Neil's Notebook: Minney Impresses in Debut
11/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
By Neil Koepke
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
EAST LANSING -- Two months into his second season, Michigan State goaltender Ed Minney finally made his debut in a regular season game.
But he didn't have much time to think about the challenge he was about to face against Michigan Tech on Sunday at Munn Arena.
Minney, 19, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound redshirt sophomore from Wind Gap, Pa., was watching his 52nd straight game from the end of the Spartan bench when he got the nod from coach Tom Anastos early in the first period that he was taking over for senior Jake Hildebrand.
Just 7:22 into the game, Michigan Tech had just taken a 2-1 lead with a long shot goal on Hildebrand and Anastos felt a change was necessary.
Minney went in, made six saves the rest of the period, six more in the second and was on the verge of being named the game's No. 1 star when the Huskies mounted a late, two-goal comeback and held MSU to a 4-4 tie.
Minney, who arguably deserved a better fate, made 16 saves in the third period and six more in the overtime to keep the Spartans from suffering their second straight overtime loss.
"I was a little nervous because I haven't played in a while but I felt really good in practice the last couple of weeks,'' he said. "I had a lot of confidence going on.
"I got a couple shots right off the bat and that helped me settle in and I felt good throughout the game.''
Minney had a couple close calls while handling the puck behind the net but looked sharp in facing shots from all over, and he was quick to pounce on loose pucks around the net.
"When I wasn't there, my team was right there behind me to help me out,'' he said. "That really helped me settle in. I know one guy (Justin Hoomaian) stopped one right on the goal line in the second period.''
About eight minutes after Minney took his spot in the net, the Spartans tied it 2-2 on Mike Ferrantino's goal at 15:34. MSU took a 3-2 lead on a 5-on-3 power-play goal by Mackenzie MacEachern at 11:39 of the second period and went up 4-2 on Brennan Sanford's goal just 1:44 into the third period.
Minney shut out the Huskies for 48 minutes and 45 seconds. Finally, Tech got the puck past Minney at 16:08 of the third period as Tyler Heinonen scored from the edge of the crease to cut MSU's lead to 4-2.
Three minutes later, with Tech goalie Jamie Phillips off for a sixth attacker, the Huskies swarmed into the MSU zone, got the puck to the net and Malcom Gould scored to tie it 4-4 and stun most of the 5,205 fans, who were sensing a victory for MSU and Minney.
"They're a hard-working team and they bring everyone to the net and throw pucks at the net,'' Minney said. "They made some plays, had a couple of good bounces and put the puck in the net.''
On Saturday, in the series opener, MSU held a 4-3 lead through the third period but the resilient Huskies tied it with 1:40 to go and then won it 5-4 with 41.8 seconds left in overtime.
MSU got outshot 6-2 in overtime on Sunday but Minney and some good puck luck helped the Spartans avoid another punch-to-the-gut ending.
"It was one of those games where I felt all situations,'' said Minney, who grew up in the state of Georgia before moving to northeast Pennsylvania. "We got a goal right after I went in and that really helped. It was just like the start of a game.
"Then we got the lead and it was cool to go through the ups and downs.''
It would have been a lot cooler, of course, if there hadn't been the two late "downs."
But Minney handled things well and earned praise from his teammates and coaches.
"From the moment he went in, he was focused, he was under control and played with good poise,'' Anastos said. "His team rallied around him.
"I thought he played well throughout, but unfortunately, as the game played out, that first goal (in the third period) gave them a boost of momentum and it sent us on our heels.''
Anastos said he had planned to give Minney a start in the nonconference part of the season, but for various reasons, he felt he need to continue to play Hildebrand.
"We came into the season trying to figure out when we were going to give Ed an opportunity to play and we had a couple of dates on the calendar circled as potential dates,'' Anastos said.
"The first one had come and gone and this game was one we looked at to give him some game experience.
"I went back and forth as to whether to start him today. I just decided to let Hildy play and let him work through some things. When that second goal went in, I just said `let's do it. Let's do it, right now.''
Hildebrand didn't look as sharp and in sync as he usually does in Saturday's 5-4 overtime loss. After Tech made it 2-0, the Spartan coach thought Hildebrand could use the break and the team might get boost from playing in front of a goalie who has been extremely patient in waiting for his first opportunity to play.
"Hildy was great. He was as supportive as anybody on the bench in cheering Ed on,'' Anastos said. "I just want him to be able to put stuff behind him, not put too much pressure on himself.
"I'm very confident Hildy will do what he's capable of doing and play at a high level for us.''
A SHOOTOUT FOR FUN: After overtime, the teams played a shootout for entertainment purposes only. And maybe for MSU to practice shootout situations that will likely occur in Big Ten games. Michigan Tech does not play shootouts after overtime in the WCHA.
The Spartans and Minney looked great in the shootout, winning 2-0 on crowd-pleasing goals by Joe Cox and freshman Cody Milan, while Minney made excellent saves on two of Michigan Tech's best players -- Heinonen and Alex Petan.
"I really liked how Ed competed in the shootout. It was just one-on-one out there,'' Anastos said. "It was great to get Ed some game experiences. That will be confidence boost for him and help development. You never know when you need to put someone in.''
Minney's last competitive game -- other than appearances in Green and White and exhibition games -- was for the U.S. National Team Development Program's U-18 team in 2014. He spent two seasons at the NTDP in Ann Arbor.
Minney said success in Sunday's shootout was a bright spot after the disappointment of giving up another lead.
"It's a confidence boost for me and the team,'' he said. "Although it doesn't count, it feels a lot better coming into the locker room after a winning the shootout than not winning it.''
GOOD TIE? BAD TIE? Some ties can feel like wins, some can feel likes losses.
MSU's 4-4 deadlock with Michigan Tech on Sunday felt like a loss, because it was the second straight game in which the Spartans had an apparent victory snatched away late in the third period.
"You have to win these games. You can't let them slip away,'' MSU captain Mike Ferrantino said. "It's disappointing. Hopefully, we won't put ourselves in a spot later in the season when we look back and say `what if.'''
A week ago, the Spartans rallied from a 4-1 deficit to pull into a 4-4 tie late in the third period at Boston College. If that game ends in a tie, it would have been a good one for MSU. Instead, the Spartans gave up a late power-play goal and ended up losing, 6-4.
If Michigan State had tied the Huskies 4-4 on Saturday, that would have been a bad tie, but better than the loss it turned out to be.
"Saturday's (game) was a tough one. But I liked how we bounced back. We came out and played hard and played pretty well most of today's game,'' Ferrantino said. "We just have to learn how to close out games. Maybe we have to change our mindset a little and stay on the attack late in games.''
The Spartans were victimized by their own mistakes and some bizarre goals at crucial times in both games against Michigan Tech.
"They came down into our zone and threw the puck out front and it went off three things and found a way into the net,'' Ferrantino said of the Huskies' third goal on Sunday. "It was that kind of weekend. There were some weird goals. The game didn't like us this weekend.''
NO FINISHING TOUCH: For the second straight game, the Spartans on Sunday looked like they were in control in the third period and on the verge of a much-needed victory. But again, it didn't happen.
Michigan Tech found itself facing a bigger challenge than it did on Saturday --down by two goals with five minutes left instead of one. The Huskies played with desperation, winning races to loose pucks and battles to gain possession and the Spartans didn't react to the pressure.
MSU's 4-2 lead got wiped out by Tech goals at 16:07 and 19:09, and the Huskies carried the momentum into overtime and came close to winning it.
"We did a lot of good things tonight but we haven't found a way to finish the deal,'' MSU coach Tom Anastos said. "Two nights in a row, we give up leads by giving up late goals. We have to build some confidence dealing with that so we can close the deal.
"We didn't change anything tonight. We didn't tell the guys to go into a defensive mode or to lay off and yet that started to happen. We need to continue to play in a way that keeps you hungry to get that next goal --to get the fifth goal. We need to protect the lead by playing to win.''
WOOD GETS FIRST POINT: Redshirt sophomore center Connor Wood has earned a spot on the Spartans' fourth line -- the energy line -- with senior Justin Hoomaian and freshman Brennan Sanford -- and they've played very well in their role all season.
On Sunday, Wood collected his first collegiate point with a nifty assist with a blind, backhand pass from the right corner into the slot, where Sanford steadied the puck and fired it past goalie Jamie Phillips early in the third period. The goal gave MSU a 4-2 lead.
"Hoomaian was actually screaming. I heard his voice and oddly enough, it was Sanford who got it on his stick,'' Wood said. "I got in on the forecheck and heard Hoomy yelling and put it on Sandy's stick and he buried it.''
"It was good to see the puck go in the net for us. I think our line has been stringing some good games together the last couple of weeks. To get a result like that is a great reward.''
Wood, a 5-10, 164-pound forward from Bloomfield Hills, appeared in 29 games last season but didn't see a lot of regular playing time. With three freshman forwards coming in, Wood knew he'd have to work hard and make an impact to earn a spot in the lineup.
"I think this might be even more than I expected. The competition is strong,'' Wood said. "I think with more success comes more playing time.''
Coach Tom Anastos says he's been impressed with the Sanford-Wood-Hoomaian line.
"I thought the Wood line was really good for us. Wood made a heck of a play and Sanford made a heck of a play -- the way he cradled around the puck and adjusted his body to be able to snap it so quickly on his forehand,'' Anastos said.
"Their line was good both nights. I wish I had gotten them on the ice a little more on Saturday.
"Connor Wood has played pretty good hockey lately. Those guys play hard and they've developed a little bit of chemistry and they've taken pride in embracing their identity as an energy line.
"It's an energy line that's not running around and banging into people but one that's creating zone possession time, creating scoring chances.''
UP NEXT: The Spartans face their third consecutive weekend of facing a top 20 team as they play host to North Dakota at 7 p.m. on Friday and 3 p.m. on Sunday at Munn Arena.
UND (10-2-2, 5-1), ranked No. 4 last week, is coming off a split at No. 7 St. Cloud State (9-3, 5-1). It won 4-3 on Friday and lost 6-1 on Saturday in a National Collegiate Hockey Conference series.
After years of controversy, North Dakota dropped its well-known nickname of "Fighting Sioux" in June, 2012.
Last week, the school officially adopted "Fighting Hawks" as its new nickname. A new logo is being developed and will be announced next spring or summer.
In the Big Ten this weekend, Michigan is home against Dartmouth on Friday and Saturday, Ohio State is at No. 6 Omaha, also on Friday and Saturday, Minnesota plays host to St. Cloud on Friday and Sunday afternoon, and Penn State plays a single game against Vermont on Sunday in Philadelphia.
Wisconsin has the weekend off.
