The MSU hockey team got a bit of revenge against the Under-18 U.S. National Development Team on Saturday night, but the Spartans know they have plenty of room for improvement heading into their final exhibition game Tuesday.
MSU, which trailed 2-1 to the young U.S. team in the second period, scored three straight goals and held on for a 4-3 exhibition victory at Munn Ice Arena.
The victory helped MSU avenge an exhibition loss to the Nationals in October 2000.
New MSU head coach Rick Comley seemed pleased after the game, despite the early deficit and the fact MSU scored three of its four goals on the power play Saturday.
He also indicated that the final count didn’t matter to him.
“What was the final score, 4-3?” Comley asked. “You can judge a 4-3 win as a good win or a bad win, but I think it was OK.
“More than anything, I want to see the style of play we want, and we did that. We wore them down with our cycling.”
Freshman goaltender Justin Tobe played the entire game for MSU after out-dueling sophomore Matt Migliaccio in the Green and White intrasquad scrimmage Friday.
And the Spartans helped out their 17-year-old netminder by clamping down defensively in the last two periods Saturday.
The Nationals, who were outshot 47-18 overall, only managed six shots on goal in the last 40 minutes of the game.
Tobe made 15 saves.
His counterpart Migliaccio will probably start Tuesday’s exhibition game against Western Ontario - MSU’s final tuneup before the Maverick Stampede tournament this weekend.
“My first game at State was amazing,” said Tobe, who found out he was starting Saturday morning.
“I didn’t really know what to expect, but it was real nice to get the start.
“It’s disappointing we didn’t play well, but good teams find ways to win.”
MSU scored its first three goals on the power play, as sophomore center Ash Goldie tallied in the first, freshman defenseman Corey Potter scored in the second and senior defenseman John-Michael Liles scored in the third.
Potter’s goal was assisted by freshman left wing David Booth and sophomore center Lee Falardeau, meaning all three components of the goal were alumni of the U.S. National Development Program.
“I did realize it, actually,” said Falardeau, who was on the Under-18 team that beat MSU two years ago. “After the fact, we were all laughing about it on the bench.
“But out on the ice, I don’t really see those guys as former U.S. teamers, I just see them as Spartans.”
MSU senior left wing Steve Clark scored with 9:32 remaining to put MSU up 4-2 - a margin the U.S. team halved three minutes later.
But Tobe only had to make one last difficult save on a U.S. defenseman Jeff Likens slap shot to preserve the victory and Clark’s game-winning goal.
“Sometimes when you stand in front of the net, those things can happen,” Clark said of his easy tap-in goal, MSU’s only tally of the game not on a power play.
“In 5-on-5 play, I thought we pretty much dominated them, even though it doesn’t really show up on the scoreboard.
“We out-chanced them by quite a bit.”
U.S. goaltender Chris Holt, who has committed to play at Nebraska-Omaha next year, made 43 saves Saturday.
Friday’s Green and White game ended in a 10-5 Green victory after two periods of play and a 14-player shootout.
During regular play, sophomore forwards Kevin Estrada and Mike Lalonde both scored two goals and sophomore defenseman Duncan Keith had two assists for the Green team.
Senior left wing Brian Maloney and senior defensemen Liles and Brad Fast each had two points for the White team.
Migliaccio made 17 saves on 23 shots for the White and Tobe stopped 25 of 29 for the Green.
Tobe also turned away six of seven penalty shots in the shootout, while Migliaccio only stopped three of seven.
“It was a rough outing,” Migliaccio said.
“I was nervous, and I let a few weak ones in. It was a tough format for goalies with a lot of breakaways and back doors.
“I just have to get my head back in it, that’s all I can do.”
