After a solid performance Saturday, the fifth-ranked Spartans are moving on in the CCHA Tournament, and MSU head coach Ron Mason is moving on in his career.
No. 2 seed MSU advanced to the league tournament’s Super Six round at Joe Louis Arena by sweeping upset-minded No. 11 Bowling Green in the best-of-three first round during the weekend.
The two playoff games were Mason’s last contests at Munn Ice Arena - his home away from home for the last 23 years. He announced in January that he’s stepping down after the season to become MSU’s next athletics director.
And although the Spartans (26-7-5) still have as much as a month left on their schedule, all of the remaining games will be at neutral sites. Still, Mason didn’t seem sentimental as he sat in his office chair for a postgame press conference for the final time.
“Last Saturday night was good closure for me because that’s where I really had a chance to thank the fans that have been coming here for 23 years,” Mason said of a postgame ceremony that included a video tribute to him and his speech to the Munn fans. “Tonight, all I was thinking about was trying to win the game and get to Joe Louis.
“As the clock was winding down, it was just, ‘Let’s get this game over with and not get anybody hurt.’ I’ll have plenty of time to reflect back on a lot of good times. Right now, we’re in the midst of a title run.”
MSU’s five seniors - right wing Adam Hall, left wing Joe Goodenow, goaltender Nathan Shopbell and defensemen Andrew Hutchinson and Jon Insana - also ended their Munn careers Saturday.
But the main man was Mason. There was little fanfare after the game - unlike the tribute after the regular-season closer a week earlier - but that’s just fine with Mason. He doesn’t want his farewell tour to cloud the team’s run at a national championship.
“I’ve always looked at the next game as the most important game, and as long as I stay with that type of a thought pattern, then I’m in the right spot,” Mason said. “I’m not thinking back, I’m thinking forward, and I’ll keep the focus on what I’m supposed to.”
Mason’s immediate concern is winning the CCHA Tournament - and thereby the Mason Cup, which is named after him - for the fourth time in five seasons.
The Spartans got off to a solid start in their title pursuit by sweeping the Falcons (9-25-6). Bowling Green, which had won the first-round road series the past two seasons, shocked the Spartans by jumping to a 3-1 third-period lead on Friday, but MSU gritted its teeth and battled back.
Freshman forward Mike Lalonde scored two goals and, with junior goaltender Ryan Miller pulled, freshman center Jim Slater tipped in the game-tying goal with 50.8 seconds left in regulation. In overtime, Hall backhanded a shot from the slot past Falcon goaltender Tyler Masters 4:57 into the session for his team-leading 18th goal of the year and a 4-3 overtime win.
“A little too much excitement for me,” Hall said Friday. “I don’t think we played our type of game.
“We’ve got a lot better hockey in us than we showed tonight. But it was good that we showed the character to come back and get the win, especially in the playoffs.”
In Saturday’s clincher, Slater, Hutchinson, junior right wing Steve Jackson and junior defenseman John-Michael Liles scored as MSU claimed a 4-0 lead and held on for a 4-2 win.
“I had a lot of time to think about what move I was going to pull, and it worked,” Slater said of his breakaway goal. “This is the biggest time of the year right here, playoff time. It’s when the big players step up, and I look at myself as one of the big players.
“I’m looking forward to next weekend.”
MSU fell to the No. 2 seed in the CCHA Tournament after losing the league title to archrival Michigan in the last weekend of the regular season. The Spartans split a series against Ferris State on March 1-2, while U-M swept Western Michigan to claim the championship and top seed.
In the tournament, U-M won Saturday and Sunday to oust No. 12 seed Lake Superior State after losing the series opener to the Lakers on Friday. Northern Michigan, Ohio State, Alaska-Fairbanks and Notre Dame also won their first-round matchups.
The Spartans and U-M each have byes in the Super Six on Friday. MSU will play the highest-seeded quarterfinal winner in a CCHA semifinal at 5:35 p.m. Saturday. The championship game is Sunday at 3:05 p.m. at Joe Louis.
