Detroit - In its first action since two defensemen left the team to further their careers in Canada, the MSU hockey team was rocked by Boston University in a Great Lakes Invitational semifinal Saturday afternoon.
The 13th-ranked Terriers blitzed the Spartans with four goals in the first period and then coasted to an easy 6-1 win at Joe Louis Arena.
MSU (7-8-1 overall, 4-5-0 CCHA) plays Michigan Tech in the consolation game at 1:35 p.m. Sunday. BU (10-6-2) will play No. 9 Michigan for the championship at 5:05 p.m. U-M beat Tech 5-3 in Saturday's other semifinal.
"BU was just more prepared mentally and physically," MSU sophomore left wing Kevin Estrada said. "We hadn't played in three weeks, and I think it showed."
Two guys who weren't in Detroit for Saturday's carnage were former MSU defensemen Duncan Keith and Evan Shaw. Both players voluntarily quit the team after the fall semester.
Shaw, 18, left MSU to play in the Quebec Major Junior League, although he might decide to transfer to another university. The Cumberland, R.I., native played sporadically for the Spartans during the first half of the season, compiling no points, two penalty minutes and a minus-1 plus/minus rating in nine games.
Things got worse for MSU when, right before Christmas, Keith signed a contract to play for the Kelowna (British Columbia) Rockets of the Western Hockey League, thereby forfeiting his collegiate eligibility.
MSU head coach Rick Comley said Keith's father, David Keith, had been pressuring the player to join Kelowna for the last two years.
Keith, 19, apparently gave in to his dad's wishes last week, but hours after he signed, he reportedly had a change of heart and wished to return to MSU.
The Penticton, British Columbia native reluctantly stayed with the Rockets after discovering that he had virtually no chance of convincing the NCAA to restore his eligibility.
Keith had three goals and six assists in 15 games for MSU this year. In his 56-game career, he amassed six goals and 18 assists.
The losses of Shaw and Keith leave MSU with only five defensemen on the roster. Senior Steve Clark, a left wing throughout his collegiate career, switched to defense Saturday.
"I thought he did OK," Comley said of Clark. "We'll leave him there. I don' t think there's anyone else on this hockey team that can play defense."
A thinned defensive corps was just one of MSU's bevy of problems Saturday. The Terriers were faster and stronger than MSU, and the Spartans continued to hurt themselves with turnovers and shoddy defensive zone coverage.
"Obviously, it was frustrating," Comley said. "As a coach, it gets tougher and tougher when you have to constantly pick kids up. In a game like tonight, you're caught in between wanting to satisfy yourself and start barking, or to coach. Right now, I have to coach."
MSU sophomore goaltender Matt Migliaccio only lasted 14:39 before being pulled in favor of freshman Justin Tobe. Migliaccio allowed four goals on 11 shots. Three of the goals went between Migliaccio's legs, a spot he has had trouble defending this year.
Tobe, who celebrated his 18th birthday Friday, allowed two goals on 24 shots the rest of the way. Comley said Tobe will start Sunday. The Spartans haven't played in the GLI consolation game since 1996.
"A couple of pucks went in early that were of marginal quality," Comley said. "When that happens, I think it discourages a young team. Their team is as young as ours, but they got the lead and obviously played very hard.
"We just have to come back and play better tomorrow. We'll be fine."
Terrier right wing Frantisek Skladany scorched MSU for two goals and two assists Saturday, while left wing Kenny Magowan had a goal and three assists and defenseman John Cronin had a goal and two assists.
BU goaltender Sean Fields stopped 28 shots.
"It was in the corners and on the wall. That's where we lost all the battles," senior left wing Brian Maloney said. "That's what it seems it's been like all year. We have to learn to compete a little more, suck it up and win some battles.
"One night, we'll play hard and the next night we'll try to be too fancy."
MSU's lone goal was a power-play tally by freshman left wing David Booth at 9:03 of the first period. Booth was skating through the slot when he redirected a point shot from senior defenseman John-Michael Liles past Fields for his seventh marker of the season. Booth's is tied with senior defenseman Brad Fast for the team lead in goals.
The goal cut MSU's deficit to 2-1, but the Terriers scored two more in the first period and added a pair in the second to seal the game.
MSU went 1-for-5 on the power play Saturday, while BU went 2-for-7.
Personnel: Aside from the massive lineup shuffle due to the Keith fallout, Comley also made a significant change in his forward lines. Freshman right wing Nenad Gajic, who had played every game this season, was a healthy scratch Saturday.
Freshman right wing Chad Hontvet took his place, and skated on the fourth line with junior forward Tim Hearon and senior center Troy Ferguson.
Also, sophomore Ash Goldie, who usually plays center, played right wing on a line with sophomore center Lee Falardeau and Estrada.
The Terriers were playing without defenseman Ryan Whitney and forward Brian McConnell, both of whom are playing for the United States at the World Junior Championships in Nova Scotia this week.
