Goaltenders, by nature, are set off on an island.
They can't hide much. If the puck stays out of the net, it's a job well done. If it goes in, the goalie failed.
It's probably not fair - there are countless other breakdowns that can lead to an opponent's goal - but the goalie usually gets a disproportionate share of the glory or the criticism. He's much like a quarterback in football or pitcher in baseball.
This week, that goalie is MSU sophomore Matt Migliaccio.
The 6-foot-2, 191-pound Wyandotte native turned in the best two-game series of his career this weekend, making 40 saves both Friday and Saturday at Notre Dame. But in the "what have you done for me lately?" mindset of big-time college sports, he will probably be remembered just as much for the two goals he allowed to the Fighting Irish in an 18-second span late in Saturday's game.
Trailing MSU 3-1 with less than five minutes to play, the Irish took advantage after Migliaccio misplayed a puck behind his own net. The puck came out front, and center Yan Stastny knocked it in to cut the deficit to 3-2.
Eighteen seconds later - with 3:47 to play - the Irish tied it when Migliaccio lost track of a rebound and Notre Dame right wing Tim Wallace flipped in his third goal of the year.
But it was Stastny's goal in particular that seemed to rob Migliaccio of the confidence he had exhibited all weekend.
"I thought he got distracted (by) the second goal," MSU head coach Rick Comley said. "He's had a tendency to do that this year. He gets a little bit rattled when something happens to him that he thinks shouldn't have happened.
"I think he was distracted and that's why the third one went in."
Comley called a timeout after Wallace's goal - a move he said was mostly designed to calm down Migliaccio.
The strategy worked, because after the break, Migliaccio was back to his old self. He covered up enough of the net to force Irish center Aaron Gill to shoot too high on a breakaway with 2:43 to go. About a minute later, he stoned left wing Mike Walsh's one-time tip in front of the net.
Migliaccio, who is third in the CCHA with a 2.34 goals-against average, said he is constantly working to improve the mental part of his goaltending repertoire. He consults weekly with former Spartan goalie Ryan Miller, who is now playing for the Buffalo Sabres in the NHL. Miller said earlier this month that he checks "to see where Migs' head is at" during every phone call.
"Goaltending is about 80 percent mental, so you definitely want to work on your mental game as much as your physical game," Migliaccio said. "It's just as important, if not more. I definitely want to get better.
"It's all about experience. Next weekend, hopefully, if we have a lead, I'm going to say 'I'm not going to let them score.' And, hopefully, that happens, and I'll feel good about myself and know I can do that."
But Migliaccio maintains psychological factors had nothing to do with Notre Dame's late-game success Saturday.
"Once you give up a goal, it's out of your head," Migliaccio said. "You can't do anything about it. That's just the way things went. They got the momentum and it carried it along."
Aside from the 18-second surge, Migliaccio controlled the series in South Bend, Ind. He was so successful at stonewalling Notre Dame on Friday that several Irish players lamented after the game they couldn't figure out how to beat him.
The two 40-save efforts are tied for second on Migliaccio's list of personal records. He also had a career-best shutout streak of 160 minutes, 38 seconds going until Irish left wing John Wroblewski scored with 8:33 left in Friday's game.
"They had good shots all weekend," Migliaccio said. "But those two (Saturday) went in. The third one was just a bad play on my part.
"I have to watch the film to see what I could have done different, and hopefully next time, we won't give up a lead like that."
