One minute and 33 seconds.
That's the time that separated MSU freshman goaltender Dominic Vicari from his second career shutout Saturday night in Oxford, Ohio. But a power-play goal by Miami forward Matt Christie in the game's 39th minute became the only slip in an amazing performance put forth by the 19-year-old Saturday night.
Vicari's lone shutout was notched on Halloween in an 8-0 thrashing of Ferris State at Munn Ice Arena.
An exhausted group, the MSU hockey team (7-4-1 overall, 6-3-1 CCHA) was in dire need of a player to star and Vicari rose to the occasion. On Friday, Vicari protected the Spartans from embarrassment, stopping a career-best 38 shots as the RedHawks were tireless in their barrage at the Spartans' net.
For his efforts, Vicari was named CCHA Rookie of the Week.
"Dom put a great weekend together for us," MSU junior captain Jim Slater said. "He kept us in the game (Friday) just in the first period alone. He kept us in again (Saturday), and it's too bad we couldn't get the shutout for him."
Playing on consecutive nights doesn't cement Vicari as the lone starter, though. Spartans head coach Rick Comley is reluctant to stray from his line change-like rotation of playing Vicari and junior goaltender Matt Migliaccio on a night-to-night basis.
The rotation practice was axed this past weekend after Vicari played well Friday. Arguably, Vicari's most important stand was in Friday's first period as he stopped 19 RedHawks shots. Comley said before the weekend, he had planned on playing Vicari both nights, barring a devastating loss Friday.
Comley's choice proved positive for the Spartans. Vicari guarded the Spartans' net Saturday, saving 28 shots and was named the game's No. 1 star.
"We feel he's moved ahead," Comley said of Vicari's position in the goaltender race. "He's so confident, he's solid, makes good saves - easy saves, tough saves.
"You have to work to get a puck by him. He comes up with big saves at big times."
As for Vicari, the game of college hockey is becoming comfortable ground for him. In his past five starts - the span in which the freshman has impressed Comley - Vicari is 4-1 with a 1.80 goals against average and .932 saves percentage. Four of the nine goals allowed have been scored on the power play. For the season, Vicari is 4-3 with a 2.44 GAA and a .904 saves percentage.
"I think I'm staying patient and not dropping (to the ice) too fast anymore," Vicari said. "I'm getting used to the speed of college hockey. It's a big difference from the first weekend.
"I'm starting to see plays develop and to see little stuff like that."
Goaltenders crave shutouts, but Vicari can ignore the last 1:33 Saturday because the chance awarded to him, manning the net twice on the road, served as a confidence-builder for the Spartans' budding star.
