double their lead at the 7:30 mark met a pair of big saves. Notre Dame broke in on a two-on-one, and Yanakeff made a big pad save on Billy Maday's shot. With the rebound laying in the crease at the left post, Torey Krug was able to get a stick behind it and send it harmlessly to the wall.
MSU looked like it had a tying goal at 15:49, and it held up to video review. Dean Chelios tried to feed Dustin Gazley across the slot, but the puck got away and squirted into the right corner. Gazley threw it back in front of the net, where it went off of Daultan Leveille and back onto the stick of Dean Chelios, who got it past Mike Johnson blocker-side for his first marker of the season.
The teams went into the intermission tied at one, and another score did not go on the board until midway through the middle period. The Irish were on the power play thanks to a Krug slashing infraction, and Jeff Costello was able to flip a rebound of a Mike Voran blocked shot over the blocker-hand shoulder of Yanakeff. Notre Dame's goal came at 8:29, and MSU nearly tied it while skating shorthanded less than a minute later, as Brett Perlini rang the right post.
The final five minutes of the second period featured some of MSU's best scoring chances of the weekend - the Spartans exhibited quick, accurate passing and got traffic in front of Irish goalie Mike Johnson, but Johnson came up with three quality saves in those waning minutes of the period to keep the Spartans from tying the game and sent Notre Dame to the locker room with a 2-1 lead heading into the final period.
MSU carried their same level of play into the first half of the final period, where the Spartans got good looks, but several pucks just missed their mark or rolled through the goalmouth.
Activity around the Spartan goalmouth led to a five-minute major for Irish alternate captain Ben Ryan and a two-minute minor for MSU captain Torey Krug with 8:02 showing on the clock. Combined with a tripping major whistled against Zach Josepher a minute prior, it gave Notre Dame a four-on-three power play for a minute, a minute of four-on-four, then a Spartan advantage for three minutes as Ryan served out his penalty.
Krug got the tying goal for the Spartans at 15:35, executing a beautiful give-and-go as he stickhandled through the slot, dished to Anthony Hayes at the left post. Hayes sent it back across the crease to Krug, who punched it past Johnson for his third goal of the season.
A prolonged stoppage due to an injury to Daultan Leveille - a result of a vicious hit from behind by Irish alternate captain Ridderwallfror which he received a major for boarding - occurred with 3:37 remaining. Once play resumed, the Spartans had a five-on-three for 36 seconds, followed by a man advantage for the balance of the contest. The Irish got the backbreaker a minute later, then iced the game with a TJ Tynan empty-netter with 24 ticks remaining on the clock.
Notre Dame outshot MSU by a slim 22-20 margin. Yanakeff made 18 saves in his first collegiate start.
Michigan State has a busy week ahead, hosting CCHA rival Ferris State on Tuesday then traveling to Minneapolis and Madison, Wis. for the College Hockey Showcase over Thanksgiving weekend.
