Michigan State University
Michigan
Wolverines Exact Revenge, 6-2
11/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 4, 2006
Ann Arbor, Mich. - Tim Kennedy scored twice for Michigan State, but Michigan used a four-goal second period to post a 6-2 victory over the Spartans on Saturday evening at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor. Kevin Porter had two goals and two assists to propel the Wolverines to the victory, Michigan's first in the last ten tries in the rivalry. Michigan State, who scored four goals in the second period of a 7-4 victory at Munn on Friday, falls to 4-2-0 overall and 2-2 in the CCHA, while the Wolverines improve to 5-3-0 and are an identical 2-2 in conference play.
"One of the toughest things to do in this league is get a sweep," noted head coach Rick Comley, who saw his team get the big victory the previous evening, a 7-4 win at Munn where the Spartans scored four times in the middle frame. "I think we showed this weekend that we're still a work in progress, and keep aiming to get better each week, each game. On the weekend, I thought we showed some good things, but we also saw some things that we need to address."
It took just 17 seconds for the home team to get on the board, as Kevin Porter turned the play at the checkered red and moved up the left wing on a two-on-one break with TJ Hensick. Porter flipped the puck to Hensick across the high slot, and Hensick converted over the glove hand of Jeff Lerg for his fourth goal of the season.
Lerg saw considerable action in the early going, making four quality saves before the five-minute mark and keeping the Spartans in the contest as the Wolverine offense came in waves. Back-to back penalties against Chris Mueller and Nick Sucharski gave the home team a five-on-three advantage for 1:42, but Jeff Lerg and the penalty kill kept Michigan at bay.
The teams traded goals in the waning moments of the period to send Michigan into the locker room with a 2-1 first intermission advantage. The Spartans evened the game at one with a Kennedy tally at 17:49 - Tim Crowder and Wolverine Tim Cook were pinned against the back wall with the puck, and the trailing defender converged on the scrum. Crowder was able to pop the puck out to an unmolested Kennedy, who calmly came from behind the net with the puck and tucked it past the left leg pad of Billy Sauer for this third goal of the season. The tie was short-lived, as Kevin Porter wrested a shot past Lerg from right below the left hash mark 32 seconds later to regain the lead before the break.
The second frame was eerily similar to the previous night's action, with the home team putting four goals on the board in the middle frame to take a commanding lead. Michigan put its first of the period on the board with a shorthanded goal by Tim Miller at 5:42 of the middle frame, with Miller and Fardig picking up assists.
The Spartans got back in it shortly thereafter, with an extended period of five-on-three thanks to three consecutive penalties taken by Michigan. Kennedy struck at 6:33 for his second of the night as he victimized Sauer from the left side again, taking a feed from behind the net from Crowder and Tyler Howells.
Just after the midway point, the Wolverines had momentum on their side, picking up steam from a near-miss just before the eight-minute mark when David Rohlfs rung a hard shot off the right post. On their next rush into the Spartan zone, Andrew Cogliano had an outstanding individual effort coming up that same right side, as he held off the defender on his hip and buried his fourth goal of the season at 12:11. They took a three-goal lead at 14:55, when skating on the man advantage - TJ Hensick put a perfect pass from the left half-wall onto the tape of Porter in the right circle, and he one-timed his second goal of the night over the glove hand of Lerg.
Bobby Jarosz spelled Jeff Lerg for the third period, and made two stops in the first two minutes, which included the Spartans killing off the final 1:11 of a four-on-three power play carried over from the second frame. Jarosz finished his collegiate debut with eight saves in a period of work, while Lerg had 19 in 40 minutes. Billy Sauer made 34 saves for Michigan.
These two teams will meet again in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, November 21.
Michigan State returns to action on Tuesday, with a game against CCHA clustermate Ferris State on the docket. The two teams will face off at Munn Ice Arena at 7:05.
NOTES: Michigan's 33 shots on net were the most allowed by the Spartans, with the previous high being 23 ... Jay Sprague (five games), Bryan Lerg (four games), and Chris Mueller (three games) all saw scoring streaks halted ... Tim Kennedy had four points on the weekend (3-1-4), and recorded his first career two-goal game. He leads the team with a 4-5-9 scoring line, and shares the team lead in goals with classmate Nick Sucharski ... The Spartans' nine-game unbeaten streak (4-0-5) against its archrival came to an end.
