The sixth-ranked Spartans got exactly what they wanted from Quinnipiac this weekend - two hard-fought games and two victories.
MSU (15-4-2) overwhelmed its nicknameless foe 4-1 Friday and 3-1 Saturday in the nonconference series at Munn Ice Arena. Head coach Ron Mason’s squad controlled the games from the get-go and outshot Quinnipiac 82-27 during the weekend.
“They played awfully defensive all weekend long and that’s a hard team to play against,” Mason said. “But we had to win these games - if we didn’t, it would have been a big write-up in College Hockey Online.
“I thought our kids played the way they had to to win and, overall, our defensive play wasn’t really tested except for two or three times.”
Quinnipiac (7-10-1), which hasn’t had a nickname since disowning “Braves” last month, became MSU’s first ever opponent from the 11-team Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference - a league that CCHA squads are now 12-0-0 against.
The Spartans were able to sweep the series without the services of freshman center Jim Slater, who was at the World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic. And MSU’s commanding win Friday allowed Mason to rest junior goaltender Ryan Miller on Saturday.
In Miller’s place, freshman Matt Migliaccio made 11 saves to help the Spartans extend their home unbeaten streak to 29 games (26-0-3).
Migliaccio spotted Quinnipiac a 1-0 lead fewer than five minutes into Saturday’s game, but quickly settled down.
“I was really nervous the first period, but I should have had that one and I’d like to have it back,” said Migliaccio, who had played in two previous games relieving Miller. “But it’s something you have to play through - that’s the way the puck bounces sometimes.”
Down 1-0, the Spartans struck back with goals from junior right wing Steve Jackson in the first period, junior left wing Brian Maloney in the second period and junior defenseman John-Michael Liles in the third to seal the win.
Liles, who also scored Friday, continued his torrid scoring streak with his sixth goal in as many games. Saturday’s tally also made him the first Spartan to reach 10 goals this season.
“I really don’t know what to say, I give a lot of credit to my teammates,” Liles said. “They’re getting me the puck in open ice and getting me good looks at the net. When you’re getting the puck and feeling it, you just put them on net and somehow they go in.”
Liles scored the final goal in Friday’s game after freshman wing Mike Lalonde, senior left wing Joe Goodenow and junior defenseman Brad Fast staked MSU to a 3-0 lead. Miller only had to make 14 saves for the win.
“It was a workman-like job tonight and that’s what you like in a game like this,” Mason said Friday. “Our defense was able to carry the puck and didn’t really allow the (Quinnipiac) forecheck to happen. For the most part, that was the difference.”
