Michigan State 4, Nebraska-Omaha 1
3/10/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 10, 2007
Michigan State Head Coach Rick Comley
Opening statement...
I thought we played really well in the first period, probably as good as we have played in a month. We got a little sloppy there in the second; we lost it a bit and took some penalties, but we got it back with a solid, sound third period. We wanted to play well to get to Detroit - this team has had to work so hard to do that. To win these two games kind of validates us going down to Detroit. We didn't have a single guy that made the top three in any awards or any all-star teams, yet we are one of the top four teams.
Thoughts on facing Michigan in the CCHA semifinals...
It didn't matter who we played. At first we thought we were going to play Notre Dame, who is an incredible team with maybe the Hobey Baker winner in goal, but it's not them since Lake Superior played such a great series. We are going down there to win a tournament so you are going to play two really good teams regardless.
On regaining the team mentality...
We try, but it has been frustrating the last couple of weeks. We let a really good season slip away and that tends to divide and separate a team. In the third period, you could feel them coming back together on the bench. They don't lose friendship, but they do get divided.
On the team's performance...
Jeff made a save about 25 seconds into the game that was a tremendous save, and it really got us going. I thought our defense played so much better tonight, especially Tyler Howells. He wasn't a star tonight, but I thought he was the first star of the hockey game. He came to me about a week ago and asked if he could play defense again, and I just didn't have the opportunity to. Now, we are going to have a tough decision to make.
On MSU's play right out of the gate...
Getting that first goal was critical. We do video on Saturdays, and we showed them that we only had 19 hits in last night's game. We had 20 in the first period tonight. I always say that when we are hitting we are in the game. We talked to them all week about having energy and being in the game mentally - we did that much better tonight.
Nebraska-Omaha Head Coach Mike Kemp
On having their season end...
This is always a very painful night when the season comes to an end because of the fact we're going to see off a group of seniors that we're never going to see in a UNO uniform again - particularly when you consider the kind of impact this senior class has had. They've been guys that have believed in the program and have carried us a long way since the first year they got here. It's awful disappointing to see this whole run with them come to an end.
On the team's thoughts going into the third...
We were in the right position. It was kind of like last night where we were down a goal in the third period. That's not a position we're unfamiliar with because we've been in that position numerous times this year. I think we were comfortable with and we had our opportunities, we just didn't happen to capitalize on them. Hats off to Jeff Lerg, he did a great job.
On the play of UNO goaltender Jeremie Dupont...
I was very proud of the way Jeremie stepped in tonight. Let's be honest, he was shelled in the first period. He made 17 saves on 19 shots and really "stood on his lips." He gave us a chance to win the hockey game and that's what you ask from your goaltender. You want him to give your team a chance to win and then let the offensive guys take over.
Michigan State Captain Chris Lawrence
Overall impressions on the game...
We came out well, and the first period was probably the best period we've played in a couple weeks. We lulled a little bit in the second - the first half of the second period they kind of took it to us. Then, we played a real strong third, which is what we needed. We won last night, but we weren't feeling too great about the way we played. Tonight, I think it was as close to a 60-minute game as we've played in a few weeks. We needed that mentally to kind of calm things down a bit - it had been a rough two weeks. I think we got refreshed with the week off and obviously with players not playing for them, that was a big aspect of the series. Give them credit, they came in and played hard, they battled and didn't give up. But, we are real happy to get out of here with two wins - that was our goal. We can move on and we know who we have now, so we're pretty excited about the game on Friday night.
On the physical play...
When we're at our best is when we're playing physical. In the first period Coach Comley said we posted 20 hits, which almost matched our total of last night. We've learned the second half of this season that our best games have been our most physical. We got away from that in the second, but in the third we kind of grinded it out, played hard, and we were able to get what we wanted.
On coming into this series after such a long layoff...
After the first period, I think we played solid. We kind of had to build off of this past week, which I think was really good for us mentally. A lot of guys were worried about the national picture and we didn't fall out of that, we actually got help. We got refocused with the week off, we really talked about the team. All the individual stuff is over with, it's all about Michigan State advancing. I think we played a pretty good, unselfish game with a few penalties that might have hurt us, but all in all we played pretty well.
Michigan State Sophomore Forward Tim Crowder
On the difference in Michigan State's play in both games this weekend...
Obviously it was great that we came out strong tonight and got two quick goals right off the bat in the first period. We played well last night, but it was great tonight to come out with a bang and really take it to them.
On his goal in the first period...
I kind of saw that Dupont was pretty far back in the net, so I pretty much had everywhere to shoot. I was just lucky that it went in.
On coming together as a team...
We had a bad stretch for a little while but everyone seemed to come together this weekend and we got great wins out of it.
On the success of the power play Saturday night...
I think it was just us getting movement and getting shots to the net. We've been struggling to get shots on net on the power play, but tonight everything seemed to be working.
