Thursday, March 28, 2024

Icers fall short against Miami (Ohio), end disappointing season

	<p>Junior goaltender Will Yanakeff gives up a goal to Miami (Ohio) forward Sean Kuraly on March 17, 2013, at Cady Arena of the Goggin Ice Center in Oxford, Ohio. <span class="caps">MSU</span> lost to Miami (Ohio), 4-1, in the third and final game of the second round of the <span class="caps">CCHA</span> playoffs, ending the season for the Spartans. Danyelle Morrow/The State News</p>

Junior goaltender Will Yanakeff gives up a goal to Miami (Ohio) forward Sean Kuraly on March 17, 2013, at Cady Arena of the Goggin Ice Center in Oxford, Ohio. MSU lost to Miami (Ohio), 4-1, in the third and final game of the second round of the CCHA playoffs, ending the season for the Spartans. Danyelle Morrow/The State News

Photo by Danyelle Morrow | The State News

Oxford, Ohio — It’s a bittersweet ending.

Before Sunday’s game, the MSU hockey team was told by head coach Tom Anastos to “empty the tank” Sunday night. They had to play with the awareness that the season rested on the outcome, forcing them to leave it all on the ice.

Sixty minutes of play later, the player’s tanks were emptied, but they just needed more in them to begin with.

MSU lost in game three to No. 3 Miami (Ohio), 4-1, Sunday night, and ended the season with the team still feeling proud of the effort put forth.

“I take no satisfaction out of losing, so I’m terribly disappointed,” Anastos said. “Having said that, we asked these guys to lay it all on the table and give everything they had. They did.”

Miami (Ohio) pulled ahead in the first period, and as if playing from behind against the CCHA regular season champion isn’t hard enough, MSU had to battle a large momentum swing heading in the opposite direction.

The RedHawks first goal was scored after MSU freshman goaltender Jake Hildebrand went to clear the puck from the corner on a Spartan power play, but instead of wrapping around the boards, the puck rolled on its side toward the MSU net, hit the post and landed in the crease.

All Miami (Ohio) forward had to do was tap the puck into the empty net before MSU junior defenseman Nickolas Gatt could dive in front of him. A coast-to-coast play at 17:53 of the first period put Miami (Ohio) at a two-goal advantage heading into the first intermission.

Anastos said in an effort to change the MSU energy, he opted to go with junior goaltender Will Yanakeff in the second and third period.

“It’s not just about the goalie, it’s about giving the team a lift and a change,” he said. “He’s going in kinda cold, so guys really needed to step up to defend.”

MSU took control of the second period when freshman forward Matt DeBlouw scored MSU’s first tally of the game for the third consecutive night. His goal was scored on an MSU power play during one of the RedHawks five penalties in the middle frame.

“They battle really hard and they’re a hard team to play against,” captain and junior forward Greg Wolfe said. “They throw everything at you and try and play offense the whole game. It’s tough but I thought we held our ground and I think our physicality level is just as high as theirs and I think our intensity was just as high.”

It appeared the Spartans were ready for a comeback, and multiple chances to tie the game presented itself but the bounces weren’t going MSU’s way. Wolfe was stonewalled on a breakaway, sophomore forward Brent Darnell had a close shot reviewed and Miami (Ohio) Ryan McKay stood solid all night.

About halfway through the third period, MSU received a penalty and after maintaining possession in the MSU zone for about a minute and a half, Miami (Ohio) netted its third of the game. An empty-netter by Austin Czarnik with 23 seconds remaining sealed the fate of MSU.

“We’re proud of ourselves with what we accomplished,” junior defenseman Jake Chelios said. “I don’t know if we’re satisfied with this exit, but we all feel like we did lay it on the line and this was our best hockey of the year.”

MSU isn’t happy with the way its season ended — normally, only an NCAA champion is. But what the Spartans are happy with is the compete level displayed in Sunday’s game — and the whole CCHA playoffs — and what the strong finish means for next season.

“It would have been really easy for us to roll over and give up as an 11th seed, last place,” Wolfe said. “But all season long we’ve battled, and we’re very resilient. It just shows the character of the team.”

Click here to see a video recapping MSU’s loss.

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