Spartans split pair at Ice Breaker

Boston — The No. 11 MSU hockey team knew what it was getting itself into heading to Boston to compete in the Ice Breaker Invitational this weekend.

MSU had hit the road for two tough games against veteran teams, but it would be a great way to see where the 11 freshmen stood in their ability to compete at the collegiate level.

MSU head coach Rick Comley said the positives of the weekend are going to outweigh the negatives — despite his team’s losing the championship game to host Boston University 2-1.

“I think we will benefit from this,” Comley said. “There were an awful lot of freshmen out there at critical times. Do you want to win? Yes, but I had to get some questions answered this weekend in who I thought could play against good teams.”

The Terriers controlled the tempo during most of the game and took a 2-0 lead entering the third period. But after a power-play goal by sophomore defenseman Jeff Petry with just more than six minutes left in the game, the Spartans took their place in the driver’s seat.

“It was good to see that, once we got a little momentum on our side the last 10 minutes of the game,” senior goaltender Jeff Lerg said. “We started really playing and showing what we can do. We had chances to tie, which is all you can ask for in the last few minutes.”

The final five minutes of the game featured an MSU five-on-three for 28 seconds. The Spartans were able to record several scoring chances but couldn’t find the back of the net and tie the game.

“We were very, very close to tying the game, which would have been horrible for them because they played so well,” Comley said. “But that’s our game — that can happen.”

A tough crowd

The young Spartans had a tough time adjusting to their first road game.

Petry admitted he had trouble finding his legs early on in front of a very loud crowd.

“It just took a little bit to get into (the game), which we shouldn’t have to do,” Petry said.

“We should be out there the first shift ready to go.”

The Terriers weren’t able to take advantage of the Spartans’ slow start and went into the first intermission with no score.

But during the second period, the Terriers stepped up their game and recorded both of their goals.

Boston scored its first goal shorthanded after a broken play in front of the Spartans net.

The puck came out to Boston forward Chris Higgins, who corralled it and blew a wrist shot over Lerg’s shoulder. With just less than five minutes left in the period, the Terriers struck again, making the score 2-0.

Boston defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk walked the puck in on Lerg from the point and took a low shot that was meant to be deflected. But instead the Terriers forward in front of the net bumped into Lerg and the puck slid under the senior captain.

The Spartans lone goal came at 13:25 in the third period when Petry ripped a slap shot on the power play that went five-hole on Boston goaltender Grant Rollheiser.

“He really shoots it well,” Comley said of Petry, “but he’s had a hard time becoming the dominant factor on the power play, which I think he’s capable of being. But there, at the end of the game, he was — and he wanted the puck.”

In a last-ditch attempt to tie the game, Lerg was pulled for an extra attacker, but the Spartans were unable to get set up in the offensive zone and the buzzer sounded to end the game.

“It was a learning experience for our young kids,” Comley said. “So now we’ll go home and go back to work.”

MSU hosts UMass-Lowell on Thursday and Friday at Munn Ice Arena.

Published on Sunday, October 12, 2008