Ann Arbor - Nothing could go wrong for the MSU hockey team Friday night at Yost Ice Arena.
In thumping archrival No. 8 Michigan, 4-0, the Spartans got top-notch goaltending from sophomore Matt Migliaccio, consistently beat the Wolverines to loose pucks, and scored more than two goals at Yost for the first time since 1997.
The teams meet again at 7:35 p.m. Saturday at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, but the Spartans (19-12-2 overall, 15-9-1 CCHA) weren't above enjoying Friday's convincing victory.
"It was a big win for us," MSU head coach Rick Comley said. "We had a lot of guys fight hard.
"There were some fluky goals tonight, but that's what it takes to win sometimes on the road. It was just one of those games. The score was not indicative of the difference between the two teams."
The win moved MSU within a point of third-place Ohio State in the CCHA standings. The Spartans are still four points behind second-place U-M.
Leading the way for MSU on Friday, Migliaccio turned in his most impressive performance of the season. He made 37 saves to stonewall the potent U-M attack and register his fourth career shutout.
U-M goalie Al Montoya made 15 saves before being pulled 3:10 into the third period. Noah Ruden replaced him and stopped six shots the rest of the way for the Wolverines (23-9-1, 17-7-1).
"It was a perfect game all the way around," Migliaccio said. "Every shot I couldn't see, my defense blocked. It was amazing.
"Things were going my way. I knew in the first period, they weren't going to get much off me tonight. It was just one of those games where you're in the zone. Everything felt good."
MSU junior defenseman Joe Markusen picked a good time to score his first goal in two seasons, as he put MSU up 1-0 about eight minutes into the game.
Markusen's knuckle ball shot from the point sneaked through several players and fluttered over Montoya's glove.
Markusen hadn't scored since Feb. 23, 2001 - late in his freshman year.
"It was getting to start to feel like it was never going to happen," Markusen said. "I just kept throwing it on net all year long and, finally, it went in.
"It's a good feeling, especially in an important game like this, to contribute to the team."
The Spartans went up 2-0 on a strange play less than three minutes after
Markusen's goal. Senior left wing Brian Maloney rolled a soft shot into Montoya, who tried to cover the puck.
Montoya thought he had control, but the puck squeaked out of his possession and came to a rest by his right elbow. Most players on the ice thought the play was over, but MSU sophomore center Lee Falardeau kept going, swooped in and scored his third goal in as many games.
Later in the first, Migliaccio and senior defenseman Brad Fast teamed up to stop a flurry of shots by Wolverine left wing Eric Nystrom and right wing Jed Ortmeyer in front of the net.
Migliaccio also made a nice play to poke a rebound away from U-M center Andrew Ebbett, who was poised to shoot at a mostly open net.
The Spartans took their 2-0 lead into the first intermission, and then Maloney iced the game with back-to-back power-play markers - the first coming midway through the second period and the second one materializing early in the third.
He made it 3-0 by tapping senior defenseman John-Michael Liles deflected shot past a helpless Montoya at 8:46 of the middle frame.
Then, just 17 seconds into the third, he redirected a Liles shot past Montoya for his 13th goal of the season. He has 11 goals and two assists in his last 12 games.
"The puck went in for us tonight and it didn't for them," Maloney said. "I was just trying to read the play and get in the right areas. I'm used to having five guys on my back when I score, but tonight was different."
U-M never seemed to get on track against MSU's smothering defense and razor-sharp Migliaccio.
The Wolverines rarely had enough room to showcase their speed and offensive skills. When they did have room, the puck inevitably seemed to jump over their sticks or hit a Spartan skate.
Similarly, the U-M crowd was off its game Friday. Usually one of the noisiest buildings in the league, Yost was quieter for this game - partly because of MSU's dominance and partly because many vociferous U-M students hadn't returned from spring break.
MSU went 2-for-4 on the power play Friday, while U-M was 0-for-3. Sophomore center Jim Slater, MSU's second-leading scorer, did not play. A left shoulder injury kept him out of practice most of the week and prevented him from skating with the team Friday.
He watched the game from the stands. His status for Saturday's matchup is undetermined.
Personnel: In Slater's absence, sophomore Brock Radunske moved up to center on the top line. Freshman right wing Colton Fretter was promoted to the second line and freshman forward Nenad Gajic went from fourth line center to the third line right wing.
Freshman right wing Chad Hontvet took Slater's spot on the dress list and played on the fourth line.
