Michigan State University
Notre Dame
Irish Down Spartans, 6-2
11/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 19, 2010
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South Bend, Ind. - A wild, seven-goal second period was the main storyline for Michigan State hockey on Friday evening, as homestanding Notre Dame brought a physically imposing brand of hockey to the ice to greet the visiting Spartans. Derek Grant and Greg Wolfe each had a score, but the Irish skated away with a 6-2 victory. Freshman Will Yanakeff saw his first collegiate action, making 12 saves in the third period for MSU.
The Spartans had a pair of power-play chances in the opening period, and were generating good chances on both. On MSU's second opportunity with 4;30 left, MSU had its best chances of the period, including a blast from Torey Krug from the left point that rung the left post 30 seconds into the man advantage. Despite chances at both ends, the teams went into the first intermission without a score.
As uneventful a period as the opening frame was, the second was twice as active - a total of seven goals went on the board in the frame.
The first marker of the contest did come on special teams, but not as the Spartans would have hoped - MSU allowed a shorthanded marker to junior captain Joe Lavin at 2:47. Lavin took a pass from Ben Ryan and waited for the defender to go down to block the shot, then lasered the puck over the blocker-side shoulder of Drew Palmisano from the left circle. It was Ryan's third goal of the season.
Calle Ridderwall gave the Irish a 2-0 lead just after the MSU penalty expired (5:53), as his shot from the right hashmark made its way through traffic. On the ensuing faceoff, MSU stormed into the zone off Brett Perlini's faceoff win, and Derek Grant's shot from the left dot for his second goal of the season countered Notre Dame's second score just seven seconds later. Grant's tally was recorded with six minutes expired in the period.
The scoring frenzy continued, as Notre Dame took a 3-1 lead at 10:15. Lavin's pass across the goalmouth found Jeff Costello at the left post, and he one-timed it as Palmisano attempted to slide back to his right to cover the play. It was Costello's second of the season.
Michigan State cut into the lead again at 14:36. Greg Wolfe was credited with the goal, as a shot rang off the back glass, flipped high into the air, and as it was coming down, a Notre Dame defender tried to glove it safely away - but all swipes at the puck missed, and the falling puck bounced off the shaft of the stick of Wolfe and throught he goalie's legs.
Notre Dame got it back with a power-play goal at 17:29. With Chris Forfar in the box, T.J. Tynan's shot from the high slot beat a screened Palmisano. Billy Maday and Ben Ryan were credited with assists. Less than a minute later, the Irish took advantage of a defensive miscue down low, and Mike Voran wrapped around the back of the net and popped the puck in at an uncovered right post. That sent the homestanding Irish into the locker room with a 5-2 advantage.
Looking to shake things up a bit, head coach Rick Comley sent in Yanakeff to play the third period. He made three big-time stops, but the Irish got their sixth tally at 6:16. Yanakeff had come up with a big save, but the rebound lay tantalizingly in the crease for leading scorer Anders Lee, and he flipped it over a prone goaltender for his ninth marker of the season. That was the only puck to make its way past the freshman goalie, as he made 12 stops in his first collegiate action.
The teams will close out the series on Saturday in a 5:05 p.m. start.
NOTES: MSU is now winless in nine straight games (0-6-3) against the Irish, tying its longest active winless streak against any opponent. The Spartans are also winless in their last nine against Minnesota (0-4-5) ... The six Irish goals were a season-high allowed by MSU, and the most since a 7-2 loss to Wisconsin in last year's College Hockey Showcase ... Michigan State allowed a shorthanded goal for the first time this season ... Freshman Greg Wolfe's credited tally in the second period was his first collegiate goal ... Derek Grant had his second goal in three games after going eight straight games to start the season without a goal ... Torey Krug's seven-game point-scoring streak came to an end ... MSU's streak of 15 consecutive successful penalties killed came to an end in the second period with TJ Tynan's extra-man tally ... Brett Perlini had assists on both MSU goals ...
