Spartans Fall To Michigan 5-1 In GLI Championship Game

Dec. 28, 2008

Ice Hockey Podcasts
Rick

Detroit, Mich. - Michigan State dropped a 5-1 decision to Michigan in the finals of the Great Lakes Invitational on Sunday evening at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The Wolverines captured their second consecutive title and denied the Spartans their 12th overall title and second in three seasons. Jeff Lerg made 49 saves, and Matt Schepke scored the lone goal of the contest for MSU.

Both teams came out with intensity and high energy, and combined for 33 shots in the opening period - 18 for Michigan, and 15 for MSU. The Spartans got on the board at the 12;28 mark of the opening period. Tim Crowder fired a slapshot netward from the high slot, and Andrew Conboy, screening in front, tried to tip it past Bryan Hogan. The puck squirted out to the right side of the net for Schepke, and he buried his third goal of the weekend and 10th of the season.

Michigan got the equalizer at 16:18 to make it a tie game at the intermission. Travis Turnbull had the score, off assists from captain Chris Summers and Luke Glendening.

MSU started the second period down a man thanks to a Tim Crowder penalty with just two seconds remaining in the opening period. The Spartans killed off the penalty, but went ahead with an even-strength tally by Ben Winnett 13 seconds after the penalty expired. Turnbull started the play with a feed to Brandon Naurato off the right half-wall. Naurato dished to a streaking Winnett, who bobbled the puck - but got just enough on it that it bounced off the leg pad of Jeff Lerg and into the back of the net.

While the shot margin was small in the first period, Michigan tacked on an additional 20 shots in the second, while MSU managed just three in the same frame. Lerg was outstanding to keep MSU in it, but the Spartans struggled to get anything going at the opposite end.

Naurato gave Michigan a 3-1 lead with a power play goal at 14:38. Summers made the pass from the left point to Naurato in the right circle, and his offering was placed just between the right post and the leg pad of Lerg for his fourth of the season. Tim Miller pushed it to a 4-1 lead at the second break, netting a tally at 17:28.

Michigan showed no signs of taking their foot off the gas, as Louie Caporusso potted a power-play goal at 1:16 of the final frame to push the Wolverine lead to four.

The Spartans were assessed a pair of penalties at 13:17 - Schepke for charging and Joey Shean for slashing - putting Michigan on full two-minute five-on-three, but the Spartans were able to keep Michigan at bay.

With the loss, Michigan State goes to 5-12-3 on the season. Their next action will come Jan. 2 at Munn Ice Arena at 7:35 p.m. against the Alaska Nanooks.

NOTES: Michigan State had owned a five-game winning streak against Michigan in GLI final matchups (1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2006). Michigan last defeated MSU in the GLI final in 1995 when the Wolverines topped the Spartans by a score of 3-1 ... Schepke extended his goal-scoring streak to four games with his first-period power-play goal. He has scored the first goal of the game for MSU in three of its last five games - all contests in which MSU has scored first ... Jeff Lerg recorded his third game this season with 45+ saves. He made 46 in a 3-0 loss at Ohio State on Nov. 7 and 50 in a 3-1 loss at Wisconsin on Nov. 28. His career best is 54, set in a 3-3 tie against Michigan at Joe Louis Arena as a sophomore...Matt Schepke was named to the Great Lakes Invitational All-Tournament Team.