Spartans Tie Lakers, Drop Shootout 2-1

Jan. 15, 2011

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario - Brock Shelgren and Derek Grant each scored first-period goals in a 2-2 tie with Lake Superior, but Ben Power ended four-round shootout with a goal that beat Will Yanakeff low to secure the extra shootout point for the Lakers on Saturday evening in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. The Spartans, who are 3-1-1 in their last five games, are 9-11-4 overall and 5-9-2-0 in conference play.

MSU failed to pick up its first road series sweep in two seasons, as the game officially goes into the record books as a tie. MSU also had a victory and a shootout loss to the Lakers when the teams met last January in East Lansing. The Lakers have not won game against the Spartans since January 2009.

Box Score

Unlike Friday night's 45-minute stalemate to start the game, the Spartans used just six minutes off the clock before getting the game's opening goal. Brock Shelgren did a nice job of keeping the puck in at the right point, and he threw the puck netward - it caromed off the shaft of a defenseman's stick en route, and beat Kapalka five-hole. It is Shelgren's fourth goal of the season.

The Lakers got an equalizer at 15:11. Rick Schofield blocked a point shot, and streaked through the neutral zone alone on a breakaway. He beat Yanakeff low blocker-side.

The Lakers generated another quality chance on that Spartan power play, as they had a two-on-one chance that was thwarted by Yanakeff with a big save. MSU regrouped quickly to bring the puck back to their offensive zone, and Derek Grant's wrister from the left circle beat Kapalka five-hole for the sophomore's first goal in 10 games.

The Lakers came out of the intermission with a burst of energy, and outshot the Spartans 8-1 over the first nine minutes of the period. MSU countered with a flurry of its own, putting big pressure on Kapalka to make a couple big saves. On LSSU's next trip down the ice, winger Nick McPartland fired a wrister from the right side which was saved by Yanakeff, but the rebound trickled slowly behind him for McPartland's fifth goal of the season - and a tie hockey game.

Neither team could find the back of the net in the third period or overtime, but it was certainly in large part due to the excellent play of the goaltenders. Yanakeff made several key saves, while Kapalka kept MSU off the board despite several Spartan power plays.

MSU spent the final four minutes of regulation and the first minute of overtime with a man advantage after Dan Radke was sent to the locker room after hitting Daultan Leveille from behind (Radke also received disqualification on the play, preventing him from playing next Friday against Western Michigan). The Lakers killed off that extended power-play, but went back down a man in overtime when McPartland was sent off for high sticking. MSU wasn't able to capitalize - the Spartans finished the night 1-for-6 on the man advantage.

Yanakeff, who made one save in the shutout, was outstanding in the game. He made 34 saves - including 18 in the second period. Kapalka made 31 for the Lakers.

Michigan State hosts Miami next weekend at Munn Ice Arena.

NOTES: Michigan State was denied its first road sweep since January 2008, at Ohio State ... MSU is now 8-2-3 when scoring first ... LSSU blocked 31 shots, bettering the 30 that were blocked by Alaska in the 1-1 tie with the Nanooks on Oct. 22 ... MSU allowed a shorthanded goal to Rick Schofield in the first period. It was MSU's fifth shorthanded tally allowed this season, and the first since the Notre Dame game on Nov. 19. MSU has allowed its five shorthanded markers against in just three games -the Irish scored three shorthanded tallies in that Nov. 19 game ... LSSU's 19 shots in the second period tied a season-high for shots allowed, matching the 19 put on the board by Ohio State on Nov. 12 ... Brock Shelgren scored his fourth goal of the season in the first period. He had just one goal in the first two seasons of his college career. His six points this season ties his single-season best, set as a freshman with a 1-5-6 line ... Derek Grant scored his first goal in 10 games. His last goal came Nov. 26 in a 5-2 victory at Minnesota ... Yanakeff's 18 second-period saves were his best this season in a single period ... Defenseman Matt Grassi blocked seven shots, single-game high for any Spartan this season ...