RedHawks dominate Spartans, 6-1

---

Tweet

Oxford, Ohio — Entering Saturday’s game against No. 9 Miami (Ohio), the MSU hockey team was averaging 24.1 shots a game.

But in the team’s 6-1 loss to the RedHawks, the Spartans only recorded 13 shots on net while Miami fired 60 shots at MSU senior goaltender Jeff Lerg.

MSU head coach Rick Comley said the game slipped away from his team early on, as the RedHawks were determined to end a five game losing streak.

“They came out really physical and really made it tough for our ‘D,’” Comley said. “I thought our ‘D’ really struggled under the onslaught. Miami is a really good team and it’s amazing that they lost five in a row.”

Miami’s Carter Camper and Gary Steffens each recorded two goals off five and nine shots, respectively.

The RedHawks scored three unanswered goals in the first period, and Miami head coach Enrico Blasi said jumping out to an early lead was critical for his team that was carrying a low morale into game.

“Tonight you get a couple of goals early and get a 3-0 lead in the first period and you start to gain some confidence,” Blasi said, who earned his 200th career victory on the night.

“That’s exactly what the doctor ordered.”

For the seventh straight game, Lerg faced 29 or more shots. Blasi said Lerg’s performance was so good over the course of the weekend that he could feel his team getting frustrated at times in both games.

“Jeff’s a great goalie,” Blasi said. “But he’s only human and the more rubber he sees, eventually you can get one by him. I thought our guys did a good job of getting traffic in front of him and changing directions and really making life difficult for him. And he still made 10 or 15 quality, big time saves.”

MSU sophomore defenseman Jeff Petry took credit for the lack of defense in front his netminder.

“You can’t give up 60 shots and win a game,” Petry said. “Jeff (Lerg) was great this whole weekend and the score could have been a lot worse than it was.”

Offensively, the Spartans (7-14-3 overall, 4-10-2-2 CCHA) had three shots on net in the first period and didn’t record a shot in the second frame until 10:01 remained on the scoreboard.

Although the score was already 4-0, the Spartans first shots of the second period resulted in the biggest offensive burst of the game for the Green and White.

MSU freshman forward Daultan Leveille netted the lone goal of the night on the power play for the Spartans off a pass from senior forward Matt Schepke.

But only 1:04 into the third period, the RedHawks extended their lead to 5-1 when Steffens fired a shot from the blueline, gained possession of his own rebound and then beat Lerg to his stick side.

Miami’s Justin Mercier added padding to the lead and made the score 6-1 when he snapped a quick sharp angle shot that hit Lerg in the arm and fell behind him just over the goal line.

The Spartans take on No. 6 Michigan next weekend and Comley said that earning one win against a team as talented as Miami is something for his to build off this week in practice.

“No matter what you dislike about tonight, you like a lot about last night,” Comley said. “We will take the one win and we will go home and get ready for Michigan.”

---