Detroit - Retiring MSU head coach Ron Mason will get another crack at the Wolverines - and it will be with the CCHA Tournament championship on the line.
The archrivals posted matching 2-1 semifinal wins in front of 14,079 fans at Joe Louis Arena on Saturday. The No. 2 seed Spartans got goals from senior right wing Adam Hall and junior defenseman Brad Fast to cement their victory over No. 3 seed Northern Michigan.
Earlier in the day, top-seeded U-M scored on its second power play in five minutes to fend off No. 5 seed Ohio State 2-1 in overtime.
Now, the CCHA’s two premiere teams will meet in the league-title game at 3:05 p.m. Sunday - with the Mason Cup and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line.
“I don’t care who we’re playing, we’re in that game and that’s the goal,” said Mason, who owns a 56-38-8 career record against U-M while at MSU. “It’s nice to see the two best teams in the league play each other at the end of the year. It’s good for both teams, really.”
The first 5,000 fans into Joe Louis Arena for the title game will receive a free Ron Mason bobblehead doll. Call (313)396-7575 for ticket information.
On Saturday, junior goaltender Ryan Miller stopped 23 shots for MSU, while Northern goalie Craig Kowalski made 39 saves.
Hall jump-started the Spartans with a great display of hand-eye coordination that resulted in his team-leading 19th goal of the season 3:56 into the game.
Hall took a centering pass from freshman center Jim Slater from behind the Northern net and muscled a weak shot on Kowalski. When the ensuing rebound popped up, Hall swatted it out of the air and past Kowalski’s stick side for a 1-0 Spartan lead.
MSU carried the one-goal margin into the first intermission, despite being outshot 10-7 by Northern.
“I think we were a little tentative at the start,” Mason said. “We played in spurts, I guess would be the way to put it. Our spurts were fantastic - all kinds of opportunities - and we got two goals, which were enough to win.
“But we didn’t play 60 minutes of hockey, there’s no question about that.”
The Spartans’ occasionally uninspired play caught up with them 3:08 into the second period when an MSU defensive meltdown allowed Northern to tie the game 1-1. MSU defensemen junior John-Michael Liles and sophomore Joe Markusen were both caught sneaking too far up the ice, and Wildcat defenseman Sean Owens triggered a 2-on-0 break with a long outlet pass to Wildcat center Dave Bonk. Bonk fed right wing Alex Sawruk in the slot and Sawruk wristed a shot past Miller’s glove for the goal.
But MSU still took a 2-1 lead into the second intermission, thanks to Fast’s goal at 16:29 of the period. Freshman center Ash Goldie won an offensive zone face-off to Fast above the right circle. There, Fast waited patiently until Wildcat center Kevin Gardner opened his legs, allowing Fast to shoot through them and past Kowalski’s glove for his 10th goal of the year.
“I was just trying to get it off as soon as possible,” Fast said. “I saw a little opening up top and that’s where I aimed. I knew we had guys scrambling around in the crease there for possible rebounds.”
Fast’s goal came right after a pair of fruitless MSU power plays, during which Slater hit a post and Fast couldn’t control the puck on a nearly wide-open wraparound attempt.
MSU finished 0-for-5 on the power play Saturday.
Both MSU (27-7-5) and U-M (25-10-5) received quarterfinal byes in the new Super Six format of the CCHA Tournament. Northern (26-12-2) beat No. 6 seed Notre Dame 3-1 to advance to the semis, while Ohio State (20-16-4) outlasted No. 4 seed Alaska-Fairbanks 6-5 in overtime on Friday.
After Sunday’s CCHA championship game, the Spartans will await their draw in the NCAA Tournament. The 12-team field will be announced at 9 p.m. Sunday on ESPNEWS. MSU is expected to either be a No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the West Regional in Ann Arbor on March 22-23.
Personnel: Freshman left wing Brock Radunske temporarily replaced injured junior left wing Brian Maloney on MSU’s top line until Mason moved up junior left wing Steve Clark midway through the second period.
Mason also moved Goldie up to the top line and Slater down to the third line with freshman left wing Kevin Estrada and freshman forward Mike Lalonde in the second. The shuffling eventually put Radunske on the fourth line with redshirt freshman right wing Steve Swistak and junior forward Troy Ferguson.
Junior right wing Kris Koski and sophomore center Tim Hearon were healthy scratches Saturday.
