Spartans Win Sixth Straight, 3-2

Feb. 23, 2006

Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. - Michigan State got goals from three different skaters while freshman Jeff Lerg earned first star honors with 28 saves as the Spartans defeated Lake Superior, 3-2. on Thursday night in Sault Ste. Marie. MSU gets its 20th victory overall on the season (20-10-7), and needs just one point (or Ferris State taking at least one point from Michigan in a home-and-home this weekend) to secure a second-place finish in the CCHA standings; Lake Superior falls to 15-12-6, 11-12-4 in conference action. Michigan State enters the Saturday regular-season finale with a league record of 14-7-6.

"Mentally,we knew that this game would be tough - We were coming off a big sweep of Miami, and this is a Lake State team which lost two last weekend and wanted to finish strong at home," noted head coach Rick Comley, who has seen his team stand strong in close games over the last month. "They got a lot of shots on the power play, but Jeff Lerg kept coming up big for us. I thought that we got better as game went on."

The Spartans wasted little time in asserting themselves, getting on the board with their first shot on net. With goaltender Jeff Lerg headed to the bench on a delayed penalty against the Lakers, Ethan Graham's shot from the point was deflected in front by Chris Mueller, whose deflection found its way past Jeff Jakaitis for the sophomore's ninth goal of the season.

Not to be shown up on senior night, the Lakers came alive to throw 11 shots on net - all coming while skating on a power play - over the balance of the period, and held the visitors to just three total in the frame. Jeff Lerg was up to the task, kicking away each of the Laker offerings to preserve the Spartan lead and sent the squads into the dressing room with MSU holding the one-goal edge.

Michigan State was whistled for three penalties over the first 10 minutes of the second period, which helped the Lakers gain the equalizing tally at 6:40. The Lakers were on a four-on-three when Alex Dunn sent the puck netward and Trent Campbell was able to redirect it past Jeff Lerg to knot the score at one.

The tie ballgame lasted only six minutes, as MSU struck for two quick goals just seconds apart to push a 3-1 lead onto the scoreboard. The first of the two tallies came at 12:12, when the Spartans were on just their second power play chance of the night. Blueliner Tyler Howells let loose a rocket from the left point, which was saved by Jakaitis; the rebound, however, came right to the stick of Bryan Lerg in the right faceoff circle, and he had a yawning right side of the net into which he deposited his team-best 13th goal of the season. The Spartans doubled the margin just 20 seconds later when back to full strength when Drew Miller's shot from the high slot went off the post then snuck behind Jakaitis for the junior captain's 12th goal of the season.

The Lakers refused to roll over, and came within a goal with less than six minutes to go in the final frame. MSU was on the power play when Nathan Ward was able to break in with a feed from Campbell and lifted a shot over the shoulder of Lerg for his seventh goal of the season, and the fifth shorthanded tally that MSU has allowed this season.

The host school would press for an equalizer, but Jeff Lerg made 10 third-period stops to record his 12th victory of the season. The Spartans were whistled for eight penalties on the night, and 13 of Lake State's 30 shots on net came while on the power play.

The two schools meet again on Saturday at 2:05 pm at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.