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Sports | Ice Hockey

ICE HOCKEY

Spartans clear out Falcons 4-0

James Jahnke
November 3, 2001

After out-racing Bowling Green 6-3 on Thursday, No. 3 MSU looked more like last season’s defensive juggernaut in a 4-0 win over the Falcons at Munn Ice Arena on Friday.The Spartan defensemen came up big across the board and junior goaltender Ryan Miller was outstanding, making 30 saves for the shutout.Freshman left wing Kevin Estrada led the offensive charge with two goals, helping the Spartans (5-2-1 overall, 5-2-1 CCHA) complete a sweep of Bowling Green (1-5-2, 1-4-1).With the win, MSU extends its home unbeaten streak to 22 games (20-0-2) since Oct.

ICE HOCKEY

Hockey: Slater slips into Dads shoes as hitter

James Jahnke
November 2, 2001

Don’t let Jim Slater’s smallish stature and youthful appearance fool you.The 6-foot, 186-pound freshman center from Lapeer may be built like a kicker, but he hits like a linebacker.His father, a former NFL defensive end, said Slater quit youth soccer because there wasn’t enough body-on-body contact for his taste.And Bill Slater also remembers young Jim returning from hard-fought street hockey games, covered in blood and loving every minute of it.“I’ve heard I’m real tough out there, just like throwing my body around and everything,” Jim Slater said.

ICE HOCKEY

Hockey: Sweep drops team in polls

James Jahnke
October 31, 2001

The Spartans fell to No. 3 in this week’s USCHO.com national poll and No. 4 in the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine rankings after being swept in their weekend series with Nebraska-Omaha.MSU (3-2-1 overall, 3-2-1 CCHA) entered the series at No.

ICE HOCKEY

New offensive approach bringing results

James Jahnke
October 25, 2001

It’s not an uncommon hockey strategy, but it seems to have penetrated the top-ranked Spartans’ consciousness more than usual in the early stages of this season. “Just get the puck to the net and see what happens,” junior left wing Brian Maloney repeated again and again after practice Monday. The Spartans won’t call it their season motto, but it’s close.

ICE HOCKEY

Keith named rookie of the week

James Jahnke
October 24, 2001

The CCHA named freshman defenseman Duncan Keith the league’s Rookie of the Week for his two-assist effort against Ferris State on Saturday. Keith, from Penticton, British Columbia, is tied for the team lead with six points this season.

ICE HOCKEY

Defense, goaltending tie up bulldogs

James Jahnke
October 22, 2001

The top-ranked Spartans took care of business on the final date of their four-game season-opening homestand with a 2-0 win over Ferris State on Saturday night at Munn Ice Arena.Goals from senior right wing Adam Hall and freshman center Ash Goldie provided plenty of support for junior goaltender Ryan Miller, who made 23 saves Saturday and recorded his second shutout of the season.“We were up against a high-speed team that was getting a lot of chances,” said Miller, who earned his 20th career shutout.

ICE HOCKEY

T-shirt giveaway turns into Zamboni disaster

James Jahnke
October 22, 2001

A dose of déjà vu nearly befell Munn Ice Arena on Saturday night, as a Zamboni mishap delayed the start of the second period by about 15 minutes. During the first intermission, a Munn employee sitting on the Zamboni attempted to throw a giveaway T-shirt into the crowd, but his toss failed to clear the glass in the northeast corner of the rink.

ICE HOCKEY

Mason notches 900th career win as Spartans shut out Ferris

James Jahnke
October 20, 2001

MSU head coach Ron Mason earned his 900th career win the way he has earned so many others Saturday night at Munn Ice Arena. The top-ranked Spartans (3-0-1 overall, 3-0-1 CCHA) relied on a tested defense and solid goaltending to beat Ferris State 2-0 in front of 6,732 fans. Junior goaltender Ryan Miller made 23 saves and recorded his second shutout of the year to help Mason, already college hockey’s all-time winningest coach, push his career record to 900-371-79.

ICE HOCKEY

Team stays No. 1, featured on ESPN show

James Jahnke
October 18, 2001

MSU kept its top spot in both of this week’s national polls after sweeping a two-game series with Lake Superior State by a combined score of 11-1 last weekend.The Spartans (2-0-1 overall, 2-0-1 CCHA) garnered 31 first-place votes and 587 points in the USCHO.com poll, keeping them well ahead of No.

ICE HOCKEY

Goodenow puts health problems behind him

James Jahnke
October 16, 2001

Reporters weren’t asking Joe Goodenow the questions he expected to hear in his first three seasons at MSU.Instead of queries about hat tricks, tape-to-tape passes or bone-rattling body checks, Goodenow has had to explain separated shoulders and groin pulls.Those are certainly not the topics the 5-foot-10, 196-pound Toronto native wants to be synonymous with his collegiate career.“The last four years have really been a struggle to be healthy,” said Goodenow, a senior left wing and center.

ICE HOCKEY

Lakers flooded by Spartan offense

James Jahnke
October 15, 2001

Top-ranked MSU’s two-game series against Lake Superior State wasn’t much more than target practice for the Spartans, who outshot the Lakers 85-33 Thursday and Friday at Munn Ice Arena.MSU’s re-emphasis on offensive production was plainly evident in the sweep, as the Spartans (2-0-1 overall, 2-0-1 CCHA) torched the Lakers (0-2-0, 0-2-0) for 11 total goals - a number the Spartans only eclipsed in one CCHA series last season.Ron Mason, MSU’s head coach of 23 seasons, has encouraged this year’s team to utilize its raw offensive talents, even at the expense of the Spartans’ time-tested defensive tradition.At one point in the second period of Friday’s 6-1 win, all five Spartan skaters darted below the circles in the Laker zone - a move that would have been sacrilegious for a Mason-coached team in recent years.“Our system that we’re playing gives us an opportunity to pursue a little bit more,” said Mason, who earned his 899th career win Friday.

ICE HOCKEY

Icers trample Lake Superior State, Miller shines

James Jahnke
October 13, 2001

As dominant as MSU was in its 5-0 shutout of Lake Superior State on Thursday night, the top-ranked Spartans looked even better in Friday‘s series finale.The Spartans (2-0-1 overall, 2-0-1 CCHA) peppered the Lake Superior net with 46 shots and rarely allowed the Lakers to mount an offensive attack in a 6-1 win at Munn Ice Arena.Senior left wing Joe Goodenow led the Spartans with two goals and an assist as the Spartans outshot Lake Superior (0-2-0, 0-2-0) 46-19 for the game.Freshman center Lee Falardeau added a goal and two assists and junior defenseman Brad Fast and junior right wing Steve Jackson tacked on a goal and an assist each.Falardeau put MSU up 1-0 at 3:46 of the first period with his first goal of the season.

ICE HOCKEY

LSSU begins two-game stint at Munn tonight

James Jahnke
October 11, 2001

The unknowns of christening a new hockey venue are now in MSU’s rearview mirror, but the Spartans still don’t know exactly what to expect in their next series.After tying Michigan 3-3 in “The Cold War” at Spartan Stadium on Saturday, top-ranked MSU (0-0-1 overall, 0-0-1 CCHA) returns to Munn Ice Arena for a two-game set with Lake Superior State today and Friday.