Spartans triumph in final period of exhibition game

When the Spartans scored three unanswered goals in the first period, it seemed to be time for the Western Ontario Mustangs to start warming the bus.

The Mustangs weren’t ready to call it a game yet though, as they exploded in the second period and scored three unanswered goals to tie the game.

But MSU found a way to get it done in the third period — scoring the game winner with 6:37 left in the period to give the Spartans the victory in their last exhibition game, 4-3.

“(Tonight) was a pretty good test,” sophomore forward Corey Tropp, who had a goal and an assist on the night, said.

“Every time we’ve been playing against each other, and it was a good test to play against another team and see how we are,” Tropp said.

MSU head coach Rick Comley said he wasn’t frustrated with his team’s performance and he knows this win is just a small step in the right direction for his young team.

“I’d rather (our players) get battled and tested right now and they will be better tomorrow because of today,” Comley said. “Part of (what we are doing) is infusing talent, learning what talent can play in situations and then molding them.”

The Spartans came out of the gates flying as sophomore forward Andrew Rowe ringed a shot off the post a minute and a half into the game. On the next shift, the Green and White earned a power play after a Western Ontario defender committed an interference penalty. The Spartans made them pay on the ensuing power play.

Junior defender Ryan Turek found the puck at the point and sent in a light slap shot that skipped off the ice and confused Western Ontario’s goaltender Keyvan Hunt. Hunt stopped the initial shot but let a rebound go to his left that was buried into the net by Tropp.

The Spartans found the back of the net again on the power play a little over two minutes later when senior forward Matt Schepke tried to make a pass across the face of the goal and the puck redirected off a Western Ontario defender past Hunt.

With eight minutes left in the period, the Spartans scored their first even strength goal to make the score 3-0. As bodies were flying all over in front of the net, the puck bounced out to senior defenseman Brandon Gentile who took a shot that bounced around in front of the net before being finished by freshman forward Adam Henderson.

After facing only five shots in the first period, MSU senior goaltender Jeff Lerg was replaced by freshman Drew Palmisano. Palmisano’s entrance into the game coincided with a barrage of Mustang shots.

Western Ontario tallied three goals in the last 11 minutes of the second period to get the game squared away going into the final period.

MSU junior goaltender Bobby Jarosz came into the game for Palmisano at the end of the second and was able to hold the Mustangs off the scoreboard and keep the Spartans in the game.

With 6:37 left in the game, the Spartans were able to break the deadlock and capitalize on the power play. Freshman forward Daultan Leveille found a rebound at the right side of the net and banged it past Western Ontario’s goaltender.

Tropp wasn’t surprised to see a freshman score the game-winner and is impressed by the strides that are being taken by all of the new Spartans.

“I wouldn’t say there is just one guy (doing really well),” Tropp said. “I think everyone is doing a great job. Everyone is adapting really well and it’s going to be fun to watch them progress.”

The Spartans will head to Boston Friday to play in the Ice Breaker Tournament against Massachusetts at 4:30 p.m.

“We had to fight back and get the winning goal and kill some penalties,” Comley said. “Obviously we will get tested a lot more (this) weekend but you’ve got to start someplace.”

Published on Monday, October 6, 2008