Michigan State University
Northern Michigan
MSU Wins Fifth Straight, Downs No. 20 NMU
11/18/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 18, 2011
Marquette, Mich. - Michigan State got a goal and two assists from Lee Reimer and a 25-save effort from sophomore Will Yanakeff to post its fifth consecutive victory, a 4-2 decision at No. 20 Northern Michigan on Friday evening. Mike Merrifield extended his goal-scoring streak to five games while the defense chipped in with a pair of goals and four assists on the night. MSU is 7-4-0 overall and 4-3 in conference play, while Northern Michigan's winless streak extended to eight games.
"Will played a really solid game again, and I thought that we did a good job of playing hard in front of him," said Tom Anastos. "I thought that NMU had to earn their goals tonight, and Will came up big on some shots. Overall, we continue to be very happy with our effort.
"I thought that Northern maybe started a little slow, but that they increased their intensity throughout the game," Anastos continued. "We had a couple of chances that didn't finish on the power play, and they kept coming and coming. We continued to play with poise and kept the game simple, which is how we were able to be successful."
Michigan State jumped on the board early, taking a lead 2:37 into the game. Brock Shelgren knocked down the puck in the neutral zone and carried it just over the offensive blueline, and dished it to Krug, who was all streaking up the left side. He took two sides and shot high blocker-side on Reid Ellingson, beating him in the upper left corner.
The Wildcats knotted the score at 9:19, after a failed clearing attempt high in the defensive zone, creating a 3-on-2 for the home team. Winger Tyler Gron was crashing the net and got the feed from Erik Higby, and finished the play with a low shot that beat Yanakeff glove-side. The play was reviewed, but the goal held up. The goal gave the Wildcats some momentum, and a couple of decent looks at Yanakeff in the minutes immediately after. NMU could not get a shot on net in that span, however, as their best chance on the doorstep went wide.
The Spartans scored again with just over three minutes remaining in the opening frame to go into the dressing room with a 2-1 advantage. Skating four-on-four, Lee Reimer fed blueliner Tim Buttery at the top of the left circle, and Buttery's shot found its mark for his first goal of the season.
MSU extended its lead shortly after returning to the ice for the second period. Krug initiated the play with a point shot, and Mike Merrifield finished it off to extend his goal-scoring streak to five games. It would stand as the eventual game-winner.
It was the latter half of the final period before either team would find the back of the net again. Northern Michigan pulled within a goal at 13:21 of the final frame; each team had a skater in the box, and was skating four-on-four. As time expired on the penalties, Gron's shot from just below the right circle snuck inside the left post, beneath the blocker-hand of Yanakeff for the winger's second of the night. Northern pushed for an equalizer as time wore down in the period, and a shot by Scott Macaulay with just over a minute remaining in the period nicked the post and sailed wide.
The Spartans got an insurance tally in the waning seconds, with Ellingson on the bench in favor of an extra skater. Matt Crandell sent the puck out of the zone for Reimer in the neutral zone; he and Merrifield skated into the offensive zone, and Reimer's soft shot gave MSU its fourth goal of the night.
Despite a late penalty whistled against Tim Buttery that put Northern skating six-on-four for the final 40 seconds, the Spartans did a nice job of clearing out pucks in front of the net and held on for the two-goal victory.
The teams will face off again tomorrow in a rematch at 7:35 p.m. in a game that will air live on FS Detroit plus.
NOTES: MSU has won five straight games since December/January of the 2009-10 season ... MSU's defense had a pair of goals (Torey Krug and Tim Buttery on the scores), while Krug (1 g, 1a) and Matt Crandell (2a) each had multiple-point efforts ... Greg Wolfe was held off the scoresheet for the first time in four games ... Brent Darnell scored his first collegiate point with a helper on Torey Krug's first-period score ... Tim Buttery scored his first goal of the season in the first period ... Mike Merrifield has scored a goal in five straight games. Merrifield had never scored back-to-back goals in his collegiate career before this season ...
