Nebraska-Omaha 3, MSU 3
11/6/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 6, 2009
Michigan State Coach Rick Comley
On playing nine minutes of the second period shorthanded...
It's a killer, but we still got back in it and tied the game and had a chance in the shootout. We got a tie nationally and four points on the weekend, so we just have to learn when to check off that contact.
On the team's progression...
I thought we got better again. It's a young team. You would love it to be perfect every night but it's not going to be. We're 7-2-1 after ten games. If we can do that in our next ten, we'll be all smiles.
On Nebraska-Omaha's effort...
They played better and worked harder. They didn't seem to have their jump last night. That is why I think a Thursday-Friday home series really hurts the home team. We don't get any skates, can't get together and are in classes. The visiting team is just here. I'm not taking anything away from them.
On the play of Andrew Rowe...
He played very well. He and Gazley together were very good.
On trying to stay consistent...
We are trying to keep the same tempo and pace. You can make some mistakes with it, but we're on to something here. We might just have to suffer through some things that aren't perfect. We have to keep coming back to it.
On the team's growing pains...
Having a young team is one thing, but having a young team with talent you expect some ups and downs. This was a game that, with all the penalties in the second, we could have been down three or four. You work your tail off to stay in the hockey game and you have to win a third period at home, which we did, and you send it into overtime where we had a couple good chances and then we lose it in a shootout. With a shoot-out, you just don't know.
On the play of the team's third line...
The first half of the game, I thought they struggled. When Forfar scored in the second, that seemed to relax them and they took off. I didn't think our top line played very well tonight.
On the message to the team after this series...
We turned the puck over a lot. There is a difference between trying to make something happen and nothing. We kept shrinking the ice for them tonight, so that we would turn it over and they would roar back at us. We had to backcheck too much instead of playing in their zone. When we have a play, we make it. If not, we chip it to the goal line and we go in and forecheck and make them defend. Last night we really hurt them at their goal line. We need to address the penalties, too. You want to play hard and play aggressive with and without the puck, but you have to read officials.
Michigan State Junior Forward Andrew Rowe
On not seeming sharp tonight...
I don't want to go and say `yes' to that but we were tired, it was a little more choppy because they came out really hard out on us tonight. I feel their forechecking put a lot of pressure on us and made us have less time therefore making it less smooth. I thought we worked hard though, had a couple lapses obviously and penalties, of course.
On his feelings of the tie/shoot-out loss...
Obviously it was disappointing. We had our chances, I mean, me alone had a least three point blank shots or goal opportunities. Then it just comes down to bearing down and just putting those in.
On his feelings on the direction of the team...
I think the team is doing very well, as a whole. We have confidence. We have players that are stepping up, younger guys. I think we have some very good potential for being an excellent team come play-offs and throughout this whole year. It's going to be a 180 from last year. Its going to be a great season, I think. On top of that, tonight would have been an unbelievable step for this season and just confidence level but you know we'll take it. It's better than an absolute loss so we have to keep our heads up.
Michigan State Sophomore Forward Mike Merrifield
On not sustaining the momentum for the entire night...
I thought we had good pressure for some of the night but when you take so many penalties it definitely hurts you at the end. When you take too many penalties, you can't get in the flow of the game. It just gives the other team momentum with the scoring chances they build up from their power play.
On the feeling good from the entire weekend...
Absolutely. I mean UNO is a great team. I think they're ninth or tenth in the country. We got a win and a tie. We wanted to sweep, but you take what you can get. I think its good, just move forward and build upon what we did this weekend.
On Michigan and the Notre Dame series coming up...
I think we are definitely prepared. They're both great teams, if we come out and play the style of play we've been doing for this first half of the year so far, I think we'll be alright. I think it will be a great test.
On learning from this game...
I think we definitely have things to work on at practice over the week. I think overall if we can cut back on some penalties, I think we have a good shot.
On his expectations on coming back to Michigan State for this season...
It's certainly nice to play. I think coming in this year I wasn't really sure what to expect. I knew I was going to have to work hard to earn a spot in the lineup every night. But I feel like I put in the effort and put in the work. Once I got a spot in the lineup I just got to produce and hopefully stay in there.
On what he sees from this team as a whole...
There is great chemistry. (Corey) Tropp's line is going good, (Andrew) Rowe's line. All the lines are going good. We're getting good production from all of our lines. At the end of the day we just have to win.
On how his first goal happened...
It was a great play at the blue line with (Brock) Shelgren and (Zach) Golembiewski. Shelgren took it wide and just drove it to the net and it got a little lucky and got off the goalie and right off me into the net.
