ICE HOCKEY
At the icy gates
Jeff Lerg got up at 6 a.m. for a month straight after Maine eliminated MSU in last year's East Regional final.
ICE HOCKEY
Frozen Four flashback
Prior to this season, the Spartans last saw themselves in the Frozen Four in 2001. Anchored by the goaltending of All-American goaltender Ryan Miller, the Spartans earned a No.
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Front and Center
The State News recently caught up with sophomore defenseman Brandon Gentile. Gentile and the Spartans leave today for the Frozen Four in St.
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Third line peaks as 'Frozen' looms
Maybe you haven't heard of freshman forward Jay Sprague or sophomore forward Matt Schepke, and you wouldn't be in the minority if you hadn't.
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Frozen four flashback
Not much was expected of the MSU hockey team entering the 1991-92 season. Preseason predictions had the Spartans penciled in for a fifth-place finish in the CCHA. The Spartans made those predictions look like a joke in the postseason. MSU was a five seed in the West Regional and proceeded to defeat Boston, 4-2, on the strength of three unanswered third-period goals.
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Underdog achievement
It was supposed to be last year's MSU hockey team that had all the glory, not this year's squad. After losing a large portion of the team's offense, as well as several steady, reliable defensemen, hardly anybody would have expected the 2006-07 Spartans to surpass last year's team. But it happened. Last season After starting out the 2005-06 season around the .500 mark and battling through several key injuries, the Spartans were looking for some kind of turnaround. MSU got its spark when then-freshman goaltender Jeff Lerg took over in net and led the Spartans on a 17-4-3 second-half surge. "Last year was a really good team, I think from Christmas on," MSU head coach Rick Comley said. Behind Lerg's goaltending and a stingy defense, the Spartans captured the 2006 CCHA Tournament Championship and earned a No.
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Comley named coach of year finalist
MSU hockey head coach Rick Comley has been named one of 11 finalists for the Spencer Penrose Award, which is awarded to college hockey's top coach of the season by the American Hockey Coaches Association. Comley previously won the award in 1980 and in 1991, a year when Comley won his lone national championship.
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Captain is MSU's top motivator
Four years ago, senior captain Chris Lawrence had everything planned out. After his successful stint in juniors with the Pittsburgh Forge of the North American Hockey League, he was going to star at small Division I Mercyhurst College on scholarship in his home state of Pennsylvania, which made his parents happy that he'd be close to home. But then MSU changed everything when the university told Lawrence it wanted him to play hockey as a member of the Spartans. "I never even took a visit when I came here," Lawrence said.
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Vukovic questionable to play in Frozen Four
Although the Spartans won Saturday against Notre Dame in the NCAA Midwest Regional, they lost one of their top defenders. Junior defenseman Daniel Vukovic injured his knee early in the second period when he got tangled up behind the MSU net.
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MSU cherishes Frozen Four berth
Fans will remember the embraces and fist pumps. They will remember sophomore goaltender Jeff Lerg leaping into junior defenseman Jeff Dunne's arms.
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At the four front
Grand Rapids — Once the Spartans regained their breath, celebration ensued. While watching failed attempts at scoring empty-net goals and Notre Dame controlling with a six-on-four power play in the final seconds, MSU fans and players could only hope to cling onto the 2-1 lead. When the puck trickled by a Notre Dame defenseman and into neutral territory, everybody knew it — with their 2-1 victory over the No.
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MSU, Lerg shine in wins
Grand Rapids — Sophomore goaltender Jeff Lerg was supposed to let Hobey Baker goaltending candidates Notre Dame's David Brown and Boston's John Curry control the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional at Van Andel Arena. Instead, it was Lerg who looked like he was vying for college hockey's top honor, as he stopped 46-of-48 shots in two games.
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Spartans play inspired, emotional team hockey to achieve 1st Frozen Four berth since 2001
Grand Rapids — They weren't supposed to beat Boston on Friday night, and God forbid if they did, there was no way they were going to beat the top-seeded Fighting Irish on Saturday to punch a ticket to the Frozen Four in St.
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Vukovic becoming total package
What started out as a joke has now taken on a sort of truth for junior defenseman Daniel Vukovic. When Vukovic scored his first goal of the season to lift MSU in a come-from-behind victory over Miami (Ohio) on Jan.
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Midwest Region highlighted by goalies
Athletes probably get used to being overlooked when they're 5-foot-6. But not sophomore goaltender Jeff Lerg. Lerg, who was named the team's Most Valuable Player on Monday, may be forgotten among Hobey Baker candidates such as Notre Dame goaltender David Brown and Boston goaltender John Curry.
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Defensive hockey key to advancing
The MSU hockey team prepares to play Boston tonight in Grand Rapids in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
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Friends, now foes
Grand Rapids — It shouldn't surprise many people that Boston and MSU have similar hockey teams.
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Miller vs. Eruzione? How MSU and Boston stack up
THEY HAVE: Rhett the Terrier WE HAVE: Sparty the … Spartan? THEY HAVE: Campus located parallel to the Charles River in Boston, Mass. WE HAVE: Campus along the Red Cedar River in East Lansing, Mich.
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Jeff Lerg earns team MVP honors
Eleven MSU players earned team honors at the annual hockey banquet on Monday. Sophomore goaltender Jeff Lerg earned the 2007 Spartan Hockey Most Valuable Player Award.
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Comley wants tourney berth to relax Spartans
Finally, the pressure to get in is gone. MSU is in the NCAA Tournament, and one could only imagine the metaphorical sigh of relief the entire team released when it found out. After weeks of struggling, there is indeed a silver lining. There's a postseason. But still, the team has a longing to play as it did in its run that spanned more than two months.