Junior forward Tim Kennedy takes control of the puck from Western Michigan defenseman Kevin O’Connor during Saturday’s game in Kalamazoo. The Spartans defeated the Broncos 4-2.
For five years, Lawson Ice Arena in Kalamazoo perplexed the MSU hockey team.
Saturday’s game would hold the answer to the riddle for the Spartans, who defeated Western Michigan 4-2 — the first win on the Broncos’ ice since 2003. The victory came after a 3-0 shutout win Friday, and finished up a weekend sweep of the Broncos — helping MSU gain four much-needed points and reach the 20th-victory mark (20-8-5).
“It was huge … one of our goals,” senior forward Chris Mueller said.
“We’ve been struggling these past couple of weekends, and (we) needed those four points to just get going.”
Mueller tallied three goals on the weekend, netting two of those in Saturday’s win.
The Spartans battled back after a disappointing weekend at Northern Michigan, having lost two games to the Wildcats.
The winning weekend seemed to wake up a few players, such as junior forward Tim Kennedy, who was previously on an unlucky 13-game scoreless streak. Kennedy notched a goal in Friday’s win.
“I would have taken a goal that hit off my skates,” Kennedy said. “I would have taken anything that they would have given me right now. It’s been one of the most frustrating personal months of my life.”
Senior captain Bryan Lerg scored two goals on the weekend — both came in the first periods.
Saturday’s goal was scored when he redirected senior defenseman Jeff Dunne’s shot from the blueline on the power play about five minutes into the first period.
Junior forward Tim Crowder tallied the Spartans’ second goal of the game.
As freshman forward Andrew Rowe’s shot ricocheted off the boards, Crowder rocketed the puck past Broncos goaltender Riley Gill.
Soon after, Western Michigan capitalized on a 5-on-3 opportunity after senior defenseman Daniel Vukovic and junior forward Justin Abdelkader received penalties within moments of each other.
Fourteen seconds into Abdelkader’s slashing minor, Western’s Nathan Ansell scored, putting the Broncos within two goals of the Spartans.
Patrick Galivan also scored for Western Michigan, but it would not be enough.
Mueller would finish up the evening with two goals — one on the power play in the second period and the other an empty netter in the third.
MSU head coach Rick Comley said sweeping the Broncos was exactly what his team needed to get back on track.
“There were a couple of stretches in the game where (Western Michigan) started pinching and hitting like crazy, and I thought, ‘Here we go again,’” Comley said.
“But overall, it was a very good road trip. It sets up a good weekend for next weekend. We struggled all week emotionally, and then we’ve got this positive week of practice.”
MSU faces a tough but exciting weekend against No. 1 Michigan first Friday at Munn Ice Arena and then Saturday at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The No. 8 Spartans fared well against the Wolverines in the teams’ last two meetings with a 1-0 shutout win at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor and a tie at Munn.
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Coincidentally, there also was a five-year gap between victories at Yost for the Spartans, who had not won there since Feb. 28, 2003.
“We beat Michigan at Yost and it was the same thing here (at Lawson),” Mueller said.
“Coach Comley said, ‘You seniors don’t want to leave without a win in this building. Don’t leave this college building without a win here.’ And the guys took it to heart.”
The Spartans hope to carry the positive momentum over into the Wolverines series, but make no mistake, it’s not difficult to get amped up for those games, Lerg added.
“Every time I play Michigan they’re a great team (with) great speed,” Lerg said. “We’ve got our hands full.”
The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. Friday at Munn.
