Quotes: MSU vs. Notre Dame
2/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 4, 2006
Michigan State Spartans Hockey
Post-Game Quotes (Feb. 4, 2006)
MSU vs. Notre Dame
Notre Dame Head Coach Jeff Jackson
On the weekend series...
"It's always disappointing when you don't get a win. Our goal for the second half of the season has been to get points every weekend and this is the first week we haven't. I thought last night we didn't play well and tonight we played a much better game. Sometimes our depth gets in the way. Toward the end we had some guys who were tired. I was pretty pleased with our effort tonight because we did a much better job of executing our game plan."
On the pace of the game...
"I'd much rather play an up-tempo style, but you have to play a game that's going to give you a chance to win."
On the play of David Brown...
"He's been great for us the past few weeks. When we get goaltending like that and we don't pull off the win, it's a chance wasted."
On his impressions of Michigan State...
"I said going into the weekend that from what I saw on film, next to Miami they play as well as anybody in the league. They're playing a real sound defensive game and getting good goaltending. It's really tough to score on them."
Head Coach Rick Comley
Overall thoughts on the weekend and the game...
"It was a great weekend, we got four points, but it was tough. We played with a lot more energy last night, but I thought they played well. He has them playing well though. They are on the rise and are tough in their own zone. We hit four posts I think. We just couldn't get the darn thing in. But like last night, we got a big goal late. In this league, and point is a good point, I don't care how you get it."
"We had a lot of guys who had to play a lot tonight. I thought Jeff Lerg played very well again, and we killed penalties well."
On Notre Dame...
"They make it tough for you to use your skill and speed. But I thought we were tired tonight, and we still found a way to get it done. You don't lose pretty, so winning ugly is ok."
On losing the momentum heading into the third period...
"We had to start the third period killing a penalty that I wasn't too pleased that we took, especially after giving up that goal, so the talk in the locker room centered around that. We had a few penalties in the third, but they were game penalties not dumb ones."
On David Booth playing the power-play point...
"Dave is playing with some confidence back there. He gives it up and he receives and he can shoot well from the point. My only concern is how he will play defensively, but that group has been good for sure. It was a great shot on Miller's goal for sure. He has missed so much time the last couple years with injuries. Now he is finally getting in consecutive games and is responding very well to it."
Michigan State Fr., G Jeff Lerg
On finally taking the lead in the third...
"You're just so excited because we've had so many games where we've tied and come so close but we can't bury that one goal. When Miller got it I just told myself 'you've got to shut the door now.'"
Sophomore forward Chris Muller
Overall thoughts on the game...
"It was a typical CCHA game. Every night is a battle, night in, night out. It doesn't matter what teams are playing, and it's not always going to be a pretty hockey game. We didn't play our best hockey tonight, we know that, but we gave this game our all and came out with a win. That's what good teams do."
On finishing the weekend series at Munn...
"Tonight the game was in our barn, and it's always nice getting the lead in our own barn. We battled hard and came through with a goal with just over five minutes left, so it was a good hockey game. You have to give credit to Notre Dame - they battled hard and they were never out of the game."
Senior forward David Booth
On playing the point on the MSU power play...
"You get to see the whole ice from back on the point. I think you have to read what's happening on the ice a little bit more. You get to shoot the puck more when you're on the point, which I like. You also get to break out. Those are all things I like about the power play."
On the upcoming game against Ohio State...
"We definitely have to be ready to play next weekend. We can't take a step down next weekend and lose any ground in the standings."
On pumping up his team...
"During the second period I gave a few little 'boothyisms'. We just said those are our two points and we need them and went out there are got them."
Junior forward Drew Miller
On the play of the freshman line (Tim Kennedy, Tim Crowder, Justin Abdelkader)... "It's great to have that freshmen line that can score like they scoredc those three goals last night. It takes the pressure off the rest of us."
On his game-winning goal...
"It was pretty quick. I saw Booth and just tried to get in position for a tip. I didn't even know it went in till I heard the crowd."
