Michigan State University
Northern Michigan
Spartans Tame Wildcats, 3-2
12/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Dec. 8, 2006
East Lansing, Mich. - Michigan State withstood a wild final minute of play and emerged with a 3-2 victory at Northern Michigan on Friday evening. Chris Mueller had a pair of goals - the second time he's accomplished that feat in three games - as the Spartans improve to 8-7-1 overall, and are 6-5-1 in CCHA play, while the Wildcats fall to 7-9-2, 4-6-1 in conference action.
"I thought we fought hard tonight - they had a lot of jump early, and I thought we handled it," noted head coach Rick Comley after the contest. "It was a game where there was a lot of special teams play,and we had to kill a lot of penalties. Overall, I think it was a good road win."
The two teams engaged in a physical battle from the first drop of the puck, as the teams skated on a combined seven power plays in the opening frame. MSU got on the board as the final penalty of the period - a roughing call against Jim McKenzie - expired. McKenzie corralled the puck as he stepped out of the penalty box, and sprung Mueller out of the neutral zone. Mueller was draped by a defender, and pulled up at the top of the right circle to pass off to a trailing Bryan Lerg. Lerg stopped at the hash and put the puck back on the stick of Mueller, who beat goaltender Bill Zaniboni at the near post for a Spartan lead at the 19:24 mark of the first frame.
The Spartans added to their lead at 8:02, as Chris Muller converted on his first career penalty shot attempt. Skating shorthanded, the winger picked up the puck on the MSU blue line and went into the zone with a defender on his hip, and was hauled down in the high slot. His penalty shot attempt clanged off the crossbar and the official signaled no goal, but the puck - still in play - caromed off of Zaniboni's back and fluttered to the ice and across the goal line for a 2-0 Michigan State lead. It was Mueller's seventh tally of the year, and second of the night.
Jeff Lerg stoned Darin Olver on a breakaway attempt late in the second period to frustrate the winger and keep his shutout hopes alive. The sophomore made 15 saves over the first two periods, and kept the home team off the board until the 12:32 mark of the final frame, when Pat Bateman put back a rebound past Lerg stick-side for his third goal of the season and cut the lead in half.
Furious rushes and opportunities at both end kept things exciting over the final stretch, but Northern was forced to pull Zaniboni over the final stretch for an extra skater. Justin Abdelkader put an empty-net goal on the board with just over 40 seconds remaining for a 3-1 lead, but was assessed a slashing penalty to put the Wildcats on the power play for the final 40 seconds. Brandon Gentile was whistled for a double minor with 20 seconds on the clock, which put the Wildcats skating six-on-three. They capitalized almost immediately, as Matt Maunu faked out a defender and beat Jeff Lerg over his left shoulder at 19:58. Northern took its time out, but could not gain an equalizer with so little time on the clock.
Jeff Lerg made 21 saves in the victory, while Zaniboni made 20 stops.
The two teams face off once again on Saturday evening in a 7:35 start.
NOTES: Michigan State is now 7-0-1 when leading after two periods and 4-1-1 in the first game of a CCHA set this season .. Mueller had his second multiple-goal effort in three games ... The penalty shot was the first for the Spartans since Bryan Lerg scored on his attempt on Dec. 2, 2005 against Bowling Green ... It was Rick Comley's 99th victory as the head coach at Michigan State.
