It was a refreshing day for the MSU hockey team, led by two freshmen forwards in a 2-0 win over No. 8 Cornell on Sunday in front of 5,534 fans at Munn Ice Arena. The win extended the Spartans' unbeaten streak to four games.
"It was very hard fought," MSU head coach Rick Comley said. "Our kids showed a lot of character and played their hearts out the whole weekend."
On Friday, regulation play was not enough for the two teams, tied 1-1 going into overtime. Senior forward Ash Goldie scored on the power play for MSU in the first period, but Cornell defenseman Doug Krantz was able to tie the game in the second period.
Both teams held each other off for the rest of the game, as the Big Red (4-1-1) were able to fend off a five-minute major assessed to them in the final minute of overtime. The tie was each team's first of the year. MSU sophomore goaltender Dominic Vicari made 20 saves.
On Sunday, it was much the same, as both Vicari and Cornell goaltender David McKee were nearly impenetrable. Both goalies stood on their heads throughout much of the contest.
MSU got on the board first with a goal off the stick of freshman forward Bryan Lerg. Lerg found the rebound of sophomore defenseman's A.J. Thelen's point shot and, from a bad angle, was able to put the puck through McKee's pads and into the goal. It was his second goal of the season.
"A.J. got control (of the puck) and I just screamed at him to shoot," Lerg said. "He took a shot and I just whacked at the other guy's stick."
Both goalies once again put on a show, as McKee stoned MSU junior forward David Booth several times and Vicari stopped everybody in red. The play of McKee, who came into the game with a 1.02 goals-against average, forced Vicari and the team to take its game to another level.
"He's a great goalie," Vicari said. "We knew we had to come out and get good, quality scoring chances early."
MSU increased its lead to 2-0 when a pair of freshmen struck for the Spartans.
Forward Chris Mueller took a pass from forward Jim McKenzie, swooped around McKee and swept the puck past the fallen goaltender. Sophomore defenseman Ethan Graham provided the other assist.
It was Mueller's first collegiate goal.
"When your upperclassmen are struggling to score, you need someone to pick up the slack," Comley said. "It takes so much pressure off them when that happens."
Vicari made a sliding, cross-crease save with just less than nine minutes to go that seemed to break the back of the Cornell players, as MSU held on to the lead and never relinquished it.
Vicari stopped 32 shots on the night, including 12 in both the second and third periods. McKee stopped 20 shots, as he suffered his first loss of the season.
MSU (5-4-1) has allowed just four goals in its past four games with this being the team's first shutout of the season.
"(He) was really good at the end," Comley said of Vicari. "They got some shots on him and he was there when we needed him the most."
MSU will now look toward No. 2 Michigan for a two-game set starting Thursday at Munn.
