2001-02 Michigan State Spartan Hockey Spartan Quick Stats No. 1 Michigan State Spartans (3-2-1 Overall, 3-2-1 CCHA) vs. Bowling Green Falcons (1-3-2 Overall, 1-2-1 CCHA) Thursday, Nov. 1 7:05 p.m. est Friday, Nov. 2 6:35 p.m. est Munn Ice Arena East Lansing, Mich. TV AT&T Broadband Radio WVFN AM 730 Tale of the Tape 2001-02 STATISTICS (THROUGH SIX GAMES) GOALS Joe Goodenow... 3 Six tied with... 2 ASSISTS Duncan Keith... 6 Jim Slater... 6 Brad Fast... 5 POINTS Duncan Keith... 8 Jim Slater... 8 Brad Fast... 7 DEFENSEMEN POINTS Duncan Keith... 8 Brad Fast... 7 Andrew Hutchinson... 3 POWER-PLAY GOALS John-Michael Liles... 2 Four tied with... 1 PLUS/MINUS Brad Fast...+6 Duncan Keith...+5 Jim Slater...+5 Record/Rank MSU BGSU Overall Record 3-2-1 1-3-2 CCHA Record 3-2-1 1-2-1 CCHA Points 7 pts 3 pts CCHA Standings T-1st T-8th USCHO Poll Rank 1st ----- USA Today Poll Rank 1st ----- Scoring MSU BGSU Goals For 20 14 Goals/Game 3.33 2.33 CCHA Rank T-5th 11th Goals Against 13 22 Goals Against/Game 2.17 3.67 CCHA Rank 2nd T-9th Special Teams MSU BGSU Power Play 6-31 (.194) 6-34 (.176) CCHA Rank 4th 7th Penalty Kill 19-21 (.905) 28-37 (.757) CCHA Rank 2nd 11th Penalties MSU BGSU Penalty Minutes 59 182 PIM/Game 9.33 30.33 CCHA Rank 2nd 12th MSU Leading Scorers Duncan Keith, Fr., D (5 GP, 2-6--8) Jim Slater, Fr., C (5 GP, 2-5--7) Brad Fast, Jr., D (5 GP, 1-5--6) Joe Goodenow, Sr., F (4 GP, 3-2--5) MSU Leading Goalie Ryan Miller, Jr. (3-1-1, 1.58 GAA,.927 svs%) The Series Overall: MSU leads 50-22-9 (.768) In East Lansing: MSU leads 26-8-3 (.667) Current Streak: MSU, unbeaten 8 (6-0-2) Longest MSU Win Streak vs. BGSU: 5, 2x; MR: Jan. 15-Nov. 9, 1994 Longest MSU Unbeaten Streak vs. BGSU: 9 (7-0-2); Feb. 7, 1986-Nov. 29, 1987 Longest MSU Losing Streak vs. BGSU: 3, 3x; MR: Feb. 12-March 11, 1988 Longest MSU Winless Streak vs. BGSU: 3 (0-1-2), 5x; MR: Feb 19-Nov. 20, 1993 First Meeting: Jan. 2, 1971 (MSU won 7-2) Last Meeting: March 17, 2001 (MSU won 2-1) The Coaches MSU Ron Mason (St. Lawrence 64) Overall: 900-373-79 (.695), 36th year At MSU: 611-263-65 (.685), 22nd year Vs. BGSU: 44-21-9 (.700) BGSU Buddy Powers (Boston U. 75) Overall: 247-198-37 (.551), 14th year At BGSU: 127-127-22 (.500), eighth year Vs. MSU: 5-15-3 (.283) BGSU Leading Scorers Brian Escobedo, So., D (6 GP, 2-3--5) Mark Wires, So., F (6 GP, 2-2--4) Scott Hewson, Sr., F (6 GP, 1-3--4) Greg Day, Sr., F (6 GP, 1-3--4) BGSU Leading Goalie Tyler Masters, Jr. (1-3-2, 3.44 GAA,.905 svs%) PENALTY MINUTES Andrew Hutchinson... 8 Four tied with... 6 GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE Ryan Miller... 2.05 SAVES PERCENTAGE Ryan Miller....904 SHUTOUTS Ryan Miller... 2 WINS Ryan Miller... 3 MINUTES PLAYED Ryan Miller...351:49 THIS WEEK The Michigan State hockey team starts a season-long, seven-game homestand as the top-ranked Spartans (3-1-1 overall, 3-1-1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association) welcome the Bowling Green Falcons (4-1-0 overall, 0-1-0 CCHA) to Munn Ice Arena for a two-game conference series. Thursday s faceoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. EST with Friday s start slated for 6:35 p.m. RADIO Both games of the Bowling Green series, and all MSU home and road games, can be heard live on WVFN-AM 730 The Fan. Play-by-play man Scott Moore, in his fifth season as the radio voice of MSU hockey, will call the action. Former Spartan All-American goaltender Joe Blackburn provides color commentary. Spartan fans can also hear live play-by-play action of MSU hockey via the Internet. Broadcasts can be accessed by logging on to www.msuspartans.com, the official website of Spartan athletics, or www.espn.com. TELEVISION Both games of the MSU-BGSU series will be broadcast live in the greater Lansing area on AT&T Broadband. Eric Peasley will handle play-by-play duties and is joined by analyst Joe Campbell and rinkside reporter Gary Durak. Thursday s broadcast will begin at 7 p.m. with Friday s telecast starting at 6:30. The local cable outlet is scheduled to carry a total of 12 Spartan hockey games this season.
2001-02 MSU Schedule TIME/ DATE RESULT OPPONENT 9/29 W 14-1 QUEEN S (EX) 10/6 T 3-3 MICHIGAN * (at Spartan Stadium) 10/11 W 5-0 LAKE SUPERIOR * 10/12 W 6-1 LAKE SUPERIOR * 10/20 W 2-0 FERRIS STATE * 10/26 L 4-3 at Nebraska-Omaha * 10/27 L 5-1 at Nebraska-Omaha * 11/1 7:05 PM BOWLING GREEN * 11/2 6:35 PM BOWLING GREEN * 11/9 7:05 PM MASS.-AMHERST 11/16 7:05 PM MIAMI * 11/17 7:05 PM MIAMI * College Hockey Showcase 11/23 7:05 PM WISCONSIN 11/25 1:35 PM MINNESOTA 11/30 11:05 PM at Alaska Fairbanks * 12/1 11:05 PM at Alaska Fairbanks * 12/7 7:05 PM at Northern Michigan * 12/8 7:05 PM at Northern Michigan * Great Lakes Invitational (at Detroit) 12/28 7:30 PM vs. Michigan Tech 12/29 3:30 or 7 PM vs. North Dakota or Michigan 1/4 7:05 PM QUINNIPIAC 1/5 7:05 PM QUINNIPIAC 1/11 7:05 PM WESTERN MICHIGAN * 1/12 7:05 PM at Western Michigan * 1/15 7:05 PM at Ferris State * 1/19 7:05 PM at Michigan * 1/25 7:05 PM OHIO STATE * 1/26 7:05 PM OHIO STATE * 2/1 7:35 PM at Ohio State * 2/2 8:05 PM at Ohio State * 2/8 7:05 PM NOTRE DAME * 2/9 7:05 PM NOTRE DAME * 2/16 7:35 PM Michigan (at Detroit) 2/22 7:35 PM at Miami * 2/23 7:35 PM at Miami * 3/1 7:35 PM at Ferris State * 3/2 7:05 PM FERRIS STATE * 3/8-10 TBA CCHA First Round 3/15-17 TBA CCHA Tournament at Detroit 3/22-23 TBA NCAA West Regional Ann Arbor, Mich. 3/23-24 TBA NCAA East Regional Worcester, Mass. 4/4 and 6 TBA NCAA Frozen Four St. Paul, Minn. (EX) Exhibition * CCHA game all times ET dates, times and sites are subject to change TICKET UPDATE Only $9 standing-room tickets remain for this week s series vs. Bowling Green. However, seats are still available for four upcoming MSU games Nov. 23 vs. Wisconsin, Nov. 25 vs. Minnesota and Jan. 4-5 vs. Quinnipiac. Price is $18 for the general public and $8 for MSU students with a valid ID. A five-game ticket plan can also be purchased for the 2001-02 hockey season. The plan includes games vs. Wisconsin (Nov. 23), Minnesota (Nov. 25), Quinnipiac (Jan. 4-5) and Ferris State (March 2). Cost is $90 for the general public and $40 for MSU students with a valid ID. For more information on Spartan hockey tickets, contact the MSU ticket office at (517) 355-1610 or 1-800-GO STATE. MSU INJURY UPDATE (AS OF OCT. 29) Probable Lee Falardeau, shoulder... (missed Oct. 27 game at Nebraska-Omaha) THE SPARTANS... Enter the weekend series looking to extend their current 20-game home unbeaten streak (18-0-2). Should MSU win or tie in the series opener vs. BGSU Thursday, they d own the second-longest home unbeaten streak in school history. The longest is a 29-game stretch from Jan. 9, 1998-March 5, 1999 during which State was 24-0-5. Are unbeaten in their last eight games against Bowling Green, posting a 6-0-2 record during that span. The Falcons last win in the series came in a 1-0 shutout of MSU on Dec. 7, 1997 in East Lansing. Hope to avoid their first three-game losing streak in nearly two years, when MSU dropped both ends of a CCHA series at Miami Nov. 19-20 followed by a loss to Wisconsin at Munn Ice Arena six days later in the first game of the College Hockey Showcase. Have not had two losses this early in the season since the 1996-97 campaign, when State opened with three straight wins before dropping back-to-back decisions to Boston College and Northeastern. Own a 16-3-0 (.842) record in the first game after suffering back-to-back losses since the start of the 1991-92 season. Open a seven-game homestand with this week s series against BGSU. It s MSU s longest stretch of games at Munn Ice Arena since they hosted seven straight from Feb. 8-March 1, 1986. THE FALCONS... Are off to a 1-3-2 start this season. BGSU opened the year with a loss to host Maine and a tie vs. Clarkson at the Ice Breaker Tournament, posted a loss and a tie in its first CCHA series of the season at Northern Michigan and earned a split with Ohio State last weekend. Have scored two or fewer goals in 11 of its last 12 meetings with MSU dating back to March 1, 1997, when the two teams skated to a scoreless tie. Bowling Green is 8-1-3 against the Spartans during that span. Were a surprise participant in the 2001 CCHA Tournament at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The ninth-place team in the regular-season standings upset secondplace Miami in the first round of the league playoffs and ousted fifth-place Northern Michigan in the play-in game. BGSU was ultimately eliminated by the Spartans in a conference semifinal match. Trail the all-time series with MSU by a 50-22-9 margin. MSU has posted 50 or more wins than all but three CCHA schools Nebraska-Omaha, Notre Dame and Western Michigan. THE MSU HEAD COACH Ron Mason (St. Lawrence 64) is in his 23rd season with the Spartans and 36th year as a college coach. The winningest mentor in college hockey history, Mason has piloted the Spartans to a 611-263-65 (.685) mark since taking over for the legendary Amo Bessone in 1979. His overall record currently stands at 900-373- 79 (.695), with win no. 900 coming one week ago vs. Ferris State at Munn Ice Arena. Mason guided MSU to its second NCAA hockey championship in 1986 and his 21 NCAA Tournament appearances are an all-time record. He also has taken eight teams to the NCAA Frozen Four, including seven Spartan squads. Mason has more victories at one school than all but two coaches in NCAA hockey history. He s surpassed by only Bob Peters of Bemidji State (703 wins), who retired 2 2001 CCHA REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPIONS 2
at the end of the 2000-01 season, and Jack Parker of Boston University (616). His number of wins with the Green and White are more than all but five coaches have during their collegiate careers. The seven-time Central Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year led the Spartans to league regular-season titles in 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1998, 1999 and 2001. He s also guided MSU to CCHA playoff crowns in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2000 and 2001. The league honored Mason by renaming the CCHA playoff trophy in his honor last year. Mason, who won the Spencer Penrose Award as national coach of the year in 1992, has coached 20 Spartans to All-American honors and seen 44 of his former MSU skaters move on to the NHL. LAST WEEKEND S RECAP It wasn t a good weekend to be a No. 1 team visiting the state of Nebraska. Not long after the University of Nebraska dispatched of Oklahoma, front runner in the first BCS poll of the college football season, Nebraska-Omaha sent Michigan State the nation s top-ranked college hockey team back to East Lansing with the sting of two losses. On Friday, Shane Glover scored his second goal of the night with 1:08 remaining to propel the Mavericks to a 4-3 win over the Spartans in front of a raucous sellout crowd at the Civic Arena in Omaha. The goal capped an entertaining, free-wheeling game that saw a combined 65 shots on goal. The sequence started when Spartan goaltender Ryan Miller (East Lansing, Mich.) made a save on an Aaron Smith shot and steered the rebound into the far corner. Andrew Wong picked up the carom and fed Glover as he drove uncontested toward the MSU net, notching his third goal of the year. Junior Brian Maloney (Bassano, Alta.) gave MSU its first lead of the evening with 3:33 left in regulation. Linemate Jim Slater (Lapeer, Mich.) drove around a UNO defender and got a backhand shot on net. The Mavericks Dan Ellis made the initial save but Maloney was there to bury the rebound and put the Spartans ahead 3-2. Nebraska-Omaha tied the score just 49 seconds later when Gus Groslie battled his way out front from behind the Spartan net and slid the puck past Miller. The Spartans controlled the flow early, launching 10 shots before the host Mavericks could muster an attempt on the MSU net. Nebraska-Omaha took its first shot a little more than nine minutes into the first period and scored on the second shot of the night just 15 seconds later. A drive off Smith s stick hit traffic in the slot. Glover dove and beat a sprawling Miller to the puck, swatting it into the Spartan net from his stomach. Jeff Hoggan, the CCHA s leading scorer entering the weekend, gave Nebraska- Omaha a two-goal edge with a power-play goal at 11:41. With MSU s Andrew Hutchinson (Hudson, Ohio) in the penalty box serving a two-minute minor for cross checking, Hoggan collected the rebound off a shot by teammate Andrew Wong and flicked it past Miller for his sixth goal of the season. Mike Lalonde (Chetwynd, B.C.) narrowed the UNO edge to 2-1 with his first goal at 15:14. The freshman wing corralled an errant clearing attempt in the high slot and rifled a wrist shot over the glove hand of Maverick netminder Dan Ellis at 15:14. The pace of the game slowed considerably in the second period, although both teams had a handful of prime scoring chances. The Spartans attempted eight shots on goal after taking 18 shots in the first period while the Mavericks took four shots on goal after a 15-shot opening frame. State evened the score early in the third period on a goal by freshman Duncan Keith (Penticton, B.C.). The CCHA s leading rookie scorer took advantage of a long rebound off an Adam Hall (Kalamazoo, Mich.) shot and fired the puck through traffic, sneaking it past Ellis outstretched left leg at 2:11. On Saturday, the opportunistic Mavericks took advantage of a myriad of Spartan mistakes en route to an 5-1 win the back end of the two-game set. Much like Friday s contest, the Spartans controlled play early, attempting the first six shots on goal thanks in part to three first-period power plays opportunities. MSU couldn t capitalize on the man advantage, however. The Mavericks launched a flurry of their own midway through the first with the next six shots on net. Miller was able to keep UNO at bay until late in the frame when Wong notched the game s first goal just prior to the first intermission. The UNO centerman was stoned in his first shot on goal after taking a feed from linemate Smith, but got the rebound and slid it past Miller with 1:59 left in the period. Michigan State s special-teams woes carried over into the second period. Instead of capitalizing on their fourth power-play chance of the evening, the Spartans 2001-02 MSU Roster No. Name Yr. Pos. 1 Nathan Shopbell Sr. G Dewitt, Mich. 2 Jon Insana Sr. D New Baltimore, Mich. 3 Duncan Keith Fr. D Penticton, B.C. 4 John-Michael Liles Jr. D Zionsville, Ind. 5 Joe Markusen So. F Park River, N.D. 6 Steve Clark Jr. F Mississauga, Ont. 7 Tim Hearon So. C Southgate, Mich. 8 Aaron Hundt So. D Lansing, Mich. 9 Brock Radunske Fr. F New Hamburg, Ont. 10 Kevin Estrada Fr. F Surrey, B.C. 11 Steve Jackson Jr. W Bloomfield Hills, Mich. 14 Ash Goldie Fr. F London, Ont. 15 Steve Swistak Fr. F West Bloomfield, Mich. 16 Kris Koski Jr. W Schaumburg, Ill. 17 Troy Ferguson Jr. C Kitchener, Ont. 18 Adam Hall (c) Sr. RW Kalamazoo, Mich. 19 Jim Slater Fr. F Lapeer, Mich. 20 Brian Maloney Jr. LW Bassano, Alta. 21 Mike Lalonde Fr. F Chetwynd, B.C. 22 Lee Falardeau Fr. F Midland, Mich. 23 Pat Brush So. F Birmingham, Mich. 24 Andrew Hutchinson (a) Sr. D Hudson, Ohio 25 Mike Porter So. D Northville, Mich. 26 Joe Goodenow Sr. F Toronto, Ont. 27 Brad Fast (a) Jr. F Fort St. John, B.C. 30 Matt Migliaccio Fr. G Wyandotte, Mich. 39 Ryan Miller Jr. G East Lansing, Mich. Head Coach: Ron Mason Assistant Coaches: Tom Newton David McAuliffe Volunteer Assistant: Joe Blackburn Assistant to the Head Coach: Joe Ford Trainer: Dave Carrier Equipment Manager: Tom Magee Student Trainer: Ryan Walentowski Student Managers: Bill Scott, Tim Mayer 3 2001 CCHA PLAYOFF CHAMPIONS 3
MSU Hockey Media Information PRESS BOX: Michigan State s working press facilities are located on the south side of Munn Ice Arena. The press box is located in a raised area above the south concourse. Three rows of seating are available to accommodate the working media. Working media members are assigned space in the press box; scouts and players are not permitted in the press box at any time as per MSU, CCHA and NCAA rules. The MSU press box is a working press box and under NCAA rules any cheering is strictly prohibited. Abuse of working media credentials is grounds for removal from the press box. WORKING CREDENTIALS: All applications must be placed via phone or fax with the MSU sports information office. Upon acceptance of application, appropriate credentials are mailed out or held for pickup at the press will call window at the media entrance (north entrance, facing Demonstration Hall). Seating is limited. RADIO BROADCASTS: A maximum of three spaces are provided for each broadcast. Opponent radio stations wishing to broadcast from Munn Arena must make arrangements through hockey SID Mike Eidelbes no less than one week prior to the game. There is space available for one station per school to broadcast each game. Radio station banners are not permitted to hang from the front of the press box. TELEVISION: Special arrangements must be made through the sports information department for television broadcasts. Television station banners are not permitted to hang from the front of the press box. Television stations shooting highlights will be allotted space on one of three TV/photo decks located on the Munn Arena concourse. FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS: Space is available for shooting on the TV/photo deck located on the north concourse opposite the press box. Identification badges should be picked up at the press box entrance before the game and must be worn at all times. Arrangements may also be made with hockey SID Mike Eidelbes to shoot from the penalty box area at ice level for a maximum of one period depending on availability. SERVICES: Summaries and shot charts are issued after each period and complete game summaries are distributed at the end of each game. Quick reference statistics and notes are flashed via message board in front of the working area throughout the game. Phones are available for filing stories. Reporters requiring exclusive phone service should have their own lines installed. WORLD WIDE WEB: MSU hockey releases, statistics, game notes, photos, player features and interviews are available and updated daily on the official web site of Spartan athletics: www.msuspartans.com instead watched Nebraska-Omaha s David Brisson gather a loose puck in the neutral zone and fire a shot from inside the far faceoff circle that rattled between Miller s pads and into the net for a shorthanded goal 2:21 into the second period. The Mavericks took a 3-0 lead with 5:11 left in second period, capitalizing on a sloppy clearing attempt by a Spartan defender which ended up right on the stick of Wong, who dropped the puck to Smith. His shot just the second of the second period for UNO pinballed between Miller s legs and across the goal line. MSU, meanwhile, fired 14 second-period shots at Nebraska-Omaha netminder Dan Ellis to no avail. For the first time in his two-plus seasons in a Spartan uniform, Miller was chased from a game early when Groslie scored his third goal of the season 7:51 into the third period to give the Mavericks a 4-0 lead. The Spartans avoided the shutout when junior defenseman Brad Fast (Fort St. John, B.C.) notched his second goal of the season a shorthanded tally with 8:43 left in regulation on assists by Slater and Hall. Scott Turner provided the final margin of victory for UNO with a power-play goal with 2:13 left in the third period. Game summaries on page 22. NOTABLE... The weekend sweep by Nebraska-Omaha marked the first time the Spartans lost both ends of a CCHA series since Nov. 19-20, 1999, when MSU dropped a pair of games to Miami in Oxford, Ohio by 3-2 and 3-0 scores. Saturday s 5-1 loss was State s worst defeat since Nov. 26, 1999, when the Spartans were on the short end of a 5-1 decision against Wisconsin at Munn Ice Arena. The five goals amassed by UNO on Saturday were the most allowed by the Spartans since March 24, 1999, when Boston College beat MSU 6-5 in a NCAA Tournament West Regional first-round match in Minneapolis. The nine goals allowed by MSU this past weekend are the most the team has given up in back-to-back games since Feb.23 and 28, 1997, when the Green and White lost to Ohio State, 8-3, before handing Notre Dame a 3-2 defeat. The nine goals are also the most the Spartans have allowed in a CCHA series since Feb. 11-12, 1994, when MSU lost and tied at Lake Superior State (11-1, 3-3). MSU gave up four goals in each of the games at Nebraska-Omaha. The Spartans allowed four or more goals in a game twice during the entire 2000-01 season. The Maverick comeback Friday night marked the first time the Spartans squandered a third-period lead since Jan. 27, 2001, when MSU suffered a 4-3 overtime loss to Michigan at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. MSU trailed by two goals in both games of the Nebraska-Omaha series. The Spartans trailed by two goals on four occasions during the 2000-01 campaign. Since the start of the 2000-01 season, the Spartans is 0-4-1 when its opponent takes a two-goal lead. The lone tie came at Bowling Green on Dec. 1, 2000. MSU senior wing Adam Hall notched an assist on Duncan Keith s third-period goal Friday and earned a helper in Saturday s loss. The points were the 95th and 96th of the Spartan captain s career....and QUOTABLE We re all a little shell-shocked right now. I don t know what we can take out of this. We have to work hard next week and come back strong. senior defenseman Jon Insana Sometimes it takes a series like this to improve as a team. This sends a message to all our players. It doesn t matter how much talent you have, it s how hard you play. coach Ron Mason Dominik Hasek has been pulled, too. There are going to be nights when the game is cruel. Mason, on removing Miller in the third period of Saturday s loss Hockey gods aren t so nice sometimes junior goaltender Ryan Miller STRAIGHT SHOOTERS Despite dropping the weekend pair to Nebraska-Omaha, the Spartans have owned the shots-on-goal advantage in each of their six games this season. MSU attempted 34 shots to UNO s 31 on Friday and the Spartans had 31 shots to the Mavericks 18 the following night. MSU is averaging nearly 36 shots per game compared to just over 21 shots per game for its opponents. The Spartans have attempted 30 or more shots in each of its last five games. 4 2001 CCHA REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPIONS 4
SPECIAL EDUCATION The Spartan special teams units, which entered the UNO series among the best in the CCHA, struggled along with the rest of the team last weekend. MSU, which had managed a power-play goal in each of its first four games this season and boasted a.300 (6-20) success rate, came up empty in each of its 11 man-advantage opportunities against the Mavericks. State also gave up a shorthanded goal in Saturday s loss. On the flip side, the Spartans, who had successfully killed all 11 opponent manadvantage opportunities through the first four games of the year, allowed a powerplay goal in both games of the UNO series. MSU gave up a power-play goal in back-to-back games on just three occasions in 2000-01. DOGS AND CATS LIVING TOGETHER... For just the fourth time since both teams joined the Central Collegiate Hockey Association in 1980, Michigan State and Michigan were the victims of league series sweeps on the same weekend. The Spartans losses this past weekend UNO coincided with a pair of Northern Michigan victories against the Wolverines at Yost Ice Arena. The last time the Green and White and Maize and Blue were skunked on the same weekend Nov. 19-20, 1999. The Spartans dropped a pair at Miami (3-2, 3-0) while the Wolverines were bounced by Lake Superior State (3-0, 4-2) in Ann Arbor. SLAM-DUNC(AN) Freshman defenseman Duncan Keith has come out of the gates strong in his rookie campaign. The Penticton, B.C. native shares the team lead in points with 2-6--8 in six games and had scored at least one point in every game before being held in check Saturday. He s also MSU s leader in assists (six) along with fellow freshman Jim Slater. Keith ranks second among CCHA blueliners in scoring entering the week game, trailing only Alaska Fairbanks Daniel Carriere. He s also tied for seventh in the conference in assists and, with Slater, shares the league lead in scoring among freshmen. He also owns a +5 plus-minus rating. The former Penticton Panther standout had a point in each of MSU s first five games. He scored his first collegiate goal vs. Michigan Oct. 6, added an assist in MSU s win vs. Lake Superior State Oct. 11 and notched a pair of helpers in the Spartans defeat of the Lakers Oct. 12. He was named CCHA Rookie of the Week for Oct. 22 after picking up two assists in MSU s 2-0 win over Ferris Sate last Saturday and added a goal and an assist in Friday s loss to Nebraska-Omaha. CLEAN SLATE(R) Freshman forward Jim Slater, who notched an assist on Brian Maloney s thirdperiod goal Friday and assisted on Brad Fast s goal Saturday, joins Keith as the Spartans leader in points and assists with 2-6--8 in six games. Like Keith, he s tied for seventh in the CCHA in assists and is tied with his teammate for first among conference rookies in scoring. Slater notched a goal and an assist in MSU s season opener vs. Michigan at Spartan Stadium on Oct. 6 and added a goal and two helpers against Lake Superior State Oct. 11 to become the first MSU skater to post back-to-back, multiple-point games to start the regular season since current New York Ranger Mike York accomplished the feat at the beginning of the 1997-98 campaign. York notched two goals in a 3-3 tie vs. Guelph at Munn Ice Arena on Oct. 4 and added a pair of assists in a 3-1 win over Boston University in the first round of the Ice Breaker Tournament in Milwaukee on Oct. 10. FAST START Junior defenseman Brad Fast scored MSU s lone goal Saturday, giving the Fort St. John, B.C. product 2-5--7 in six games this season. He s third among CCHA defenseman scoring and leads the Spartans with a +6 plus-minus rating. Fast, who entered the season with 10 multiple-point games, has scored two points in three of the Spartans first six outings this season. He had two assists in MSU s 3-3 tie vs. Michigan at Spartan Stadium Oct. 6 and added a goal and an assist in State s 6-1 romp over Lake Superior State at Munn Ice Arena Oct. 12. MSU Hockey Media Information FAX-ON-DEMAND SERVICE: MSU and Pivotal Communications offer a fax-on-demand service which allows media to access the most recent hockey releases and statistics at any time. Weekly releases, statistics and game summaries are available Monday afternoons. Dial the system from the handset of your fax machine at (800) 300-2050. MSU s passcode is 282 (BTC). Select the information you need by the following request numbers: 2160 General Release 2161 Statistics/Results 2162 Roster/Schedule 2163 Previous Weekend Summaries Contact Pivotal Communications at (770) 399-0096 for information on their new mediateamlink.com site which provides access to the same information on the Internet. WEEKLY RELEASE VIA E-MAIL: Media members can receive the MSU hockey weekly press release via email by contacting hockey SID Mike Eidelbes at eidelbes@msu.edu. INTERVIEWS DURING THE WEEK: Coach Mason is available for interviews during the week and can best be reached by phone late mornings Monday through Thursday. He also attends MSU s weekly press conference Mondays at 11:45 a.m. He and MSU players are available for interviews at Munn Arena on non-game days immediately before or after practice, which usually begins at 3 p.m. Interviews may be conducted via telephone or in person. Please contact hockey SID Mike Eidelbes to arrange interviews. POSTGAME INTERVIEWS: Coach Mason and MSU players will be available outside the locker room following a 10-minute cooling-off period. With the exception of live television broadcasts, players are not available until the conclusion of the cooling-off period. Media members can access the MSU locker room area through the hockey office entrance (northeast corner) via the Zamboni opening at the east end of the rink. Please do not cut across the ice. Interviews with the visiting coach and players should be arranged through the visiting SID. DIRECTIONS TO MUNN: Take Exit 8 (Kalamazoo Street) off of I-496 (East or West). Head east on Kalamazoo Street onto the MSU campus past Harrison Road and the Breslin Center to Jenison Field House, which is just past the Breslin Center on the left. Munn Ice Arena is just south of the Jenison parking lot. Please contact hockey SID Mike Eidelbes during the week prior to a home series for parking passes, a limited number of which will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. 5 2001 CCHA PLAYOFF CHAMPIONS 5
MSU Hockey vs. Bowling Green MSU HOCKEY LAST 20 GAMES vs. BGSU Date Result Site Dec. 9, 1994 L 6-2 A Jan. 21, 1995 L 6-4 A March 18, 1995 W 4-3 JLA Oct. 21, 1995 L 6-2 A Jan. 19, 1996 W 4-2 H Feb. 29, 1996 L 5-1 H Nov. 1, 1996 W 8-2 H Nov. 23, 1996 W 5-3 A March 1, 1997 T 0-0 (ot) A Nov. 22, 1997 W 5-2 A Dec. 6, 1997 W 4-2 H Dec. 7, 1997 L 1-0 H Oct. 23, 1998 W 7-1 A Jan. 9, 1999 W 3-1 H Jan. 15, 1999 T 3-3 (ot) A Nov. 12, 1999 W 3-1 H Nov. 13, 1999 W 5-2 H Dec. 1, 2000 T 3-3 (ot) A Dec. 2, 2000 W 3-1 A March 16, 2001 W 2-1 JLA MSU Record 12-5-3 Home 6-2-0 Road 4-3-3 Neutral 2-0-0 MSU HOCKEY CAREER STATS VS. BGSU Player GP G-A-P PP SH GW Hall 8 5-4--9 0 1 0 Maloney 5 4-1--5 1 0 0 Fast 5 1-2--3 0 0 0 Hutchinson 8 0-3--3 0 0 0 Clark 5 0-2--2 0 0 0 Liles 6 0-2--2 0 0 0 Ferguson 5 0-1--1 0 0 0 Goodenow 6 1-0--1 0 0 0 Hearon 2 0-1--1 0 0 0 Jackson 3 0-1--1 0 0 0 Miller 4 0-1--1 0 0 0 Insana 8 0-0--0 0 0 0 Markusen 3 0-0--0 0 0 0 Hundt 2 0-0--0 0 0 0 Koski 2 0-0--0 0 0 0 Brush 0 0-0--0 0 0 0 Porter 0 0-0--0 0 0 0 Swistak 0 0-0--0 0 0 0 Player GP W-L-T GAA Svs% Miller 4 3-0-1 1.71.920 (245:00 MP; 81 saves; 7 GA, 0 SHO) THIS JUST IN...HE S HUMAN Perhaps the best way to gauge the unparalleled career of junior goaltender Ryan Miller is to look at the few times he s been off his game. The 2001 Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner struggled through his poorest weekend in a Spartan uniform, seeing his goals against average rise from 0.98 to 2.05 and saves percentage fall from.949 to.904 following the Nebraska-Omaha sweep. To wit: The weekend losses marked just the second time in his MSU career that Miller has dropped back-to-back decisions. It was also the second time in his career he had allowed three or more goals in consecutive starts. The eight goals are the most the East Lansing native has allowed in back-toback games as a point of comparison, he allowed five goals in the month of January last season (seven games) and gave up eight goals in six starts during the 2001 postseason. Miller gave up eight goals in the UNO series. He didn t allow more than four goals in any of the 10 series in which he played both games last season. ANOTHER KIND OF SHUTOUT Incidentally, Miller made no saves on two shots in the second period of Saturday s loss, matching a MSU record for fewest saves in a period. Jason Muzzatti accomplished the feat twice (March 2, 1999 vs. Western Michigan and Dec. 20, 1990 vs. Toronto). He faced two shots in the second period on both occasions. Bob Troscinski was the first Spartan to make no saves in a period. He faced no shots in the second period of a game vs. Illinois-Chicago on Jan. 15, 1982. SPARTANS REMAIN ATOP NATIONAL POLLS The Michigan State hockey team maintained its position atop this week s national polls, released Monday (Oct. 22). The Spartans captured 15 of 19 first-place votes and 277 total points in the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine poll. Minnesota held onto its second-place position with 271 points and four first-place votes. Third-ranked St. Cloud State and fourth-rated North Dakota switched spots from last week while Denver enters the top five for the first time since January 1996. Other Central Collegiate Hockey Association schools in the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine poll are Michigan (tied for seventh), Nebraska-Omaha (12th), Alaska Fairbanks and Northern Michigan (both receiving votes.) MSU received 32 of 40 first-place tallies in the latest U.S. College Hockey.com poll. Minnesota, St. Cloud State, North Dakota and Colorado College round out the top five. Other CCHA teams in the USCHO rankings are Michigan (seventh), Nebraska-Omaha (12th), Northern Michigan, Alaska Fairbanks, Western Michigan, Ohio State and Ferris State (all receiving votes). The Spartans are also ranked first in the Sporting News Power Poll. Minnesota, Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota and St. Cloud State comprise the top five in that ranking. Michigan (sixth) and Alaska Fairbanks (honorable mention) are also part of the Sporting News poll. Complete polls on page eight. MSU FIRST IN THE HOCKEY NEWS PRESEASON POLL Michigan State grabbed top honors in the NCAA preseason poll released by The Hockey News earlier this week. The Spartans are the editors pick to win the 2002 national championship and are followed in the rankings by Minnesota and Colorado College. Michigan and Providence round out the top five. The second five consists of Harvard, North Dakota, Maine, Ohio State and Rensselaer. Complete poll on page eight. (NORTH) AMERICA S TEAM? Thanks to outstanding play and a record-setting outdoor hockey game, Michigan State has arguably garnered more national recognition than any college hockey program ever. The MSU-Michigan game at Spartan Stadium was the focus of the NHL Cool Shots series last week. Host Dan Moriarity and an NHL Productions crew spent two days in East Lansing for the game and talked to MSU head coach Ron Mason and goaltender Ryan Miller, among others. The program aired across the continent on ESPN, espn2, CBC and CTV Sportsnet. The Spartan Stadium game which attracted more than 200 journalists and 6 2001 CCHA REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPIONS 6
photographers from the United States and Canada was featured in Sports Illustrated, USA Today and Sporting News earlier this month. MSU was also highlighted in college hockey previews seen in Sports Illustrated and The Hockey News. Coach Ron Mason conducted national interviews with ESPN Radio and ABC Radio in the week prior to the outdoor game. Senior captain Adam Hall also made an appearance on ESPN Radio. Miller was the subject of a Sports Illustrated feature in January 2001 during his run to the Hobey Baker Award. He s also been part of two ESPN.com chats, including one earlier this month. Last season s captain, Rustyn Dolyny, was also part of an ESPN.com chat in April. HALL OF FAME EFFORT Items used in the Oct. 6 Michigan State-Michigan game at Spartan Stadium are on their way to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The hall s curators will receive all six goal pucks from the contest and the stick MSU senior wing Adam Hall used to score the game s first goal. Ticket stubs, game programs and media guides, line charts and game notes from both teams will also be sent to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Michigan State contributed items from Ryan Miller s record-setting season to the Hockey Hall of Fame this summer including the Hobey Baker Award winner s home sweater, stick and a puck used in his NCAA-record 17th career shutout vs. Alaska Fairbanks on Feb. 10. MSU PLAYERS VIE FOR WCHA TOP 50 RECOGNITION 10 former Michigan State icers are among 129 nominees for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association s Top 50 Players in 50 Years team. The squad is being announced in conjunction with the WCHA s 50th anniversary this season. The Spartans played in the WCHA from 1959-60 to 1980-81. MSU players up for the WCHA honor are defenseman Norm Barnes (1972-74), defenseman Bob Boyd (1970-73), forward Steve Colp (1972-76), goaltender Gaye Cooley (1965-67), forward Daryl Rice (1972-76), forward Tom Ross (1972-76), goaltender Joe Selinger (1956-58), forward John Sturges (1972-76), forward Doug Volmar (1964-67) and goaltender Jim Watt (1969-72). A committee will announce the honorees in groups of 10 beginning Nov. 11 and ending at the WCHA s Final Five in St. Paul on March 14-16. A THOUSAND POINTS OF LIGHT The Spartans come into the tonight s vs. Nebraska-Omaha with a 994-739-86 (.570) record in 60-plus seasons of intercollegiate hockey competition. Six more wins will make MSU the second CCHA school and 10th in NCAA history to reach the 1,000-win plateau. The top ten Division I schools in terms of wins: RANK TEAM WINS 1 Minnesota... 1,402 2 Michigan... 1,255 3 Boston University... 1,186 4 Clarkson... 1,158 5 Boston College... 1,158 6 Harvard... 1,144 7 North Dakota... 1,074 8 Denver... 1,026 9 Michigan Tech... 1,012 10 Michigan State...994 FOX SPORTS NET DETROIT ANNOUNCES TV SCHEDULE Michigan State will be featured on Fox Sports Net Detroit eight times during the 2001-02 campaign as the cable television outlet announced its broadcast schedule for the upcoming regular season last month. Fox Sports Net kicked off the college hockey season by carrying the Spartans tilt with Michigan at Spartan Stadium. MSU will also be featured as part of Fox Sports Net s coverage of the Great Lakes Invitational Dec. 28-29. Other MSU appearances on Fox Sports Net are Jan. 11 vs. Western Michigan, Jan. 19 at Michigan, Feb. 1 at Ohio State, Feb. 16 vs. Michigan at Joe Louis Arena and March 2 vs. Ferris State. Fox Sports Net will also broadcast the CCHA semifinals and final in addition to a quarterfinal game to be determined at a later date. The complete Fox Sports Net Detroit college hockey broadcast schedule: MSU Hockey Miscellaneous Statistics MULTIPLE-GOAL GAMES MR: most recent Player 00-01 Career MR Hall 0 9 2/17/01 Maloney 0 6 3/9/01 Liles 1 2 10/11/01 Ferguson 0 1 3/10/00 Goodenow 1 1 10/12/01 MULTIPLE-POINT GAMES Player 01-02 Career MR Hall 1 21 10/6/01 Maloney 1 18 10/26/01 Fast 3 13 10/20/01 Liles 1 12 10/11/01 Ferguson 0 7 3/1/01 Hutchinson 1 7 10/11/01 Goodenow 1 6 10/12/01 Keith 3 3 10/26/01 Slater 2 2 10/11/01 Jackson 1 2 10/12/01 Falardeau 1 1 10/12/01 Markusen 0 1 2/23/01 POWER PLAY POINTS Player G A P Fast 1 2 3 Slater 0 3 3 Liles 2 0 2 Keith 1 1 2 Hall 1 0 1 Goodenow 1 0 1 Goldie 1 0 1 Hutchinson 0 1 1 Jackson 0 1 1 Maloney 0 1 1 Miller 0 1 1 SHORTHANDED POINTS Player G A P Fast 1 0 1 Hall 0 1 1 Slater 0 1 1 2001-02 TEAM STREAKS OVERALL WINS: 3, (10/11-20) LOSSES: 2, (10/26-present) UNBEATEN: 4 (3-0-1; 10/6-20) WINLESS: 2 2x, (MR: 0-2-0; 10/26-present) HOME WINS: 3, (10/11-present) LOSSES: N/A UNBEATEN: 4 (3-0-1; 10/6-present) WINLESS: 1 (0-0-1; 10/6) ROAD WINS: N/A LOSSES: 2, (10/26-present) UNBEATEN: N/A WINLESS: 2, (10/26-present) FROM LAST SEASON HOME UNBEATEN: 20, 10/21/00-present (18-0-2) 7 2001 CCHA PLAYOFF CHAMPIONS 7
MSU Hockey in the Polls U.S. COLLEGE HOCKEY ONLINE POLL (Oct. 22) Rank Team (1st place) Votes 1 Michigan State (32) 591 2 Minnesota (7) 555 3 St. Cloud State (1) 515 4 North Dakota 468 5 Colorado College 331 6 Michigan 329 7 Maine 323 8 Denver 283 9 Boston University 242 10 New Hampshire 212 11 Harvard 206 12 Nebraska-Omaha 187 13 Mass.-Lowell 128 14 Providence 119 15 Rensselaer 74 Receiving votes: Dartmouth 56, Alaska Fairbanks 29, MSU-Mankato 26, Union 27, Minnesota-Duluth 20, Northern Michigan 17, Clarkson 16, Boston College 5, Western Michigan 5, Northeastern 4, Wisconsin 4, Cornell 3, Ohio State 3, St. Lawrence 2, Wayne State 2, Ferris State 1, Quinnipiac 1 USA TODAY/ AMERICAN HOCKEY MAGAZINE POLL (Oct. 22) Rank Team (1st place) Votes 1 Michigan State (15) 277 2 Minnesota (4) 271 3 St. Cloud State 245 4 North Dakota 219 5 Denver 168 6 Colorado College 159 7 Maine 148 Michigan 148 9 New Hampshire 124 10 Boston University 123 11 Harvard 107 12 Nebraska-Omaha 91 13 Mass.-Lowell 65 14 Providence 50 15 Dartmouth 22 Receiving votes: MSU-Mankato 18, Alaska Fairbanks 13, Rensselaer 9, Union 9, Michigan Tech 5, Northern Michigan 4, Clarkson 2, Wisconsin 2, Boston College 1 BROADCAST DATE GAME TIME (all times ET) Dec. 28 Great Lakes Invitational semifinal 1...4 p.m. (Michigan vs. North Dakota) Dec. 28 Great Lakes Invitational semifinal 2...7:30 p.m. (Michigan State vs. Michigan Tech) Dec. 29 Great Lakes Invitational third-place game...3:30 p.m. Dec. 29 Great Lakes Invitational championship game...7 p.m. Jan. 4 Michigan at Notre Dame...7 p.m. Jan. 11 Western Michigan at Michigan State...7 p.m. Jan. 19 Michigan State at Michigan...7 p.m. Feb. 1 Michigan State at Ohio State...7:30 p.m. Feb. 8 Nebraska-Omaha at Michigan...7 p.m. Feb. 16 Michigan State vs. Michigan (at Joe Louis Arena)...7:30 p.m. Feb. 23 Northern Michigan at Bowling Green...7 p.m. March 2 Ferris State at Michigan State...7 p.m. March 9 CCHA Playoff quarterfinal game 7 p.m. March 16 CCHA Playoff semifinal 1 (at Joe Louis Arena)...2 p.m. March 16 CCHA Playoff semifinal 2 (at Joe Louis Arena)...5 p.m. March 17 CCHA Playoff championship (at Joe Louis Arena).. 6 p.m. * * - tape delay MSU HOCKEY BROADCASTS ON AT&T BROADBAND Spartan fans who can t track down a ticket to Munn Ice Arena will be able to catch MSU hockey action in the comfort of their own homes. AT&T Broadband will carry 11 State home games this season starting with the Lake Superior State series and ending with the series with Notre Dame in February. AT&T Broadband will also broadcast selected MSU volleyball, women s basketball and women s gymnastics events. The complete AT&T Broadband MSU hockey broadcast schedule: BROADCAST DATE GAME TIME (all times ET) Oct. 11 Lake Superior State at Michigan State...7 p.m. Oct. 12 Lake Superior State at Michigan State...7 p.m. Nov. 1 Bowling Green at Michigan State...7 p.m. Nov. 2 Bowling Green at Michigan State...6:30 p.m. Nov. 9 Mass.-Amherst at Michigan State...7 p.m. Jan. 4 Quinnipiac at Michigan State...7 p.m. Jan. 5 Quinnipiac at Michigan State...7 p.m. Jan. 11 Western Michigan at Michigan State...7 p.m. Jan. 25 Ohio State at Michigan State...7 p.m. Jan. 26 Ohio State at Michigan State...7 p.m. Feb. 8 Notre Dame at Michigan State...7 p.m. Feb. 9 Notre Dame at Michigan State...7 p.m. NUMBER-CRUNCHING Here s a statistical look at the Michigan State hockey team 27-member roster for the 2001-02 season: Average Height: 6-0 1/2 Average Weight: 187 lbs. Average Age: 20 years, 3.7 months Tallest Player: Freshman Lee Falardeau (6-4 1/2 ) Shortest Player: Redshirt sophomore Pat Brush (5-7) Heaviest Player: Junior Kris Koski (230 lbs.) Lightest Players: Junior Ryan Miller, sophomore Aaron Hundt and freshman Ash Goldie (160 lbs.) Oldest Player: Junior Brian Maloney (23 born 9/27/78) Youngest Player: Freshman Lee Falardeau (18 born 7/22/83) Average Player: Junior Steve Jackson (6-0, 187, 20 years, 9 months old) 8 2001 CCHA REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPIONS 8
COME SEE US NOW... The Spartans start the 2001-02 season with 11 of their first 13 games in East Lansing. MSU s lone road trip during that span took place last weekend, when State traveled to Nebraska-Omaha for a two-game set with the Mavericks. MSU played 12 of its first 15 games at Munn Ice Arena in 1986-87, the only time in school history the Green and White had more than 11 games at home in the first two months of the season. Incidentally, the Spartans started that season with a 15-1-1 overall record including a 10-1-1 home mark en route to an appearance in the NCAA Tournament title game....because YOU WON T SEE US LATER MSU s early logjam of home games means the Spartans won t spend too much time in East Lansing during the second half of the season. State plays just eight of its last 23 contests at Munn Ice Arena, with five of those games coming in January. The aforementioned 23-game stretch gets underway with brutal back-to-back road trips to Alaska Fairbanks (Nov. 30 and Dec. 1) and Northern Michigan (Dec. 7 and 8). Fortunately, the Spartans get a 20-day break between the end of the series with the Wildcats in Marquette and their next game (vs. Michigan Tech in the first round of the Great Lakes Invitational Dec. 28). CLUSTER CONTINUED The CCHA continues with its cluster scheduling format this season. The league is divided into three, four-team groups. Schools play each member of its cluster four times and face every one else twice. MSU s cluster for the upcoming season includes Ferris State, Miami and Ohio State. In a scheduling rarity, the Spartans play four consecutive games against the Buckeyes OSU travels to East Lansing for a Jan. 25-26 series with MSU making the return trip to Columbus the following weekend. In non-cluster games, MSU welcomes Lake Superior State, Bowling Green and Notre Dame to Munn for two-game series while travelling to Nebraska-Omaha, Alaska Fairbanks and Northern Michigan. The Spartans play two-game, homeand-home sets with Michigan and Western Michigan. MSU also has a Feb. 16 nonconference game with the Wolverines at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. DRIVE FOR FIVE For the fourth straight season, Michigan State returns to the Great Lakes Invitational at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit at the tournament s defending champion. The Spartans matched a school record last season by posting its fourth GLI title in a row with wins over Boston College and Michigan Tech. MSU also won four consecutive GLI crowns from 1982-1985. Michigan Tech (1976-1980) and Michigan (1988-96) are the only schools to earn GLI first-place honors more than four years in a row. Like last year s tournament, the 2001 Great Lakes Invitational has a Frozen Four flavor. The 2001 field features three of last year s NCAA Tournament semifinalists MSU, Michigan and North Dakota. The 2000 GLI also consisted of three 2001 NCAA Frozen Four participants Boston College, MSU and Michigan. SHOWCASE SHOWDOWN The College Hockey Showcase returns to the Great Lakes State this year Michigan State and Michigan host Minnesota and Wisconsin in the ninth edition of the annual event. The Spartans welcome the Badgers to East Lansing for a Nov. 23 game at Munn Ice Arena, then take on the Golden Gophers at Munn in a rare Sunday afternoon matchup two days later. MSU defeated both Minnesota and Wisconsin in last year s College Hockey Showcase, just the second time the Spartans posted a 2-0 mark in CHS play with the first coming in 1997. State enters the 2001-02 season with a 10-6 mark in eight previous College Hockey Showcase appearances. FILLING OUT THE SCHEDULE In addition to the CCHA slate, the GLI and College Hockey Showcase, MSU plays four non-conference games in 2001-02. One is the aforementioned Feb. 16 game vs. Michigan at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The Spartans also face Mass.-Amherst from HOCKEY EAST and MAAC foe Quinnipiac at Munn Ice Arena this season. The Minutemen are making their second appearance in East Lansing the first was a 3-1 MSU victory in 1998 while the Braves take on State for the first time ever. The contests also mark MSU s first against a MAAC opponent. Quinnipiac was last season s MAAC regular-season and playoff second-place finisher. 9 2001 CCHA PLAYOFF CHAMPIONS 9 MSU Hockey in the Polls SPORTING NEWS POWER POLL (Oct. 22) Rank Team 1 Michigan State 2 Minnesota 3 Nebraska-Omaha 4 North Dakota 5 St. Cloud State 6 Michigan 7 Harvard 8 Maine 9 Boston University 10 Denver Bubble boys: Alaska Fairbanks, Colorado College, New Hampshire THE HOCKEY NEWS PRESEASON POLL (Oct. 15) Rank Team 1 Michigan State 2 Minnesota 3 Colorado College 4 Michigan 5 Providence 6 Harvard 7 North Dakota 8 Maine 9 Ohio State 10 Rensselaer WEEK-BY-WEEK TRACKER USA Sporting USCHO Today News Preseason 1 1 --- 10/8 --- 1 1 10/15 1 1 1 10/22 1 1 1 10/29 11/5 11/12 11/19 11/26 12/3 12/10 12/17 1/7 1/14 1/21 1/28 2/5 2/12 2/19 2/26 3/4 3/11 3/18
By the Numbers 1: Rank of the Bowling Green hockey team in the WMPL Radio poll on Jan. 6, 1979. The Falcons become the first CCHA team to reach the top of the national polls. 2: Number of former Bowling Green head coaches in last year s NCAA Frozen Four MSU s Ron Mason and Jerry York of Boston College. 2: Number of days of the week on which the Spartans are not scheduled to play this season. MSU has games set for Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in 2001-02. 2: Number of CCHA teams against which Ryan Miller has not posted a shutout Bowling Green and Western Michigan 3: Number of former Penticton Panthers playing in this week s MSU-BGSU series (the Falcons Scott Hewson and Grady Moore and the Spartans Duncan Keith). 7: Number of CCHA regular-season titles won by both Bowling Green and Michigan State, tops among conference schools. 15: Number of combined CCHA postseason titles won by Michigan State (10) and Bowling Green (five). The schools rank first and second, respectively, in the number of league playoff championships won. 16: Number of combined points scored by Spartan freshmen Jim Slater and Duncan Keith through six games this season. 29: Number of combined points scored by MSU freshmen in 42 games during the 2000-01 season. 1976: Year in which current MSU coach Ron Mason guided Bowling Green to its first CCHA regular-season championship. 1977: Year in which Mason piloted the Falcons to their first NCAA Tournament appearance. Bowling Green was the first non-western Collegiate Hockey Association or Eastern College Athletic Conference team to appear in the NCAA postseason. CCHA STANDINGS (THROUGH OCT. 27) Place Team (overall record) W-L-T Pts. Last Week 1 Michigan State (3-2-1) 3-2-1 7 swept by UNO (3-4, 1-5) Northern Michigan (3-0-1) 3-0-1 7 swept UM (1-0, 5-3) 3 Ohio State (2-1-1) 2-1-1 5 split at BGSU (3-5, 3-2) 4 Alaska Fairbanks (6-2-0) 2-2-0 4 split at LSSU (3-2, 1-4) Miami (4-2-0) 2-0-0 4 swept FSU (5-4, 3-2) Nebraska-Omaha (5-1-0) 2-0-0 4 swept MSU (4-3, 5-1) Western Michigan (3-2-1) 2-2-0 4 won, tied vs. Maine (4-3, 2-2) 8 Michigan (2-4-1) 1-3-1 3 swept by NMU (0-1, 3-5) Bowling Green (1-3-2) 1-2-1 3 split vs. OSU (5-3, 2-3) 10 Lake Superior State (2-4-0) 1-3-0 2 split vs. UAF (2-3, 4-1) 11 Notre Dame (0-4-2) 0-1-1 1 lost at BC (4-1), tied at NE (3-3) 12 Ferris State (2-4-0) 0-3-0 0 swept by Miami (4-5, 2-3) Thursday, Nov. 1 game Bowling Green at Michigan State Friday, Nov. 2 games Bowling Green at Michigan State Lake Superior State at Ferris State Nebraska-Omaha at Ohio State Notre Dame at Northern Michigan Western Michigan at Miami Michigan at Alaska Fairbanks Saturday, Nov. 3 games Lake Superior State at Ferris State Nebraska-Omaha at Ohio State Notre Dame at Northern Michigan Western Michigan at Miami Michigan at Alaska Fairbanks TIME CHANGES The start times of a handful of Michigan State hockey games have been changed since the team s 2001-02 schedule was released this summer. Friday s MSU-Bowling Green game has been moved ahead 30 minutes. The contest, originally scheduled for a 7:05 p.m. EST faceoff at Munn Ice Arena, will now get underway at 6:35 p.m. The game time was pushed forward to avoid a conflict with the men s basketball exhibition vs. Magic Johnson s All-Stars at the Breslin Center. Tipoff for the Spartan cagers exhibition-season opener is scheduled for 9 p.m. Also, the start times for day two of the Great Lakes Invitational at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit have been pushed ahead a half-hour. The third-place game, originally scheduled for 4 p.m. on Dec. 29, will now take place at 3:30 p.m. with the championship game starting at 7 p.m. EN-TITLE-MENT MSU enters the 2001-02 season as the defending CCHA regular-season champions, owners of consecutive CCHA Tournament crowns and winners of four straight Great Lakes Invitational titles. The last Spartan team to win all three championships was the 1997-98 squad. SIMPLY THE BEST The 2000-01 Spartan senior class graduated with a 122-28-20 record the best four-year total in MSU history. This year s group of seniors has an outside chance of topping that mark, however. The quartet of Joe Goodenow, Adam Hall, Andrew Hutchinson and Jon Insana tonight s game vs. Nebraksa-Omaha with a career record of 92-24-16, needing 30 victories to match the win total of the Class of 2001. BLACKBURN NAMED VOLUNTEER ASSISTANT Joe Blackburn has been named MSU s volunteer assistant coach for the 2001-02 season. Blackburn, who wrapped up a successful four-year career at MSU last year, will assist with all facets of practices and games, work with the Spartan goaltenders and serve as color commentator on MSU hockey radio broadcasts. Blackburn made 59 appearances between the pipes for the Spartans and logged an impressive 36-13-8 career record to go along with a 1.76 career goals against average and a.920 saves percentage. He ranks second among MSU netminders in career goals against average and saves percentage. The Livonia, Mich., native backstopped MSU to an NCAA Frozen Four appearance in 1998-99 when he posted a 21-5-7 mark, a.928 saves percentage and a NCAA- 10 2001 CCHA REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPIONS 10