Freshman forward Matt DeBlouw takes a final lap around the ice with teammates Friday, 19 October, 2012, at Munn Ice Arena. MSU won the game against Niagara University, 3-2. Danyelle Morrow/The State News
They had battled, scrapped and overcame penalties for 40 minutes, yet as they headed out for the third period, the MSU hockey team was staring at a 2-0 deficit and the reality of an unhappy home opener.
After talking, prodding and encouraging his team all night, Tom Anastos knew they needed something positive to reward their hard work.
He just wasn’t sure he’d get it.
“I told the guys that, ‘we’re going to go out there, we’re going to score that first goal, we’re going to climb back into this game and give ourselves a chance to win, one shift at a time. Don’t focus on the score. Focus on the next goal.’” Anastos said.
“I say that a thousand times and it happens once, but it happened.”
The Spartans’ head coach proved prophetic, as junior defenseman Jake Chelios’ goal 8:28 into the third period ignited a rally, as MSU (1-2-0) came-from-behind to knock off Niagara (1-2-1) 3-2 to nab its first victory of the season.
Sophomore forward Tanner Sorenson said the team knew it wasn’t performing up to its ability through the first two periods, and the speech from Anastos, coupled with Chelios’ goal, helped the team regain its fire.
“I think everyone came into the locker room a little upset with how we were doing,” said Sorenson, who assisted on the goal.
“In the third period everyone came out firing. … Jake (Chelios) had a really nice shot, it kind of got the team going and you could see the bench getting alive after that goal.”
Chelios’ goal came seconds after an MSU power play expired without success, and he said the team began to simplify its game, focusing on merely putting the puck on the net, and the tide began to turn.
“Once you get one goal it becomes a one goal game, so once we had the momentum, got a couple power plays, and it just took off from there,” Chelios said.
“Once it becomes a one goal game you see it’s right in your grasp, it’s one shot away, so that’s all you can ask for.”
A couple bad bounces dug the Spartans an early deficit, including Niagara’s second goal where an attempt to clear the puck inadvertently resulted in MSU putting the puck in its own net.
Although it was discouraging, junior goalie Will Yanakeff — who finished with 22 saves — said he made sure not to dwell on it.
“It was just a bad bounce, it’s going to happen, it’s part of hockey,” Yanakeff said of the second goal.
“You’ve just got to forget about them. Bounces are going to happen. You’re going to get scored on. It’s part of the game. It’s part of being a goalie. You’ve just got to learn to forget about them, don’t even think about it.”
MSU outshot Niagara 20-4 in the third period, and after junior center Lee Reimer was rewarded for rushing the net with a game-tying goal just over three minutes after Chelios’ goal, Anastos said he knew momentum was shifting.
Sophomore forward Matt Berry capped off the comeback by deflecting a shot from the point to score a power play goal and give the Spartans their first lead of the game with 5:43 remaining.
The result was a gutsy victory Anastos said the team can build off of.
“It was a good character builder and we talked about that after the game,” he said.
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“It’s definitely a confidence boost. … It’s a mentality you have to build that when you come out you can’t focus on the end result, you have to focus on your next shift. I know it sounds so cliché, (but) when you do it gives you the best chance. It doesn’t mean you’re always going to win, but it gives you the best chance to win.”
