Michigan State University
Michigan
Spartans Fall at Michigan, 6-1
12/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Dec. 5, 2008
Ann Arbor, Mich. - A three-goal third period spelled doom for the Michigan State hockey team on the road on Friday night at Michigan, as the archrival Wolverines tagged the Spartans with a 6-1 loss in the first of four games between the teams this season. Freshman David Wohlberg had a pair of goals to lead Michigan while Matt Schepke had the lone goal for the Spartans. The teams face off again on Saturday night in East Lansing to close out pre-holiday CCHA action.
The Spartans were shortstaffed for most of the game, as senior alternate captain Brandon Gentile was given a five-minute major for hitting from behind with a game misconduct just 4:13 into the game. On a five-minute man advantage, the Wolverines tried to sustain pressure in the offensive zone, but the Spartans did a nice job of clogging passing lanes and sending the puck out of the zone. With under 10 seconds remaining, Matt Schepke poked the puck free from Tristin Llewellyn at the red line, and Schepke streaked up the right side with the stolen puck. He had Corey Tropp on the left side or a two-on-one, and his shot from the right circle beat Sauer for the shorthanded goal with just five ticks remaining in the Michigan man advantage. Michigan retaliated with a shorty of its own at 1:57 of the second period to knot the score at one. Matt Rust broke into the Wolverines offensive zone with a two-on-one with Chris Summers, and passed cross-slot to the defenseman who beat Jeff Lerg five-hole.
The Wolverines took their first lead of the night at 8:44, when Louie Caporusso fought to control the puck in the right faceoff circle, and backhanded a pass through the slot. Intended for David Wohlberg, the puck bounced off of both his and an MSU defender's stick, beating Lerg stick-side. They extended their lead to 3-1 under four minutes later, when Aaron Palushaj backhanded the puck over Lerg's glove-hand from the bottom of the right circle.
The Spartans had their own five-minute man advantage after Brian Lebler was whistled for a major penalty for hitting from behind (with the requisite game misconduct) at 17:19. The Spartans had roughly 2:30 of man -advantage time at the end of the second period and beginning of the third, but could not generate many chances down low.
The home team had 1:23 of five-on-three with back-to-back penalties whistled against Jay Sprague (obstruction tripping) and Ryan Turek (cross-checking) seven minutes into the final frame. MSU killed off both, but saw the Wolverines go up 4-1 at the 10:32 mark. Summers threw a slapshot off the back wall to Lerg's left, and the puck ricocheted out to Wohlberg at the right post, and he poked it past Lerg for the commanding lead. Just a minute later, Brandon Naurato one-timed the puck from a pass from Czarnick to push the lead to 5-1, and Drew Palmisano was inserted into the game in place of Lerg.
Michigan was handed another 5-on-3 at 13:27, when a kneeing call against Jeff Petry followed a minute six after a hooking call whistled against Dustin Gazely. The Spartans successfully killed off both again, but similarly gave up a goal shortly thereafter. This time, it was blueliner Brandon Burlon who scored, taking advantage of traffic in front. Lerg finished with 21 saves, while Palmisano made four in his duty. Freshman Bryan Hogan made 18 stops.
The teams will face off again on Saturday at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing. The game will feature a Chuck-A-Puck contest and silent auction to benefit Shoot for a Cure , Michigan State's initiative to raise money for the fight against children's cancer.
NOTES: Michigan and Michigan State were facing off for the 270th time, the second-most-played rivalry In college hockey. North Dakota and Minnesota have played 271 times ... Matt Schepke's shorthanded goal was the team's first of the season ... MSU's Brandon Gentile and UM's Brian Lebler were both assessed majors with game misconducts, but both are available for Saturday's game.
