Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Ohio State
Spartans Open Munn with 3-0 Victory
10/20/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Oct. 20, 2011
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Head Coach Tom Captain Torey Palmisano
East Lansing, Mich. - Michigan State opened up the home portion of it's schedule with a 3-0 victory over Ohio State on Thursday evening. The Spartans improve to 2-3-0, 2-1-0 in CCHA play, while OSU is an identical 2-3-0, but falls to 1-2-0 in conference action. Drew Palmisano had the 29-save shutout while Torey Krug, Anthony Hayes, and Trevor Nill had the scores for the Spartans.
The win was the first for head coach Tom Anastos at Munn Ice Arena, and thankfully, his team did not make him wait long - tonight was MSU's first home game of the season, not including an exhibition game on Oct. 3.
"I had been pulling for our players to get a win, because they really needed it to build some confidence," said the head coach. "We had played well in the games at Lake Superior, but had nothing to show for it because every mistake we made ended up in the back of our net.
I thought that [Palmisano] was excellent tonight, and this was good for his confidence, too," continued Anastos. "In some of our games, the mistakes we were making weren't even giving him a chance to make a save before the puck was behind him in the net. He's played well, and he needed to have a positive outcome."
Both teams had three power-play chances in the opening frame, and the Spartans opened the scoring by putting one on the board on the first chance of the night for either team. Torey Krug opened the scoring at 4:46, taking a pass from Brock Shelgren at the left point and firing a shot from the high slot that eluded traffic and went over the blocker hand of Cal Heeter.
Meanwhile, Palmisano turned aside 12 shots in the opening frame, including five on the Buckeyes' second of three power plays. Over the balance of the period, Matt Berry hit the post, while Matt Crandell had a perfect pass to Mike Merrifield on a three-on-one shorthanded rush that sailed just wide, sending MSU to the dressing room with a 1-0 lead.
MSU and Ohio State skated through most of the second period without making a dent on the scoreboard. Both goaltenders were keeping things tight, as both turned away quality chances and fending off point-blank shots. Late in the period, Matt Berry fought off a defender to carry the puck out from behind the net on the left side. He got a stick on it and fed Kevin Walrod at the left hash, and Walrod moved it over to Hayes at the bottom of the right circle. Hayes' shot found its mark, doubling the Spartan lead at 15:15. It was the junior's first tally of the year.
The Spartans added another goal at 1:39 of the third period, which closed out the scoring. Tanner Sorenson passed the puck across the slot for Trevor Nill, and the puck went off his skate and redirected into the back of the net. The play was whistled no goal by the on-ice official, but upon video review, it was ruled that the player [Nill] was in the act of stopping, which meant the goal was a good one for the Spartans. The assist to Sorenson was the first collegiate point for the freshman winger.
NOTES: MSU's last three victories over Ohio State have been shutouts ... Drew Palmisano has recorded two straight shutouts over the Buckeyes. The last goal he allowed to OSU was the overtime game-winner in the first of two games at Munn last November ... Tanner Sorenson's third-period assist on Trevor Nill's goal was his first collegiate point. He is the second freshman to record a point this season; Matt Berry had his second assist of the season after scoring his first collegiate point in his first collegiate game last Friday at Lake Superior ... Tim Buttery played in his 100th career game tonight ...
