Michigan State University
Alaska
Hockey Season Ends With OT Heartbreak
3/6/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 6, 2011
Fairbanks, Alaska - Nick Yaremchuk played the role of overtime hero for the second night in a row, netting the game-winning tally at 3:18 of the fifth period of hockey to give Alaska a 4-3 victory and sweep of the CCHA series. The Spartans, who dropped a pair of heartbreakers in the 2011 post-season, complete the season with a 15-19-4 overall record. It also meant the end of the MSU coaching career of head coach Rick Comley, who saw his team give outstanding efforts both nights but come up just short in the end.
The winning goal came after the Spartans had some good pressure in the Alaska zone. The Nanooks brought it into the Spartan zone, and Yaremchuk was able to stickhandle around a diving MSU defender who slid to block the shot; Yaremchuk's offering beat freshman goalie Will Yanakeff short-side to send the Nanooks on to the quarterfinal round.
MSU had a pair of power-play chances in the first overtime period and nine overall in the contest, but were able to convert on just one of those chances. Alaska went 2-for-5 on the power play .
"This was a hard-fought game, and a hard-fought series," said head coach Rick Comley at the completion of the game. "I thought we played really well, and the puck just didn't go our way at the end. This was not a question of effort. Our kids have grown, and this team has a bright future. I think they showed a lot of courage and gave it everything they had. "
Alaska, which never had a lead until scoring the overtime game-winner last night, took an early lead in Saturday's contest. Taranto opened the scoring on the night, putting a power-play goal on the board at 7:54. Taranto, who was below the left circle, took a pass from behind the net from Cody Kunyk and redirected it past Will Yanakeff for the early lead. Colton Beck had the secondary assist on the play.
MSU scored a pair of goals in less than 90 seconds to turn a one-goal deficit into a one-goal lead that they carried into the first intermission. Dean Chelios had the first marker at 15:43, carrying the puck into the offensive zone, faking out the defender inside the blue line, and streaking up the left side. He wristed a shot past Grenham for his eighth tally of the season and third in four games. The second marker came on the power play at 17:12, as Dustin Gazley buried a rebound from a Torey Krug blast from the left side for his career-best 11th goal of the season. Jake Chelios had the second assist on the goal.
Alaska knotted the game at two at 12:46 of the second. Aaron Gens carried the puck into the zone and took a big shot from the right side, which was saved by Yanakeff. The rebound went out to the left side, where Derek Klassen was crashing the net and just beat a sliding goalie. Another power-play goal, Alaska's second of the night, gave the Nanooks a 3-2 lead. Kunyk, who teamed up with Joe Sova on Taranto's opening goal, reconnected with the pair to score the go-ahead marker at 15:59, which appeared would send the home team into the intermission with a lead. However, Brett Perlini's blast from the hash marks with 41.6 seconds remaining in the frame knotted the score at three, with Kevin Walrod and Tim Buttery getting credited with the assists.
After the wild scoring in the second period, few expected back-to-back scoreless periods in the third period and the first overtime frame. However, the game waged on, and 43 minutes passed before the deciding goal found the back of the net.
NOTES: MSU played its first double-overtime contest since March of 1998, when the Spartans defeated Ohio State in the CCHA Championship game ... MSU played back-to-back overtime games since December 5 and 11, 2009. MSU finished 1-4-4 in overtime games this season ... Dean Chelios had his third goal in four games. All three of those goals have been first-period markers ... One of the Chelios brothers scored a goal in each of the last four games. Jake had MSU's first tally on Friday, and each finished the season with eight goals ... Freshman goalie Will Yanakeff got his first playoff experience at the college level, making 30 saves ... Torey Krug blocked a team-best nine shots in the series ...
