Michigan State University
Robert Morris
MSU Completes Sweep Of Robert Morris
10/29/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Oct. 29, 2011
East Lansing, Mich. - Michigan State exploded for three third-period tallies in a 6-2 victory over visiting Robert Morrison Saturday at Munn Ice Arena. Sophomore Lee Reimer had a five-point night, while senior Mike Merrifield had two goals and two assists for MSU (4-4-0, 1-3-0). The Spartans pick up the non-conference sweep, their first of the season.
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Tom Players Press Conference (Torey Reimer, Mike The line of Merrifield, Reimer, and Greg Wolfe exploded for a second straight game - after Dean Chelios, Reimer, and Wolfe had 3-5-8 and +6 last night, Merrifield (who had a goal and assist on Friday) replaced an injured Chelios on that line for tonight's game and the newly-formed trio combined for five goals and eight assists in Saturday's game. Wolfe, who had two goals and an assist on Friday, had four assists in Saturday's tilt. On the weekend, those four players had a combined 9-14-23 scoring line and were a +23.
The scoring came fast and furious in the first half of the first period. The Colonials struck first, as Nick Chiavetta threw a cross-slot pass to Tyler Hinds at the bottom of the right circle, and Hinds' one-timer beat Drew Palmisano. On the ensuing shift, Reimer moved from left to right across the goalmouth to put back a Greg Wolfe shot from the perimeter to knot the score.
The sequence repeated itself 90 seconds later. The Colonials got a goal on the rush, with Adam Brace's pass coming from the bottom of the right circle, and onto the stick of a crashing Cody Wydo, who had the open left side to work with as he beat Palmisano, who was moving laterally through the crease. At the other end, the Merrifield-Reimer-Wolfe line struck again, as Merrifield received the puck from Wolfe below the goal line, and he put it out into the low slot for Reimer. The teams retired to their dressing rooms at the first intermission tied at two.
Merrifield gave the Spartan their first lead at 7:13 of the second period. Wolfe carried the puck up the right side, and sent the puck into the high slot. Merrifield's shot beat Ostergard glove-side into the high right corner of the net. Reimer also earned an assist on the goal, which sent MSU into the locker room with a 3-2 advantage after two periods.
The Spartans increased their lead to 4-2 early in the third period. With the Spartans pressuring in the zone, Wolfe picked up a loose puck in the slot and moved it out to Matt Crandell at the left point, and Crandell took a slapshot that reached Ostergard. The rebound came out into the slot for an opportunistic Reimer, who buried it to complete the hat trick.
The Spartans iced the win with a pair of late markers. Daultan Leveille carried the puck into the zone on a 3-on-2 rush and passed it over to Matt Berry on the right, and Berry finished it off for his first collegiate tally. Merrifield completed the night's scoring at 18:01, putting back a blast by Torey Krug from the left point for his second goal of the night.
The teams, which combined for 51 penalty minutes and four special-teams goals on Friday, were a mere combined 0-for-7 on the power play in the game; Robert Morris was 0-for-4, while MSU was 0-for-3. The Spartans had a decisive 40-19 edge in shots on goal, MSU's largest shot total of the season.
The Spartans will enjoy an off week the first weekend in November, and return to action on Nov. 11-12 at Western Michigan.
NOTES: Michigan State has won three of its last four games ... Reimer's hat trick was the first of the season for the Spartans, and the first since Torey Krug scored three times in a 4-3 overtime victory over Michigan at Munn last January. They are the only two active players with hat tricks ... Reimer had his second multiple-goal game of the season, and his career ... Reimer's five points was the first five-point effort for a Spartan since Jim Slater had five in a 7-3 win over Western Michigan on Oct. 25, 2003 ... Mike Merrifield had his third goal in two nights, and his four-point effort was a career high ... Merrifield and Reimer were the first Spartan teammates to each have at least two goals in a game since Jan. 4, 2008 at Lake Superior State (Tim Crowder and Mike Ratchuk) ... Greg Wolfe had his first career four-point night, and MSU's first four-assist effort since Bryan Lerg accomplished the feat in a Oct. 24, 2005 game at Cornell ... Wolfe and Reimer played with Dean Chelios on Friday, who was replaced on that line by Merrifield on Saturday. In the two games, the four players combined for 9-14-23 (+22) ...Matt Berry scored his first collegiate tally in the third period, the first goal for the freshman class this season ... MSU outshot the Colonials 40-19, its largest shot output of the season. In the third period, MSU had a 19-4 edge in shots on goal.
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