Grand Rapids - The MSU hockey team played a strong first period against Minnesota-Duluth, down by only one goal in the Midwest Regional of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday at Van Andel Arena.
All the Spartans needed was to carry their play over to the next period. That was easier said than done as the Bulldogs dominated in the second, lighting up four more times and holding the Spartans to just three shots on net.
Minnesota-Duluth won, 5-0, ending MSU's season at 23-17-2.
"They played with more bite, more intensity, more stick strength - whatever you have to do at this time of the year," MSU head coach Rick Comley said. "They're a polished team. Our ineffectiveness to score has been evident all year."
Bulldogs forward Evan Schwabe scored the game-winner and MSU freshman goaltender Dominic Vicari was pulled after the fourth goal. Junior goaltender Matt Migliaccio finished the game with 12 saves in his first game since Feb. 14.
"They got a couple of good bounces that went their way to throw me off my game, and that ended the night for me," Vicari said.
Freshman defenseman A.J. Thelen said Minnesota-Duluth's transition game hurt MSU the most.
"Our back-checking, our fore-checking and our 'D' wasn't really there," Thelen said. "Coming off a loss like this, it's kind of like a springboard for us in the offseason. We were taught a lesson."
The Bulldogs showed why they are the second-highest scoring team in the nation and why forward Junior Lessard is one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, an annual honor given to college hockey's top player.
Ten Bulldogs tallied points and Lessard notched two goals, including a deflection on the power play. Forwards Jesse Unklesbay and Brett Hammond also got goals.
Lessard, bothered all week by a knee injury from March 20, hadn't skated until Friday afternoon. After his first goal, a slapshot mishandled by Vicari, chants of "Hobey Baker" were faintly heard.
Lessard said he made the decision to put himself in the lineup in the pregame skate the day of what could have been the final game as a Bulldog.
"I was trying to be confident all week, telling myself I could play," the St. Joseph deBeauce, Québec, native said. "(Friday), I wasn't feeling right where I would be - I saw a difference (Saturday). I went out there and felt pretty much close to 100 percent."
MSU hasn't scored a goal in 194:18 consecutive minutes in the NCAA Tournament. Then-senior captain Rustyn Dolyny scored in the third period of a 5-1 victory over Wisconsin on March 25, 2001, in the West Regional final game.
Bound for Beantown
Not only did Minnesota-Duluth defeat the Spartans in high fashion in its first NCAA trip in 11 years, the Bulldogs dethroned two-time defending champion Minnesota in the Midwest Regional title game Sunday, 3-1.
Minnesota-Duluth joins Denver, Maine and Michigan for the Frozen Four in Boston starting April 8.
Isaac Reichmuth, with 45 saves in two contests, was named Midwest Regional MVP. Forward Luke Stauffacher got the game-winner as the Bulldogs make their first trip to the Frozen Four since 1985.
"The biggest compliment I can give them is they're an old-school college hockey team," Comley said Saturday. "They have draft pick and this is the best four years of their lives, and they've maximized it.
"Some of the kids aren't the prototype pro players. They're just really, really good college players."
