Spartans Back in Action This Week at WMU

11/10/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey

Nov. 10, 2011

Michigan State at No. 5/6 Western Michigan
Dates	Fri-Sat., , Nov. . 11-12
Game Times	7:05 p.m.
Location	Kalamazoo, Mich.; Lawson Ice Arena (Cap. 3,667; 200x85)
Televison	(S) Comcast Digital Ch. 901 in mid-Michigan
Radio	(F) WVFN 730 AM \| (S) WJIM 1240 AM
Tickets	Ticket Info
Game Notes	Download PDF
Internet Coverage	WMU Video Stream \| Live Audio \| National Scoreboard
Social Media	@MSU_Hockey \| Facebook
Press Conference Audio	Tom \| Torey \| Trevor \| Anthony

STORYLINE
MSU comes off a bye week and heads to Kalamazoo this Friday to tangle with Western Michigan in a two-game set.
MEDIA DARLINGS
On the radio, all games will be carried by the Spartan Sports Network. Friday's game will be available on WVFN 730 AM, while Saturday's tilt will air on WJIM 1240 AM. Scott Moore and Rob Woodward are in their seventh season together on the call of Spartan hockey.
Saturday's game will be shown on Comcast, channel 901 in the mid-Michigan area.
Live audio on the internet can be found at www.spartansportsnetwork.com, while a live video stream will be available via the All-Access player on MSUSpartans.com. This is a subscription service, with single-game, monthly, and annual rates available.
SERIES HISTORY
The Spartans are 61-29-8 all-time against the Broncos, but the series is much closer at Lawson Ice Arena, where MSU holds a slim 23-22-2 record. The Spartans were unbeaten in the previous six meetings with WMU (5-0-1) before the Broncos swept a two-game set at Lawson last year in the first weekend in November.
A PEEK AT THE BRONCOS
The Broncos are No. 5/6 in this week's national polls with a 6-1-3 record, and lost their first game of the year last Saturday when they fell, 5-2, at Michigan. Prior to the split with the Wolverines, WMU swept their series with Alabama-Huntsville and Northern Michigan, beat and tied Alaska, and skated to a pair of ties in the non-league set at Union.
First-year coach Andy Murray takes over the WMU program after Jeff Blashill helped reverse the fortunes of the program before departing for an assistant coaching position with the Detroit Red Wings.
Sophomore Chase Balisy and Shane Berschbach are tied with junior Dane Walters for the team lead in goals (4), and Balisy leads the team in assists (8) and points (12) as well. Every skater who has played in at least three of the team's 10 games has at least a point on the season.
In net, WMU has split its time between freshman Frank Slubowski and junior Nick Pisellini. Pisellini owns a 3-0-2 record, boasting a 1.75 GAA and .934 save percentage. The first-ear Slubowski has recorded a 1.98 GAA and .892 save percentage.
On special teams, WMU has connected on six of 48 man-advantage chances, (.125), but killed off 38 of 44 chances against (.864).
INJURY REPORTS
The Spartans had a difficult off-week, as freshman Branden Carney sustained a serious neck injury in practice last Thursday. Carney has feeling, movement, and strength in all extremities, but remains under the care of neurosurgeon Dr. Charles Bill. Carney will not return this season.
In addition, the Spartans had two players suffer injuries in the Robert Morris series that will keep them out of action this weekend: junior Dean Chelios (upper body injury) and freshman Justin Hoomaian (leg injury). Chelios' return is targeted for later in the month, while Hoomaian is out likely through December.
On Oct. 25, coach Tom Anastos announced that junior Zach Golembiewski had decided to end his competitive hockey career on the advice of medical professionals. Golembiewski, a winger, had appeared in 56 career games, but was advised to end his hockey career after the discovery of an underlying issue that was hindering the improvement after a back injury.
MAIDEN VOYAGE
Former Spartan skater (1982-85) and assistant coach Tom Anastos takes the reigns of the MSU hockey program for the 2011-12 season, becoming just the sixth head coach in program history. Anastos spent the previous 13 seasons as the commissioner of the CCHA.
Anastos is one of nine new head coaches around college hockey in 2011-12, not including Penn State (which will begin play next season with Guy Gadowsky at the helm).
Of those nine new coaches, Anastos is one of the three that faced (or will face) a ranked team in his coaching debut with his new team. Providence's Nate Leaman's maiden voyage was a win over No. 17 Boston University, while Princeton's Bob Prier skated to a 2-2 tie with then-No. 3/6 Yale.
THIS WEEK'S POPULARITY CONTEST
Michigan State was not included in the USA Hockey/USA Today poll, but did receive votes in the USCHO.com survey.
preseason prognostications
The CCHA's annual preseason polls were released on Sept. 28, and MSU was selected eighth in the coaches poll and sixth in the survey of the league's media. For just the second time in six years, the coaches and media agree on who should be No. 1, as Notre Dame received enough points from the conference's 11 head coaches and 72 media members to be named the preseason favorite in both polls.
STICKING IT OUT FOUR YEARS
MSU has 10 seniors on the roster this season, the largest senior class since the 1977-78 campaign under Amo Bessone, which also boasted 10.
NON-CONFERENCE
In the Rick Comley era, the Spartans owned a 42-32-7 record in games against non-conference teams. (This includes regular-season, tournament, and NCAA Tournament games). Last year, MSU went 4-2-2 against non-conference teams, and is currently 3-1-0 this season.
MSU's 2011-12 schedule has a three games against WCHA competition (two against Minnesota, and against MIchigan Tech in the GLI) in addition to a possible two with Hockey East entry Boston College - in addition to the season opener, BC is the fourth team in the GLI, and will play Michigan in the first round. The Spartans also will have a two-game set against Robert Morris at Munn, and one against Air Force for three games against Atlantic Hockey.
WE'LL PLAY THE BEST
In 2010-11, MSU went 7-9-2 against ranked opponents, but was an impressive 4-1-2 against teams ranked in the top 10 at the time of the game. The only loss against a top-10 opponent was MSU's 4-0 loss to Michigan at Yost Ice Arena.
This season, MSU will play 21 games against eight teams in this week's USA Today Top 15 poll.
SEARCHING FOR STABILITY
Last year, the Spartans employed 60 different forward line combinations in search of consistent scoring. Through eight games, there have been 14 different combinations this season.
MSU's most productive lines (and most used) is the trio of Dean Chelios, Lee Reimer, and Greg Wolfe, who had a combined 8-9-17 scoring line (-2) in seven games. When Chelios got hurt in the first game of the RMU series, he was replaced on the wing by Mike Merrifield - and with Reimer and Wolfe, they produced 5-8-13 (+15) in the Saturday game against the Colonials.
On defense, MSU has used the same three pairings for each of the eight games.
SHOOTING GALLERY
MSU outshot its opponents in just 14 of 38 games last season, including holding its opponents to 20 shots or less four times. MSU has been outshot this season in four of eight games, and overall, MSU is -9 in total shots.
SPECIALS
The MSU penalty kill was 12-of-13 against Ohio State, then went a combined 12-for-14 against Robert Morris. On the season, MSU is now 33-for-37 (.892) on the penalty kill, which is fourth in the CCHA and 11th nationally.
On the man advantage, MSU is 7-for-36 (19.4%), good for fifth in the CCHA.
BROOMS
Michigan State was swept for the first time this season on the road at Lake Superior (Oct. 14-15). Two weeks later, MSU registered it's first sweep of the year against Robert Morris. In 2010-11, MSU recorded its first and only sweep of the season in the final regular-season weekend against Bowling Green.
FREE HOCKEY
MSU picked up its first overtime win in its first try of the year. MSU's last overtime win came against Michigan at Munn Ice Arena last year; it was MSU's only OT win in nine tries last season (1-4-4) MSU is now 4-4-10 in overtime games dating back to the start of the 2009-10 season.
A GOOD SIGN
MSU scored first in both its games against Ohio State (Oct. 20-21) - something it was not able to do in its first four games, and also did in the first game against RMU.
In 2010-11, the Spartans were 14- 5- 3 when scoring the first goal, and an alarming 1-14- 1 when letting its opponent score first.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Through eight games, there are 20 skaters who have appeared in four games or more. Of those 20 players, 16 have at least one point, and 13 have at least a goal.
OFFENSE AWAKENING
This season, MSU has not scored less than twice in any game. Last season, MSU was shut out five times and scored once in five other games. Currently, MSU is third in the CCHA, averaging 3.38 goals per game.
LEADERSHIP
Junior defenseman Torey Krug is the fifth player in MSU history to wear the captain's "C" on his jersey for two seasons. Last year, he was the program's first solo captain as a sophomore in team history. The alternate captains are senior Trevor Nill and junior Anthony Hayes. Nill is in his second season as an alternate captain, while this is the first captain's role for Hayes at MSU.
CONFERENCE HONORS
Michigan State sophomore Lee Reimer was named the CCHA Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 31.
Reimer had a hat trick and a five-point night in Saturday's win over Robert Morris (6-2), which came on the heels of a two-assist effort in Friday's 5-2 victory. Reimer's seven-point, +7 effort is far and away his career best for a single weekend's offensive output. Reimer and his linemates combined for nine goals and 14 assists (23 points) on the weekend, and were a +22.
FROM GOAT TO HERO
Sophomore Lee Reimer had a tough start to his 2011-12 season, as he was whistled for a major penalty and game misconduct in the second period against Boston College, ending his night after just 25 minutes of play.
Reimer rebounded the next night with his first multiple-goal game in an MSU uniform with a pair of tallies an an assist against Air Force. Reimer had a hat trick and a five-point night in the Saturday win over Robert Morris (6-2), which came on the heels of a two-assist effort in Friday's 5-2 victory. The seven-point weekend was the best single-weekend output of his career.
SCORING OUTBURSTS
MSU's 11-goal output against Robert Morris on Oct. 28-29 was a big weekend for many players.
Greg Wolfe had his first career two-goal game on Friday vs. RMU, then on Saturday had his first career four-point night, and MSU's first four-assist effort since Bryan Lerg did it in a Oct. 24, 2005 game at Cornell.
Lee Reimer's five points in the Saturday game was the first five-point effort for a Spartan since Jim Slater had five in a 7-3 win over Western Michigan on Oct. 25, 2003.
Mike Merrifield had three goals in the two games, and his four-point effort in the Saturday game was a career high. Merrifield and Reimer were the first Spartan teammates to each have at least two goals in the same game since Jan. 4, 2008 at Lake Superior State (Tim Crowder and Mike Ratchuk).
Wolfe and Reimer played with Dean Chelios in the Friday contest, who was replaced on that line by Merrifield (due to an injury to Chelios) on Saturday. In the two games, the four players combined for 9-14-23 (+22).
MAD HATTERS
Lee Reimer's hat trick against Robert Morris on Oct. 29 was the first of the season for the Spartans, and the first since Torey Krug scored three times in a 4-3 overtime victory over Michigan at Munn last January. They are the only two active players with hat tricks.
SOPHOMORE SUPERLATIVES
With 10 points, Greg Wolfe is ready to eclipse his freshman year total of 11 points. Lee Reimer had a 2-5-7 line last year, and with his five-point night on Oct. 29 against RMU (oct. 29), he almost eclipsed it in one game. On the year, he is now at 5-6-11 on the season.
FIRST OF MANY
Trevor Nill's goal against Boston College was his first tally since Oct. 22, 2010 against Alaska. He added a second goal in last Thursday's game against Ohio State, the earliest in the season he's had two goals in his career.
TWO FOR THE WALL
Junior Kevin Walrod had both scores in MSU's Oct. 21 loss to the Buckeyes. It was Walrod's second career two-goal game, the first coming last December against Michigan Tech.
With five career goals, Walrod has two career two-goal efforts. The first came last season against Michgian Tech in the Great Lakes Invitational.
POWER SOURCE
On the man advantage, MSU is 5-for-26 (19.2%) so far this season, good for third in the CCHA. Of those five power play goals, both Torey Krug and Brett Perlini have points on three of those markers.
AT THE DOT
Lee Reimer has been MSU's top faceoff man, with 87 wins and 60 losses (.592). Breett Perlini is at an even 50%, winning 88 of 176.
BLOCK PARTY
Torey Krug and Brett Shelgren, who have been MSU's top defensive pair in all eight games, have a combined 43 blocked shots this season, ranking first and second individually (Krug has 22, Shelgren 21). Tim Buttery has 18 blocks, and the team has a total of 119.
BERRY FRESH
Freshman Matt Berry has had points in four of his six games played this season, and he recorded his first collegiate goal on Oct. 29 vs. Robert Morris.
BLANK SHEETS
Drew Palmisano's Oct. 20 shutout of Ohio State was his second straight over the Buckeyes. Alex Szczechura's second-period goal in the second game of the series snapped Palmisano's personal shutout streak of 145:01 against Ohio State, dating back to last season. Palmisano owns four career shutouts: the two of OSU, one of Nebraska-Omaha, and one of Michigan.
ONE, TWO, OR BOTH?
Head Coach Tom Anastos has been asked several times whether he will pick one of the team's goaltenders as his primary starter, or employ a platoon.
Drew Palmisano made 30 saves against the aggressive, talented Boston College offense. He now has 23 games at MSU with 30+ saves. Palmisano has played five of MSU's eight games, and owns a 2.82 GAA and .901 save percentage.
Will Yanakeff overcame a tough early goal to post a victory in overtime over Air Force behind 26 saves. He made three critical stops in the third period to keep the game deadlocked , leading to the overtime heroics of Lee Reimer. In three games, he has an .894 save percentage and 3.00 GAA.
Anastos has maintained that he does not have a philosophy on playing one steady starter vs. a platoon system, and that the play of the netminders during the week and the previous games will determine who gets the nod for the time being.
CELEBRATION OF A CENTURY
Tim Buttery played in his 100th career game against Ohio State on Oct. 20, becoming the second player to reach that milestone this season and the fourth overall on the team. Brock Shelgren (107 games) reached the milestone in the season opener vs. Boston College; Daultan Leveille (118) and Matt Crandell (116) registered their 100th last season.
Next likely to reach that plateau is Trevor Nill (97 games) and Brett Perlini (92).
FIFTY'S NIFTY
Senior Brett Perlini had a goal and two assists on Oct. 14, pushing him to the 50-point plateau. Junior blueliner Torey Krug surpassed the 50-point mark with a goal and an assist in the same game - he now has a 16-38-54 scoring line in just over two seasons. Krug is the team's second-leading active career scorer - only Daultan Leveille (23-39-62) is ahead of him.
CONSISTENT EFFORTS
Greg Wolfe has points in five of MSU's eight games this season, a best for the team. Brett Perlini, Torey Krug, and Matt Berry all have points in four of eight games.
MERRI-LY, HE'S BACK
Senior Mike Merrifield made his season debut in the Ohio State series after an injury kept him out of MSU's exhibition and first four games of the season. He had six points in the Robert Morris series.
GIVING BACK - WITH CLASS
MSU senior alternate captain Trevor Nill is a nominee for the BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award for the second consecutive year.
He is a dedicated student, with a 3.4 cumulative grade-point average as a mechanical engineering major. Last spring, he was among the finalists for Hockey Humanitarian in addition to taking home the CCHA's Ilitch Humanitarian Award.
Nill carved out a significant amount of time to give back to his campus and community in East Lansing. He has been the hockey program's representative for SAAC for three years, and this year, he is serving as the group's president. He is also the vice-president of the MSU chapter of Athletes In Action. Nill has volunteered his time to a wide-spanning list of community service initiatives undertaken by the team. He has never turned down a request to be involved in things like Relay for Life, Children's Miracle Network, March is Reading Month, or programs for the local Big Brothers/Big Sisters chapter.
Nill is an extremely kind and compassionate young man, and there is no further evidence needed than his dedication to children in the local Lansing area. He has been actively involved in Spartan Buddies, visiting children in Sparrow Hospital's pediatric ward. He also is the annual leader during MSU Athletics' "Teams for Toys" initiative, where the hockey team adopts a local needy family for the holidays. He has also worked extensively with hockey ministries camp, volunteered his time with Camp Kesem (for children with parents battling cancer), and volunteered with the Detroit Red Wings Clark Park event in conjunction with Family Day in Detroit.
GOALIE U
Since the 1980-81 season, all but one Spartan starting goaltender has earned all-league honors at one point in their career. (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.
UNCOMMON PATH
Freshman Tanner Sorenson is a rare species in college hockey - the player who enters college directly after playing for his high school team. Sorenson played for Shattuck St. Mary's, winning a 18-U Tier I National Championship in 2011. Since the 1991-92 season, Sorenson is just the third MSU player to skate for his high school team in the season before enrolling at MSU - Brian Clifford (1991-95) and Chris Mueller (2004-08) both played for the Nichols School in their hometown of Buffalo. Both Clifford and Mueller also played a split season, playing for both their high school and the local AAA team during their senior years. Sorenson played solely for Shattuck last year.
PRO ASPIRATIONS
MSU had 11 former skaters on 2011 opening-night rosters in the National Hockey League; Ryan Miller (Buffalo), Drew Miller and Justin Abdelkader (Detroit), David Booth and Mike Weaver (Florida). Jim Slater (Winnipeg), Shawn Horcoff, Jeff Petry and Corey Potter (Edmonton), Duncan Keith (Chicago), Adam Hall (Tampa).
CH-CH-CH-CH-CH-CHANGES
Since opening night, Jeff Petry was sent down to Edmonton's AHL Affiliate, Oklahoma City, and has since been recalled, while Tim Kennedy was recalled by Florida from San Antonio. Kennedy's arrival with the Panthers came days before Florida shipped David Booth to Vancouver in a trade. Most recently, Corey Tropp made his NHL debut for the Buffalo Sabres, and scored his first goal in the NHL against the Winnipeg Jets.
NEXT UP
The Spartans remain on the road for the second straight week, traveling to Northern Michigan for a CCHA series next weekend. The Spartans return home the weekend after Thanksgiving, hosting current No. 1 Minnesota.