Spartans Fall 4-0, at Bowling Green

Feb. 21, 2009

East Lansing, Mich. - Michigan State struggled to find any offensive flow in a 4-0 loss at Bowling Green on Saturday afternoon, suffering its fourth shutout loss of the season. The Spartans, who trailed 1-0 after the opening frame, were victimized by a three-goal middle period that put the game out of reach. Jeff Lerg made 32 saves, extending his streak of games with 29+ saves to 16 games. David Solway had a three-point night for the Falcons, including netting the game-winner in the first period.

The homestanding Falcons, celebrating the final regular-season home game for three seniors, came out spirited and aggressive, and outshot the Spartans 18-7 in the opening frame. Bowling Green scored first for the second straight evening, with a David Solway shorthanded goal at 8:29. Solway flipped the puck out of the defensive zone and streaked ahead of a pair of MSU defenders. Solway faked and Lerg committed to his left; Solway then had a wide-open side into which he deposited his ninth goal of the season.

BGSU blew the game open with three second-period strikes. Bowling Green first padded their lead with an extra-man tally 4:06 into the period. Pressuring in the offensive zone, Dan Sexton took a pass out of the left corner from Brandon Svenson, and was able to backhand the puck from the doorstep over the blocker hand of a prone Lerg. Their lead extended to 3-0 at 9:31; Solway won an offensive-zone faceoff back to James McIntosh, who slid the puck inside the blueline to Kyle Page. Page's slapshot made its way through traffic in front and past a screened Lerg; they tacked on a fourth at 12:29 when Sexton moved across the goalmouth unmolested and shoved the puck past Lerg.

The Spartans had some chances, perhaps none better that with just over two minutes remaining in the middle frame when Matt Schepke's shot rung off the crossbar, and Jimmy Spratt stoned Andrew Rowe with back-to-back point-blank saves. Lerg stopped all 10 shots he faced in the final period, but his teammates continued to struggle in the offensive end.

Michigan State wraps up the regular season with a home-and-home series with Notre Dame next weekend. The teams face off Friday in South Bend, then on Saturday in East Lansing.

NOTES: Bowling Green's win snapped a three-game MSU winning streak in the series ... Spartans lost for the first time in the month of February (3-1-2) ... The Spartans are still guaranteed no less than a .500 month, its first since October (4-2-1) ... Jeff Lerg now has 3,916 saves in his career, fourth all-time in the NCAA annals. He needs just 18 to pass Glenn Healy (Western Michigan) for the all-time CCHA record, and he needs 35 to pass former Vermont netminder (and current Boston Bruin goalie) Tim Thomas for second place on the all-time NCAA list ... Junior Jacob Schering, who joined the team less than two weeks ago, dressed in his first collegiate game for the Spartans. The Trenton, Mich. native drew a penalty in the second period ... Jeff Lerg entended his streak with 29+ saves to 16 games ...