Icers send out seniors with 5-2 win over Bowling Green

Sucharski, Sprague each record goals; Jarosz sees time

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The three MSU seniors went out with a bang Friday night.

During Senior Night at Munn Ice Arena senior forwards Nick Sucharski and Jay Sprague each recorded goals and – despite not starting the game – senior goaltender Bobby Jarosz entered the contest midway through the third period and didn’t allow a goal.

But most importantly, the No. 12 MSU hockey team got back into early season form and looked sharp throughout the entirety of Friday’s game, routing Bowling Green, 5-2.

“It was a great win all around,” freshman defenseman Torey Krug said. “It was good to see the seniors chip in there. It was awesome and a lot of fun. The seniors got to end on a good note.”

With the win, MSU can finish no lower than third in the regular-season standings. The win also solidified a bye in the first round of the CCHA Tournament and home ice in the second round.

Although the Spartans were playing the second-to-last place team in the CCHA, MSU head coach Rick Comley stressed the importance of the game to his team.

“This was the most important game of the year, I think,” MSU head coach Rick Comley said. “A loss here, or tomorrow, and we probably have to win the CCHA playoffs to get in (the NCAA Tournament).”

The Spartans (19-11-5 overall, 14-8-2 CCHA) had tallied only five goals in their past four games prior to Friday. But MSU’s offense exploded in the first period, recording three goals.

In only his second game of the season, Sprague netted a hard-working goal to put the Spartans on the board at 5:51. After recovering from knee and ankle surgeries, Sprague has scored in both of the games he has started this season.

Another unlikely candidate found himself on the scoresheet at 14:25. Freshman defenseman Zac Josepher fired a seeing-eye-puck from the left boards that sniped into the top-shelf of the net to put MSU up, 2-0.

Then the Spartans put together one of the most impressive power plays of the season.

MSU had possession of the puck in the Bowling Green zone for the entire man-advantage. Crafty passes and smart decisions were the trademark of the power play, which ended with sophomore forward Brett Perlini finding himself open in the high slot. Perlini did as he usually does when given time and a shooting lane, firing a wrist shot into the back of the net at 17:42 of the first period.

The Spartans had worn out the Bowling Green players so much on the power play that all four Falcons could barely skate off the ice after Perlini netted his goal.

Perlini’s goal ended the night of Bowling Green goaltender Nick Eno, who was replaced by freshman goaltender Andrew Hammond.

The Falcons got a goal back at 2:58 of the second period by capitalizing on a 2-on-1 odd-man rush.

But sophomore forward Daultan Leveille tacked on an MSU goal that a Bowling Green defenseman accidentally kicked into his own net at 9:25 to give MSU a 4-1 lead.

With 30 seconds remaining in the second period, MSU sophomore goaltender Drew Palmisano protected the three-goal lead by using his head, literally. The MSU netminder was caught out of position and had to completely dive across the crease to make the save off his facemask.

At 1:49 of the third period, Sucharski received a stretch pass from junior defenseman Jeff Petry and was in on a shorthanded breakaway. Sucharski delayed just long enough to get Hammond down, then snuck a shot five-hole.

Bowling Green tacked on a goal at 9:56 off a deflected shot in front of Palmisano.

Soon thereafter, chants of “put Bobby in” starting raining down from the MSU fans, and Comley opted to replace Palmisano with the team’s senior backup netminder with nine minutes remaining.

“I would have put (Jarosz) in at some point,” Comley said. “But I don’t want to disrespect Bobby. Sometimes you do that for kids you don’t think are good enough to play. This had nothing to do with that.”

Jarosz stood strong, facing five shots and securing the MSU victory.

The Spartans were scheduled to honor four seniors Friday night, but prior to the game senior defensman Justin Johnston quit the team.

The Falcons will celebrate their Senior Night on Saturday in the final regular-season game for both teams.

Bowling Green head coach Dennis Williams said he was “very disappointed” with his team’s effort in the loss.

“Between (Friday) and (Saturday) is a big gut-check time more than anything for our players,” Williams said. “It’s a new day (Saturday). We’ve got to learn from (Friday’s) mistakes, but if we come out with that same type of effort, we won’t be successful. We need to do a much better job (Saturday).”

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