MSU had plenty of chances to beat Western Michigan at Munn Ice Arena Friday night, but it wound up having to settle for a 2-2 tie.
The No. 1 Spartans tamed the No. 7 Broncos’ high-flying offense for more than two periods, but Western still had enough firepower to overcome a two-goal third period-deficit.
MSU (7-1-2 overall, 6-1-1 CCHA) missed a series of open nets and banged a couple of pucks off the post, but couldn’t manage to tally a third goal.
“Everyone in that locker room knows that we should’ve won this game,” freshman center Jeremy Jackson said. “We feel real bad as a team that we couldn’t win it. We’ll remember that the next time we face (Western).”
The tie kept both teams’ lengthy unbeaten streaks alive. The Spartans are now 6-0-1 in their past seven games while Western is 7-0-1 in its past eight.
MSU held Western (8-1-2 , 3-0-2) well below its nation-leading 5.4 goals per game average, but the Broncos’ star right winger David Gove eventually broke through and led the comeback charge.
Gove assisted on the Broncos’ first goal and tied the game 2-2 with 4:35 left in regulation. He leads the nation with 28 points this year.
“It was one of those games where the puck bounces here and the puck bounces there and, all of a sudden, it’s a 2-2 hockey game,” Jackson said. “In terms of grade A scoring chances, I think we came out on top. It’s just a matter of bearing down and burying them.”
Entering the game, Western had not been held to fewer than four tallies in its 10 previous games.
“There was a lot more pressure on us to win this game than them,” MSU head coach Ron Mason said. “You’re not going to prevent an offense like that from scoring. We had a lot of great chances to score that could’ve gone either way.”
Junior right winger Adam Hall got MSU on the board early after stealing a Bronco pass deep in the Western zone. He snapped a wrist shot past Western goalie Jeff Reynaert 2:10 into the game for his team-leading sixth tally of the year, giving MSU a 1-0 lead.
Jackson doubled MSU’s lead during a 5-on-3 power play 5:50 into the second period after sophomore defenseman John-Michael Liles fed him with a perfect pass from the point. Jackson tipped the pass into a wide-open net for his fourth goal of the year, all on the power play.
MSU sophomore goaltender Ryan Miller made 34 saves as MSU played its first game as the top-ranked team in the nation.
Playing with a two-goal lead, Miller earned three standing ovations in the second period for killing off a 5-on-3 Western power play.
Miller had an answer for everything the Broncos threw at him during the penalty kill, turning away multiple quality chances.
“Everything was clicking for us,” Miller said. “It was the loudest it’s been here in a while. It’s great to get the fans into it.”
The Spartans were able to hold Gove in check until 6:17 into the third period when he set up Western’s first goal.
Bronco left winger Ben Gagnon halved the Spartans lead and snapped Miller’s shutout streak at 93:15 by roofing a centering pass from Gove into the MSU net.
Gove knocked in the tying goal during a battle in front of Miller.
“They kept coming hard to the net and it paid off for them in the third,” Miller said. “There were a couple of breakdowns on our part, but they deserve the praise they’re getting.
“We put ourselves in position to get two points tonight and we just didn’t get them.”
The Broncos had won seven straight games before Friday and lead the nation with eight wins. They are the only undefeated team in the CCHA, but MSU still leads the league with 13 points pending other weekend action.
The Spartans will next skate at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday at home against Lake Superior State.
