Michigan State University
Rensselaer
Spartans Blast RPI for GLI Crown
12/30/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Dec. 30, 2009
Detroit, Mich. - Michigan State captured its 12th Great Lakes Invitational title on Wednesday evening, convincingly defeating Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 6-1. Tournament MVP Brett Perlini had a goal and an assist to lead the Spartan offense, which tallied 16 goals on the weekend.
Highlights
Post Game Audio: Rick | Dustin | Jeff "It's a tremendous tournament, and winning is an accomplishment," noted head coach Rick Comley after the win. "Winning says a lot. It's a great way to start our second half, and we got contributions from a lot of players this weekend - that helps build confidence for them, too."
The Spartans improved to 14-6-2 overall, the most wins in the 2009 portion of the schedule of any team in the country. MSU got 16 goals in the two games of the tournament, with just Brett Perlini (3) and Dustin Gazley (2) as multiple-goal scorers. The pair made the All-Tournament team, joined by defenseman Jeff Petry and goaltender Drew Palmisano. Perlini, with three goals and a pair of assists, was Tournament MVP - while playing in just his fourth game of the year.
"I came back with the mindset after Christmas break that I just wanted to work hard and stay in the lineup," admitted the sophomore centerman. "I got some good bounces, and I was lucky to get some goals."
Michigan State has won 12 GLI titles, one less than all-time leader Michigan, which has 13. Four of MSU's titles have come this decade (2000, 2004, 2006, 2009), the most of any team. Michigan has two (2007, 2008).
Michigan State got on the board in tonight's game a power-play marker at the 10:55 mark. The play originated with Matt Grassi at the right point, who moved it to his partner Zach Josepher with a pass along the blue line. Josepher sent a shot on net that was saved by goalie Bryce Merriam, but the rebound went right out to Chris Forfar to Merriam's left, and the freshman's offering bounced off the goalie's chest protector and rolled up over his shoulder and into the back of the net.
The Spartans scored again at the 14:28 mark. Dustin Gazley collected the puck in the right corner and dished it to Daultan Leveille behind the net; Leveille sent it right back and Gazley stickhandled from behind the net out to the right of the goalie and banked his shot off of Merriam's flank and into the net. The goal chased Merriam, and Allen York entered the crease for Rensselaer.
The Spartans tacked on a hard-work goal at 3:15 of the second to push their lead to 3-0. Trevor Nill carried the puck into the zone alone with three RPI skaters. He tried to get a shot off, but held the puck behind the net for Torey Krug; the defenseman dished it off to Dean Chelios on the right side for the freshman's second goal of the season.
The visiting Engineers got on the scoreboard at 11:51, when Patrick Cullen took a feed from behind the net and buried a shot from the hashmarks of the right circle; the MSU defender just missed on intercepting the pass and picking up the man, leaving a loose puck for Cullen laying in the slot.
The Spartans got a goal in the final minute of the second period to take a 4-1 lead into the dressing room. Jeff Petry and Corey Tropp broke into the offensive zone with a two-on-one, and Tropp fed Petry for the nice goal with just over 30 seconds remaining in the frame.
Rensselaer had a chance to chip away at the lead in the first half of the final frame, as Josepher and Tropp were whistled for infractions just 12 seconds apart, giving RPI the extended five-on-three advantage. The Engineers tried to get pucks to the net, but thanks to a big blocked shot by Krug and a nice play by Petry, the Spartans kept the visitors off the board.
Perlini had his third goal of the tournament at 10:21 of the final frame, throwing a puck netward from the hash marks with lots of traffic in the low slot. Andrew Rowe closed out the scoring with his goal from the doorstep at 15:58.
With the scoring onslaught, the play of goaltender Palmisano was mostly overlooked; he made 19 saves in the championship game and 47 in the two games, with just two goals against.
Michigan State will be idle this weekend and will entertain the US National Team Development Program Under-18 team on Monday in an exhibition tilt. The Spartans return to conference play next weekend (Jan. 8-9), when they host Lake Superior State at Munn Ice Arena. The Spartans are 9-2-2 in conference play, and sit in second place in the CCHA standings.
NOTES Michigan State owns 12 GLI titles, second most behind Michigan (13). The Spartans do own the most victories in this tournament all-time (44-27-1) ... MSU is 10-6 all-time with three GLI titles under Rick Comley ... The Spartans have won seven of the last 13 tournaments ... The Spartans have won four titles this decade (2000, 2004, 2006,2009), followed by Michigan with two. North Dakota, Boston University, Boston College, and Colorado College have also won GLI crowns ... The Spartans beat the Engineers back in the 1985 GLI final by a 8-3 margin. Rensselaer went on to win the NCAA title later that year in Detroit ... The Spartans close 2009 with 14 victories, the most under Rick Comley and the most of any team in the country ...Michigan State is 11-1-1 when scoring the first goal, as they have in each of the last four games ... The Spartans chased both starting netminders they faced in the tournament with their second goals in the first period ... MSU scored its most goals in consecutive games since netting 19 in two games against Ferris State on March 2-3, 1990 (6-4, 13-1).
