Spartans Register 2-1 Victory in GLI Semifinals

Dec. 27, 2008

Detroit, Mich. - Michigan State snapped an 11-game winless streak dating back to Halloween with a 2-1 victory over North Dakota in the semifinals of the 44th annual Great Lakes Invitational on Saturday evening at Joe Louis Arena. Matt Schepke had a pair of goals - both set up by sophomore winger Corey Tropp- and Jeff Lerg made 38 saves in the win. This advances MSU to the title game to face archrival Michigan on Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m. Post-Game Press Conference Audio

The Spartans came out with fire, peppering Eidsness with four shots - and three quality scoring chances in the opening 90 seconds. On their second power-play chance of the period, the Spartans jumped on the board with the first goal by Schepke. Joey Shean controlled the puck behind the net and moved it to Corey Tropp at the bottom of the right circle. Tropp slid it across the top of the crease for Schepke, who beat Eidsness under his blocker arm as the goaltender dove to make the stop. That would be the only scoring of the opening frame, as MSU took a 1-0 lead into the locker room. Michigan State wasted little time padding its advantage, as Schepke netted another off a pretty play just 1:39 into the middle frame. Schepke wiggled free of a pair of defenders in the neutral zone and dropped the puck to Tropp on the right side, who passed it back to Schepke in time for him to beat Eidsness blocker-side once again. The Spartans lost the shutout at 16:35 of the final frame, courtesy of Matt Frattin's power-play goal. Frattin was fed by Chay Genoway, and Frattin's slapshot from the left circle made its way past the blocker arm of Lerg for the only Sioux score. The Spartans advance to Sunday's championship game against Michigan, and the game will air live on FSN Detroit.

NOTES: Michigan State will appear in its tenth Great Lakes Invitational final in 12 seasons. MSU last won the tournament in 2006 with a victory over Michigan in the finals. The Spartans will be seeking their 12th title overall and third under head coach Rick Comley ... Michigan State is now 42-26-1 all-time in this event, and snapped a two-game GLI skid. The Spartans fell to Michigan Tech and Providence in last year's event ... MSU and Michigan have met 11 previous times in the GLI finals, and Michigan owns six wins to MSU's five in those games ... Comley tied former North Dakota and Bemidji State mentor Bob Peters for fourth on the all-time collegiate victories list (744). Comley ranks third among active coaches (behind Boston College's Jerry York and Boston University's Jack Parker) in that category ... The Spartans snapped an 11-game winless streak (0-9-2) that dated back to Nov. 1. MSU's last win came against Western Michigan on Oct. 31, and the two teams tied the next evening to begin MSU's streak ... The Spartans are now 2-0 in neutral-site games this season. MSU opened the season with a 4-1 win over Massachusetts at Boston University's Agganis Arena in the Icebreaker Tournament ... Michigan State went 1-for-7 on the power play, and North Dakota was 1-for-5 ... Michigan State scored first for the fourth consecutive game - and two of those goals were by Matt Schepke ... Schepke had his first multiple-goal game since 11/24/07 against Wisconsin. It was his third career two-goal game ... Joey Shean recorded his first collegiate point on Schepke's first period power-play marker ... Tim Kennedy, who opted to forego his final collegiate season in favor of signing with the Buffalo Sabres in the offseason, made his NHL debut tonight with the Buffalo Sabres.