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Sports | 1000

ICE HOCKEY

Maine's bounces unlucky for MSU

Matt Bishop
March 27, 2006

Albany, N.Y. — The NCAA Tournament is a bad time to stop having bounces go your way. That's exactly what happened to MSU on Sunday evening at Pepsi Arena in the regional final game. On the defensive end, it was tipped shots from Maine that found their way into the back of the net. On the offensive end, the Spartans rarely found themselves on the positive end of any scrums in front of Maine goaltender Ben Bishop. By the time the bounces starting slowing down for Maine, the Spartans found themselves down 3-0 late in the first period. "The goals they got were good goals, but they were tip goals — the tough ones for a goaltender to see and react to with a lot of guys in front of them," junior captain Drew Miller said. The Black Bears' first three goals came off tip-ins in front of MSU freshman goaltender Jeff Lerg.

ICE HOCKEY

Spartans plan to use team's depth to their advantage

Eric Fish
March 24, 2006

It doesn't matter if it's a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior getting the job done for the Spartans because each of the classes for the MSU hockey team have stepped up at various times in the season. "The strength of this team is the balance and the depth," MSU head coach Rick Comley said.

ICE HOCKEY

Young goalie gains following

Eric Fish
March 24, 2006

After an MSU hockey win in January, a team of youth hockey players, no older than 13, huddled together outside of the Munn Ice Arena locker room area in hopes of getting autographs from some of their favorite Spartans players. As a player passed through the team, one of the kids politely asked which player he was before signing his name across some souvenir memorabilia. The player smiled and answered, "Bryan Lerg." He was met with the excited reply, "Oh, the goalie's cousin." Here was Bryan Lerg, who's been with MSU for a year and a half — currently second on the team in scoring — being overshadowed by his cousin, freshman goaltender Jeff Lerg.

ICE HOCKEY

Hockey in the spotlight

Eric Fish
March 24, 2006

The celebration of a CCHA playoff championship stopped last Sunday when the Spartans huddled inside of Reno's East Side Sportsbar & Grill, 1310 Abbott Road, to watch as they were awarded a No.

FOOTBALL

Spring in the air means time for football

Matt Bishop
March 24, 2006

Spring is about change and that is what the MSU football team will be undergoing as it enters spring practice today. A number of changes grace the depth chart, led by junior Sir Darean Adams moving from bandit to backup free safety and junior Cole Corey moving into the starting bandit position. "I'm really excited about the competition we're going to have at most of the positions," MSU head coach John L.

ICE HOCKEY

Solid 4th line steps up and gives Spartans an edge

Eric Fish
March 23, 2006

With the score 2-1 and less than six minutes left to play in Saturday's CCHA playoff-clinching victory, MSU head coach Rick Comley sent out the fourth line to kill some time off the clock and recharge his other lines. Not only did the trio of sophomore Zak McClellan, junior Chris Lawrence and freshman Nick Sucharski eat the clock and protect the lead, but they outplayed the opposing Miami line while generating a scoring chance. "Every time he can put us out there, it doesn't really matter what time of the game it is, it gives us a lot of confidence — just being able to go out there and know that he has faith in us," McClellan said. "We go out there, and we know in our heads that we can make things happen." Mixed in with redshirt freshman Dan Sturges for much of the season, the fourth line has been trusted to go out and play in critical situations when most other college coaches could have them riding the bench. "I trust them to go out there and be responsible and play how we want to play and that's not unusual.

ICE HOCKEY

Miller's tradition becomes pregame staple for success

Eric Fish
March 23, 2006

They say the playoffs are no place for a nervous person. Maybe that's the reason for the latest pregame ritual in the Spartans locker room, which involves a garbage can and plenty of hockey sticks. Aside from growing out the facial hair — as many players do in the postseason — the Spartans have begun to place their sticks in the locker room garbage can prior to games to signify the importance of the hard-working and far from glamorous "garbage goals." "I didn't know anything about it until I walked in the locker room one day, and I saw a stick in the garbage," MSU head coach Rick Comley said.

SPORTS

From the road

Women's basketball reporter Ethan Conley offers his ramblings from Chicago, where the Spartans played the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. • Apparently every restaurant in the Chicago area serves "The best (fill in the blank) you've ever had." Sit down for a burger at Harry Caray's Restaurant, and they'll tell you it's the best burger of your life.

SPORTS

Gebauer leaping to new heights with pole vault

Angela Bianchi
March 21, 2006

Years ago, he was a small-town kid begging his dad to let him pole vault like his older brother. Now, senior Brad Gebauer has taken his family's tradition of pole vaulting to new heights after placing fourth in the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 10, earning All-America honors with his 17-foot, 10.5-inch jump. Gebauer, seeded fifth for the meet, said he was pleased with the fourth-place finish among the nation's top 16 pole vaulters. "My goal was to become All-American and place fifth or better," he said.

SPORTS

Recipe for Big Ten success: more Rogaine, less Bo

Big Ten — what happened? You were ranked No. 1 in conference RPI before the NCAA Tournament began and got six bids into the Big Dance. After the first four days of play, all six teams from the best conference in the land are left scratching their heads and wondering what went wrong.

SPORTS

Front and center

Angela Bianchi
March 20, 2006

The State News recently caught up with MSU women's basketball junior guard Victoria Lucas-Perry. • Her favorite movie… "I love 'Dodgeball' — it's hilarious." • Her favorite song… "'Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It' (by Dem Franchize Boyz). Me and my teammates do a dance to it." • Her favorite ice cream… "Chocolate chip cookie dough.