Spartans Entertain Ferris in Home-And-Home

Dec. 1, 2010

Michigan State vs. Ferris State
Dates	Friday-Saturday, Dec. 3-4
Game Times	(F) 7:05 p.m. \| (S) 7:05 p.m.
Location	(F) Big Rapids, Mich. Ewigleben Ice Arena (Cap. 2,493; 200x85) (S) East Lansing, Mich.; Munn Ice Arena (Cap. 6,470; 200x85)
Televison	(S) FSN Detroit DirecTV Ch. 636
Radio	WJIM 1240 AM
Tickets	Munn Seating Chart \| Ticket Info
Game Notes	Download PDF
Internet Coverage	MSU All-Access (Video Stream) Live Stats \| Live Audio
Social Media	@MSU_Hockey \| Facebook
Press Conference Video	Head Coach Rick
Press Conference Audio	Rick \| Torey \| Mike \| Zach
Promotions	(S), Teddy Bear Toss, Chuck-A-Puck

storyline
Michigan State gets back into conference action with a home-and-home series against Ferris State.

series history
MSU owns a 65-26-6 record all-time against the Bulldogs, which includes a 26-10-8 mark in Big Rapids and a 38-15-6 record in East Lansing. Last season, the teams split their home-and-home, with each squad winning on its home ice. Ferris took a 3-0 decision when the teams met last week.

teddy bear toss
At Saturday's game against Ferris State, the Spartans will hold a Teddy Bear Toss. Fans are encouraged to bring a new stuffed animal to the game, and after MSU's first goal, the fans will toss their animals onto the ice. Last year, more than 300 stuffed animals littered the Munn Arena ice surface, all of which were donated to the Sparrow Hospital emergency and pediatric departments as well as Ronald McDonald house. All the collected toys will be donated to various Greater Lansing charities.

last time out
Michigan State is coming off a split in their break from conference action, as they downed MInnesota (5-2) and fell to Wisconsin (4-1) in the final College Hockey Showcase. This was the final edition of the Showcase, a Thanksgiving weekend tradition the last 16 years.
In Friday's action, MSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period. The Gophers cutting the lead to one in the middle frame, the Spartans battled back to score the final two goals and claim a 5-2 victory. Dustin Gazley had a pair of goals, while Torey Krug had a goal and two assists and Derek Grant had a goal and an assist. Drew Palmisano was outstanding, making 29 saves in the victory.
On Saturday, a frenetic first period saw the homestanding Badgers take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission, and UW added a goal in each the second and third periods in a 4-1 victory. Palmisano made 26 saves, and Zach Golembiewski and Torey Krug teamed up for the Spartan marker.

media darlings
Saturday's game will air live in high definition on FSN Detroit, with Fred Pletsch and Billy Jaffe on the call. Newcomer Shannon Hogan will handle rinkside duties. FSN Detroit can be found on DirecTV Channel 636.
On the radio, both contests will air on WJIM 1240 AM. The radio call can also be heard on www.spartansportsnetwork.com. Scott Moore and Rob Woodward begin their sixth season together on the call of Spartan hockey.

Home sweet home, but not for long
MSU will play its final three games through the end of 2010 on the road.

scheduling quirk
The Spartans have just four home games in November and December combined after six contests at Munn Arena in October. They will play three and four home games in January and February, respectively.

scheduling quirk, part two
The two-game set with Notre Dame in mid-November is one of three that was formerly a home-and-home series that will now be played in one venue this season. MSU will be at home against Bowling Green in late February, and play two-game sets at Western Michigan and Notre Dame.
This series against Ferris State is one of just two home-and-home series remaining on MSU's schedule, due to the scheduling quirks of an 11-team league. The Spartans will play Michigan on Jan. 7-8 as well.

scheduling quirk, part three
MSU is playing three games against Ferris State in a five-game and 12-day stretch. The Spartans will host the Bulldogs on Nov. 23 and Dec. 4, and will play in Big Rapids on Dec. 3. In between, MSU played in the final College Hockey Showcase in Minneapolis and Madison, Wis; Ferris State was idle last weekend.

scheduling quirk, part four
Starting with the Big Chill at the Big House on Dec. 11, MSU could potentially face off with Michigan in four of five games - the Big Chill game, in the second round of the GLI (Dec. 30), and in a home-and-home January 7-8.

connections
Junior forward Mike Merrifield is the nephew of former Ferris State Randy Merrifield, who played for the Bulldogs in the early 1980's.

FIRST night formalwear
Michigan State has three ties this season, and all have come in the first games of two-game sets. The Spartans tied Maine, 4-4, in the first game of their series with the Black Bears, and tied Alaska (1-1) and Alabama-Huntsville (4-4) in the first games of those series as well.

deadlocks
MSU has tied three of its 15 games this season, well on pace to record more than the six stalemates it recorded last season. All three of the Spartans' ties have come at Munn Ice Arena.
Of last year's six ties, four were home games. MSU went 11-5-4 at home, and 6-6-2 on the road. The Spartans were 2-2-0 in neutral-site games.

for starters
The Spartans were undefeated through their first six games for the first time since 1998-99. MSU was 4-0-2 that season, and started 5-0-2 before losing to Ohio State on Nov. 13.

tough sledding
MSU had a tough November, winning just twice in nine outings. One of its seven losses came in overtime, two were one-goal games, and two others were two-goal margins thanks only to a late empty-netter.

historical significance
MSU skated to a tie in its opening game of the season for the first time in the nine-year tenure of head coach Rick Comley. The Spartans are 3-5-1 all-time in openers under the team's current mentor. MSU last tied its season opener in 2001-02, a 3-3 deadlock with archrival Michigan in "The Cold War" - an outdoor game played across the street at Spartan Stadium.
Speaking of the "Cold War" game ... that outdoor game captured the attention not only of the college hockey world but of sports fans around the globe. It was the first outdoor game in the modern era of college hockey, and it was the beginning of a decade of outdoor games which have become large-scale events not only in college hockey, but in the NHL as well. The NHL's Winter Classic is now played annually on New Year's Day, and MSU and Michigan will play "The Big Chill at the Big House" - an outdoor game at Michigan Stadium - on Dec. 11. The Big Chill game has already sold more than 109,000 tickets, which will once again make MSU-Michigan the world-record holder for hockey attendance.

traditionally strong
In 25 of MSU's 28 seasons in the CCHA, it has finished fourth or better. MSU has won six regular-season titles, finished second eight times, third eight times, and fourth three times.

this week's popularity contest ...
Michigan State fell out of the USCHO.com national top-20 poll, but is still receiving votes. In the USA Hockey/USA Today poll, MSU is no longer receiving votes, after finishing outside the survey's top 15 as the top team receiving votes for two straight weeks.

survey says ...
The 2010-11 CCHA Pre-Season polls find picked fourth by the conference coaches and third by the league's media.
For the third time in four years, the coaches and media disagree over who should own the No. 1 position in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's annual preseason polls. The conference's 11 head coaches ranked defending playoff champion Michigan first, while 75 media members named defending regular-season champion Miami as the preseason favorite.

roster preview
The Spartans return 19 players from a 19-13-5 team a season ago, including Second Team All-CCHA selection Drew Palmisano. Seventeen of the 19 returnees were letterwinners a year ago. MSU is quite "middle-classes" heavy - the roster features just two seniors and five freshmen on a roster of 26 student-athletes. The Spartans lost four players to graduation and three would-be seniors to professional hockey in the off-season. Sophomore Derek Grant is the team's top returning scorer (12-18-30), followed by junior Daultan Leveille (6-19-25). Palmisano boasted a 2.44 GAA and .917 save percentage in his first season as a starter.

the mentor
Rick Comley is beginning his 38th season behind the bench of a college hockey program, and his ninth season at MSU. With 768 victories entering the season, Comley ranks among the top five coaches all-time in wins and top three among active coaches.

gaining ground
Comley owns a 773-603-109 (.559) career overall coaching record, good for fourth place on the all-time wins list.
Former MSU coach and athletic director Ron Mason finished his career behind the bench in 2002 with 924 wins, while Jerry York of Boston College has 856 and Jack Parker of Boston University has 838.

season in review
Michigan State finished the 2009-10 CCHA season in second place. MSU's improvement of eight spots in the league standings from the previous season tied the all-time best jump from one year to another in conference history (Ferris State was ninth in the 2002-03 season, then captured the league title a season later.) Michigan State finished in a tie for 10th in 2008-09, but was the 11th seed in the playoffs due to losing the tiebreaker.
A year ago, Michigan State was picked eighth and ninth in the pre-season polls by the media and coaches, respectively. Michigan State was the CCHA team in 2009-10 which finished the most spots ahead of its preseason projection.

they're honored
Three MSU players have received weekly honors from the CCHA this season. Junior defenseman Brock Shelgren was named the CCHA Defenseman of the Week after the Maine series. It was the first CCHA weekly honor in his career. Drew Palmisano earned CCHA Goaltender of the Week honors for his performance in the Alaska series (Oct. 22-23), and Derek Grant was named the CCHA Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 15 after a five-point weekend against Ohio State.

they like our d
Sophomore captain Torey Krug was named to the CCHA Preseason All-Conference Team. Krug received the third-most votes of any blueliner in the conference, garnering three first-place votes and 30 points. Junior goaltender Drew Palmisano was an honorable mention selection, garnering 14 points and one first-place vote.

non-conference
Rick Comley owns a 41-29-7 record in games against non-conference teams since coming to Michigan State prior to the 2002-03 season. (This includes regular-season, tournament, and NCAA Tournament games) Only once has a Comley team been sub-.500 in games against non-conference foes in a season (2003-04), and is 26-17-4 over the last five seasons (2005-10.)
Michigan State was 5-3 against non-conference competition in 2009-10. MSU's 2010-11 schedule has one independent (Alabama-Huntsville), up to four games against WCHA competition (Minnesota, Wisconsin, MIchigan Tech, and possibly Colorado College in the GLI) in addition to the two-game set with Hockey East entry Maine.
So far, MSU is 3-1-2 against non-conference teams, with a win and tie each against Maine and UAH. The Spartans' also split Thanksgiving weekend in the College Hockey Showcase, a win at Minnesota and a loss at Wisconsin. MSU's next non-conference action comes at the Great Lakes Invitational on Dec. 29 against Colorado College, and the Spartans could play Michigan Tech in the second round.

four is a magic number
This year, MSU is 3-0-2 when scoring four goals or more, and is 2-7-3 in games scoring three or fewer. MSU is 5-2-1 when allowing three or fewer, and 0-5-2 when giving up four or more.

win `em close
27 of MSU's 38 games a year ago were settled by two goals or less, and 12 were one-goal affairs. Of the eight that were two-goal margins or more, four involved an empty-net goal.
MSU was 8-4-0 in one-goal games in 2009-10, and is 2-2-0 in those games this season.

big games
Michigan State allowed six goals to Notre Dame on Nov. 19, the most since a 7-3 loss to Wisconsin in the College Hockey Showcase last November.
Just a week later, the Spartans scored a season-best five goals in the game at Minnesota, the most since Feb. 26, 2010 when MSU posted a 5-2 victory over Bowling Green.
MSU's three-goal opening period tied its season-high for goals in a period, matching the three it put on the board in the first period against Ohio State on Nov. 13.

you miss 100% of the shots you don't take
MSU has outshot its opponents in just five of 15 games, including holding its opponents under 20 shots twice. Despite being on the short end of the shot margin in more than 2/3 of its games, opponents have 426 shots this season, compared to 414 for MSU - a difference of just 12 shots.
Michigan State was outshot in 25 of its 38 games last season, but on the year was outshot only by a 1099-1051 margin, a total of 48 shots over 38 games.

we hadn't had much use for brooms...
MSU has been swept twice this season - at Western Michigan (Nov. 5-6) by 4-3 and 3-1 scores, and Nov. 19-20 at Notre Dame (2-6, 2-4).
MSU had taken at least a point out of every CCHA series last season - one of just three teams to do so . The WMU series was MSU's first point-less weekend since the final regular-season weekend against Notre Dame in February of 2009.

scoreless
Against Ferris State on Nov. 23, the Spartans suffered their first shutout since Feb. 5, 2010 at Alaska. It was the first time that they were shut out at home since Oct. 16, 2008 - a 3-0 loss to UMass-Lowell.

powering up
Michigan State allowed six power play goals in its first three games (13-for-19 on the kill, .684), and has allowed just seven in its last 12 contests combined (43-for-50, .860).
The Spartan power play was 1-for-10 in the Notre Dame series, but rebounded with three extra-man tallies in seven chances against Minnesota and Wisconsin (.429). On the year, MSU is 14-for-71 (197) on the man advantage, good for second in the CCHA.

doubling up
MSU has potted two man-advantage tallies in four different games this season.

shorty
The Spartans allowed shorthanded goals to Notre Dame in each of their two games (Nov. 19-20), including Saturday's game-winner with just under two and a half minutes remaining in regulation. The empty-net goal was also a shorthanded marker, giving MSU three shorthanded tallies against in the series. The Spartans allowed just five shorthanded goals all of last season.

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 eight seasons in East Lansing, the Spartans have been a combined 81-71-17 (52.9%), then compiled a 87-45-17 mark in the second half (64.1%).
With MSU's a 14-6-2 first-semester record last year it surpassed the 2007-08 squad for most wins under Comley in the opening semester. That team had the then-best first-half record (12-5-2, 68.4%), and were 13-7-3 in the 2008 portion of the schedule (63%).
Last year appears to be a juxtaposition of seasons past in the Comley regime - MSU jumpd out to a 14-6-2 first-half ledger (.681), and its second-semester record was 5-7-4 (.438).

special specials
Fifteen of MSU's 39 goals scored this season have come in special teams situations - 14 on the power play, and one shorthanded. Of the 43 goals the Spartans have allowed, 13 have come with a man advantage and three shorthanded.

mendoza line
As you might expect of a team with a 5-7-3 overall record, there are many MSU/opponent comparisons that fall right on that middle line. The Spartans have scored 39 goals and allowed 43 (including one empty-net goal for and three empty-net tallies against), MSU has been outshot 426-414 overall on the year, has scored 14 and allowed 13 power-play goals, and has had just three more extra-man opportunities than its opponent. MSU has scored one and allowed two shorthanded goals (that wasn't scored into an empty net). MSU has also taken three more penalties (89 to 86); their oppponents have five major infractions compared to just one for the Spartans, but MSU has two 10-minute misconducts. Also, opponent goaltenders have just eight fewer saves than the Spartan duo of Drew Palmisano and Will Yanakeff.

talking whistles
MSU has taken three more penalties than its opponent this year, but has been whistled for seven more minor infractions than its opponent. While there have been five majors called against opponents in MSU's 15 games this season (including two majors in its Nov. 20 game against Notre Dame), the Spartans have been assessed just one.

free hockey
MSU is 0-1-3 in overtime games this season. Michigan State played to a 4-4 deadlock with both Maine and Alabama-Huntsville, but the teams did not do a shootout following a scoreless overtime period in either contest. The Spartans lost their lone shootout vs. Alaska, but it came with controversy - a disputed no-goal call on Dean Chelios as the first shooter. MSU lost that shootout, 2-1.
Michigan State played nine overtimes last season, with an official record of 2-1-6. In the six ties, MSU lost the shootout four times (to UNO, Notre Dame (Nov. 19), LSSU, and Bowling Green (Feb. 27); MSU first got a shootout win on Jan. 16 against the Irish, then a 2-1 shootout win at Alaska, its first road shootout of the season.

maiden voyage
Freshman Lee Reimer was the first freshman to get on the board this season, his first collegiate point coming on Brett Perlini's second-period goal in the second game of the Maine series.
Two classmates joined him on the season scoresheet in the Alaska series. Jake Chelios had his first career two-point game on Oct. 23 against Alaska, the same night he had his first career point (an assist on Daultan Leveille's tally) and collegiate goal. Greg Wolfe had his first collegiate point in the same game, an assist on Chelios' third period marker.

irish welcome
Freshman goalie Will Yanakeff saw his first collegiate action on Nov. 19 at Notre Dame, coming in to play the third period in relief of Drew Palmisano. The rookie stopped 12 of 13 shots in that third peirod. He got the starting nod a night later, and made 19 saves against three goals in a 4-2 loss.

big spot pretty quick
In his first collegiate start on Nov. 20, freshman goalie Will Yanakeff faced a penalty shot against ND's Ben Ryan just 22 seconds into the game. Yanakeff made a right leg -pad save; it was the first saved penalty shot for MSU since Feb. 2, 2008, when Jeff Lerg stopped Nebraska-Omaha's Bill Bagron in a 4-2 Spartan victory.

tough bounce
With a late shorthanded goal standing as the game-winner, Will Yanakeff became just the seventh netminder since 1980 (of 21) to fail to record a victory in his first collegiate start at Michigan State. Drew Palmisano won his first MSU starting assignment, on Oct. 17, 2008 against UMass-Lowell.

pretty goals don't count for more
Freshman centerman Greg Wolfe's scored his first collegiate goal on Nov. 19 at Notre Dame. It was a bit of a fluky score - a shot rang off the glass behind the goal cage and flipped high into the air, was missed by a pair of opposing players trying to swat at it, and it instead fell straight down, caromed off the shaft of Wolfe's stick and beat the goalie five-hole.

making an impression
It took first-year player Jake Chelios three games to get on the scoreboard for the first time, but since breaking the ice (so to speak), he had points in five of his next nine games played.
Chelios had a power-play goal in each of the two games against Ohio State (Nov. 5-6). He is the team's top-scoring first-year player, and he is now second on the team in goals with four .
On top of the scoring prowess, Chelios has also been rapidly improving not only while adjusting to college hockey, but also playing a new position. All throughout junior hockey, Chelios had played forward - he had expressed an interest in switching to play defense to start his college career. His father, 26-year NHL veteran Chris Chelios, made the same switch at age 19 as well.

grant to great
After recording just three assists in his first eight games, Derek Grant has had nine points (3g, 6a) in his last seven contests.

waiting for the call
Only one sophomore - winger Kevin Walrod - has yet to score a collegiate goal. He had three assists last season.
Walrod has missed the last six of the last seven games prior to Thanksgiving week with injury.

streakin'
Torey Krug's seven-game point-scoring streak came to an end on Nov. 19 when he was held off the board at Notre Dame, but he rebounded with a game-tying third-period marker against the Irish the following evening. He had a goal and three assists in the College Hockey Showcase games.
Krug and classmate Zach Golembiewski are the only two players to have points in both games at the College Hockey Showcase.

eclipse
Torey Krug's Nov. 20 tally at Notre Dame was his third of the season, matching his total number of goals from a season ago.
Brett Perlini scored his ninth of the season in the Nov. 26 game at Minnesota, matching his total of his first two varsity seasons combined.

multiplicity
Torey Krug had his third multiple-point game of the season, and his first career three-point game, in the 5-2 win over the Gophers. He also had an assist on the lone goal against Wisconsin.
Krug's three multiple-point games are tied for the team high with Brett Perlini and Derek Grant.

consistency
Brett Perlini and Torey Krug have each recorded a point in 10 of MSU's 15 games this season, a team best. Derek Grant has points in nine games, while Dustin Gazley checks in with eight.

doubling up
Dustin Gazley's two-goal outing against Minnesota gave him his first scores since Nov. 5 at Western Michigan. He recorded his fourth career two-goal game, and first since March 7, 2009 at Northern Michigan.
Gazley has the team's only two-goal outing this season.

home and away
Of MSU's top five scorers, Torey Krug has the largest discrepancy in home and away scoring. Krug has seven points in nine home games (0.78 ppg), but he has averaged 1.16 ppg in six road contests.
Of MSU's other top-five point producers, Derek Grant is at .89 at home and .83 on the road, Dustin Gazley is .78 at Munn and .67 in road games, while the largest discrepancy falls with Daultan Leveille, (.67 in home contests and .50 on the road) and Brett Perlini (1.0 ppg at home, and 0.83 on the road.)

you go to the box, two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame
Torey Krug was MSU's most-penalized player last season. At 5-9, he is MSU's smallest-stature defenseman - but was whistled for 27 penalties for 65 minutes.
In 15 games this season, Krug has been whistled for nine penalties for 21 minutes - team highs in both categories.

block party
Michigan State has blocked 171 shots in 15 games, compared to 200 for its opponents. In the second game against Alaska (Oct. 23), the Nanooks blocked 30 MSU shots.
Sophomore captain Torey Krug has blocked a team-high 28 shots, while Krug's defensive partner Matt Grassi has 11. Blueliners Brock Shelgren (23) and Jake Chelios (13) also register double-digits.

goalie u
Since the 1980-81 season, all but one Spartan starting goaltender has earned all-league honors (the Spartans have competed in both the Western Collegiate Hockey Association or Central Collegiate Hockey Association during this stretch).
The list reads like a who's who in Spartan hockey - Ron Scott, Bob Essensa, Norm Foster, Jason Muzzatti, Mike Gilmore, Mike Buzak, Chad Alban, Joe Blackburn, Ryan Miller, Dominic Vicari and Jeff Lerg. Scott, Alban, Blackburn, Miller and Lerg were All-Americans.
The only starting goalie who didn't make an all-star team or win an award during this stretch was Matt Migliaccio in 2002-03. Drew Palmisano kept the streak alive with his Second Team All-CCHA honor in 2009-10.