Michigan State University
Nebraska-Omaha
Fretters Heroics Lift State in OT, 4-3
1/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Jan. 20, 2006
OMAHA, Neb. - Senior Colton Fretter stripped a defenseman of the puck in the offensive zone and scored an unassisted tally at 1:43 of the overtime session to send Michigan State to its sixth straight victory, a 4-3 decision over Nebraska Omaha at the Qwest Center on Friday evening. Freshman netminder Jeff Lerg picked up his sixth straight victory, making a season-high 41 saves in the win. The Spartans improved to 14-8-5 overall and 8-5-4 in CCHA action, while UNO falls to 12-11-2 and 6-8-2.
"We maybe looked a little tired tonight, but I thought our kids never panicked, and got a hard-earned win in overtime," noted head coach Rick Comley after the game. "It is so important, particularly at this point of the season, to get points on the road. We got one win, and now its time to start focusing on getting another one tomorrow."
Fretter's overtime game-winner came with just under two minutes elapsed in the extra frame, as he stripped the defenseman and beat goaltender Jerad Kaufman in the lower left corner for his fourth game-winning goal of the season, second game-winner this week, and second of the year in overtime. It was his ninth goal of the season, which ties him for the team lead (with Bryan Lerg) in that category.
A wild first period found the two teams combining for 27 shots and the score knotted at two at the first intermission. MSU drew first blood just 2:39 into the game, as David Booth potted his sixth of the year while the Spartans were skating on the power play. Booth collected a Bryan Lerg (Livonia, Mich.) pass and snapped a wrister past Kaufman from the high slot. The host Mavericks took little time to respond, as Bill Bagron got his second of the season at 2:55, just 16 seconds after the Spartans got on the board.
MSU got back on the board to re-establish a lead at 6:52, as sophomore Chris Mueller, who missed Tuesday's game against Michigan due to a disqualification last Saturday against UAF, stationed himself on the left hash, gathered the rebound of an Ethan Graham (Xenia, Ohio) shot from the point, and fired a shot over the shoulder of Kaufman to put MSU back out in front.
Not to be denied, UNO's Adam Bartholomay drew the teams even again with just 19 seconds remaining in the period to send the teams into the dressing room in a 2-2 tie.
The Spartans got the better of an evenly played second period, and jumped back in front when Graham potted his second goal of the season. The play began with an rush down the wing boards by freshman Tim Kennedy (Buffalo, N.Y.), Kennedy's offering ricocheted over top of the goal to linemate Tim Crowder (Victoria, B.C.). Crowder found Graham alone at the side of the net and the junior beat a surprised Kaufman, who thought he had covered the puck after Kennedy's initial chance.
The only scoring in the third was for the home team, as UNO's Alex Nikiforuk poked a loose puck past a sprawling Jeff Lerg for his seventh of the season and the equalizer in the game. With under a minute to go in the game and the home team pushing for a late game-winner, the Spartan defense blocked three consecutive point-blank shots during an impressive UNO flurry, to preserve the 3-3 tie and force overtime sending the two squads into the extra session.
Jeff Lerg made a pair of impressive saves early on in the extra frame, denying a Bill Thomas breakaway with a dazzling glove save and matched that stop just seconds later, with a glove save on Bryan Marshall to to set the stage for Fretter's heroics.
Jeff Lerg made a career-best 41 saves in the victory, and has extended his personal (and team) winning streak to six games. Jarad Kaufmann made 26 saves in his 61:43 between the pipes. The two teams will meet again on Saturday evening at 8:05 eastern for the fourth and final meeting of the squads in the regular season.
* Michigan State head Coach Rick Comley celebrated his 59th birthday on Friday with a Spartan victory, while sophomore forward Bryan Lerg turned 20 years old on Friday as well.
* Also on Friday, junior captain Drew Miller was named one of seven finalists for the prestigious Hockey Humanitarian Award. Miller, who's creation of the Spartan Buddies program which pairs college athletes with terminally ill children is among his long list of civic and campus involvements, was also nominated as a sophomore. The winner will be announced on April 7 in conjunction with the Hobey Baker Memorial Award at the Frozen Four in Milwaukee.
* Spartan freshman Jeff Lerg surrendered 3 goals, marking the first time the rookie netminder has allowed multiple goals in an outing since a Dec. 9 tie at Alaska Fairbanks (4-4). Lerg allowed as many goals to the Mavericks on Friday evening as he had in the last five Spartan games combined, but made a career-best 41 saves to backstop MSU to the important CCHA victory. Prior to tonight's contest, Lerg had allowed just four goals in his last six appearances posting 132 saves on 136 shots, good for a .971 save percentage.
* Bryan Lerg is sixth in the CCHA in scoring with a 9-18-27 stat line. Drew Miller now shares the team lead (and fifth-place standing in the CCHA) in assists with Lerg, each with 18 on the season.
* Senior David Booth registered a point for the third straight game, when he beat UNO goaltender Jared Kauffman for the game's first goal at 2:39 of the first period. It was the fourth power-play tally of the year for Booth and the 12th of his career.
* Ethan Graham's second period goal was just his second of the season and the ninth of his career.
* Freshman Tim Kennedy and Tim Crowder combined to assist on Graham's goal. Michigan State's all-freshman third line (which also includes Justin Abdelkader) has now registered at least one point in six of eight games since Kennedy's return from an injury on Dec. 29.
* The Spartans were outshot by a 44-30 margin on Friday night, marking the first time MSU has failed to outshoot an opponent since its 3-0 win at Alaska Fairbanks on Dec. 10.
