Freshman right wing Jordan Kremyr, center, and left wing freshman Ben Farrer of the Providence College Friars attempt to score as Spartan junior goaltender Jeff Lerg guards the net Saturday evening during the 43rd Great Lakes Invitational at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The Friars were victorious with a final score of 5-3.
—Detroit — MSU head coach Rick Comley summed up his disappointment in the Spartans’ game Saturday against Providence during the 43rd Great Lakes Invitational at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
“The whole game,” a clearly agitated Comley said, as he rested his hand on his cheek.
The No. 5 Spartans fell to Providence, 5-3. The Friars bounced back from a 6-0 loss to the Wolverines Friday night.
“(There was) absolutely zero emotion out there,” Comley said. “We played today like it was a consolation game, that it didn’t mean anything. That’s alarming to me.”
Freshman forward Dustin Gazley scored with just under a minute left in the first period, boosting the Spartans as they entered the locker room.
An early Spartan power play in the second period appeared to be promising, as the players crashed the net for rebounds. But Providence’s Jon Rheault had other plans as he scored to tie the game at one apiece on an even strength goal. Neither team seemed to set up any type of offense and the buzzer sounded, ending the second period.
Junior forward Nick Sucharski slid the puck past Providence’s Tyler Sims to pick up a 2-1 lead early in the third period. The lead was short lived as Friars’ John Cavanagh scored his second goal of the season to tie the game once again. A few minutes later, Rheault scored his second goal of the evening to put the Friars up by one.
“We just stayed with the program,” Providence’s head coach Jamie Russell said. “We built off from that momentum, really stayed with it … and didn’t lose our composure.”
The game picked up speed after Rheault’s goal, and with about four minutes left in the third, Providence’s Kyle MacKinnon put the nail in the coffin as the Friars took a 4-2 lead. Just when it seemed the game was over, Spartan sophomore defenseman Mike Ratchuk scored in a diving effort for a 4-3 game.
MSU called a timeout to regroup.
The Spartans pulled junior goalie Jeff Lerg, and in a replay of Friday’s game, MSU defenders let the Friars score an empty net goal with 8.1 seconds left in the game for a 5-3 final score.
In what MSU captain Bryan Lerg calls “a wake-up call” for his team, he added the Friars “deserved that one.”
“There was no heart,” Lerg said. “They wanted it more than us. That’s why they won.
“There’s no excuse for us losing those … games.”
The Spartans take on Lake Superior 7:05 p.m. Friday at Munn Ice Arena.
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