St. Louis — Justin Abdelkader wasn't even born when Mike Donnelly scored the game-winning goal in the 1986 NCAA championship game to earn the crown for the Spartans, but the sophomore forward will take his place in the hockey history books alongside him.
Abdelkader, like Donnelly, scored the game-winning goal to give MSU the national title.
And, like Donnelly, Abdelkader was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament after he scored with fewer than 19 seconds left in regulation — the latest game-winning goal in tournament history.
"I was coming in from (the) top of the circle, coming in, kind of angling myself towards the slot area, and (sophomore forward Tim) Kennedy gave me a perfect pass," he said. "It was on my stick, and I got a good shot, blocker side."
Abdelkader's goal sent the Spartans up 2-1 and all but ensured MSU's first national title in 21 years.
"I couldn't believe what happened," Abdelkader said.
He wasn't the only one who was stunned.
"I didn't really see it," Boston College forward Nathan Gerbe said.
"I just saw it go in the net. Somebody just got a stick on it."
Abdelkader was mobbed by his teammates in the corner of the arena as Spartans fans boomed in early celebration. The Muskegon native had already won a bronze medal with Team USA at the World Junior Championships in January. Now, he's a national champion.
"He's a force on the ice," MSU head coach Rick Comley said. "He's physical, he skates well. I'm not sure he'll ever get 70 or 80 points, but he'll play in the National Hockey League."
Senior captain Chris Lawrence wrote letters to every member of the team prior to the postseason. Lawrence's message to Abdelkader became somewhat of a reality.
"I wrote to Justin that he could be the best player on the ice every night," Lawrence said. "If he realizes his potential, he could dominate. I don't know if he was dominant tonight, but he was dominant for the last 18 seconds, and that's good enough for me."
Aside from the game-winning goal, Abdelkader assisted on sophomore line-mate Tim Kennedy's game-tying goal when he won a neutral zone faceoff, and that spurred an odd-man rush at 9:53 of the third period.
It was Abdelkader's eighth multipoint game this season. Abdelkader also was credited with one impact hit on the official stat sheet.
