Spartans score 7 goals in sweep

The MSU hockey team is giving head coach Rick Comley gray hair.

In MSU’s last five games, the final two minutes of regulation decided the game’s outcome, with the Spartans winning three of the five nail-biters.

In this weekend’s home-and-home series against Western Michigan, the No. 20 Spartans were able to hold onto late leads in both games, defeating the Broncos 2-1 Friday and 5-3 Saturday, to earn the team’s first conference sweep of the season.

But both games came down to the wire and Comley said the Spartans need to work on winning the third period.

“We’ve been telling them to play 60 minutes and don’t be afraid to win it in the third period,” Comley said. “We need to do all the things that good teams ultimately do.”

If there had been another tenth of a second on the clock Friday, the tilt would have gone to overtime, as it appeared the Broncos tied the game in the last second of regulation. But after reviewing the potential game-tying goal, the referees ruled time had run out before the puck had completely crossed the goal line, giving MSU the victory and ending the game.

Then Saturday, a five minute major penalty called on freshman defenseman Torey Krug put Western Michigan on the power play for the last four minutes of the game.

The Spartans had a two-goal lead entering the final four minutes, but the Broncos brought the game within one goal at 17:03 of the third period and were almost able to tie the game in the waning moments before junior forward Dustin Gazley scored an empty net goal to give the Spartans the win.

Of the seven goals scored this weekend by MSU, Gazley was the only Spartan to light the lamp more than once.

Comley said he was concerned only the top two lines were producing, and said he was happy to see the goals filter down through all four lines.

“It feels fantastic to finally get that monkey off our back,” said fourth-line freshman forward Anthony Hayes, who recorded his first collegiate goal this weekend. “I know (coach) is not exactly looking for any of us to be offensive powerhouses, but we do need to contribute. In games like these, if things like that don’t happen, then maybe it turns out differently.”

The MSU netminders split time again this weekend— with sophomore goaltender Drew Palmisano starting Friday at Munn Ice Arena and senior goaltender Bobby Jarosz getting the nod Saturday at Lawson Ice Arena.

Saturday’s road win was MSU’s third of the season, one more than the team won all of last year.

“We knew these guys were going to be real tough,” Jarosz said of Western Michigan, who was a perfect 4-0 entering the weekend. “They’ve had a couple good weekends before this. Every time we play them, it’s a tough game. We are real excited to come out of here with two wins, especially in our league.”

Comley said the catalyst for breakdowns late in the game has been unnecessary penalties, and said the Spartans have to play more disciplined with the game on the line.

“It has only been a struggle because of the penalties at the end,” Comley said. “They are hard-work penalties, but they will kill you.”