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Miami series was rough

By: Alex DiFilippo Posted: 11/17/08 2:44pm

Saturday’s game can be summed up in one word — frustration.

The Spartans dominated the game but were unable to beat Miami (Ohio) goaltender Connor Knapp more than once in the 3-1 loss.

It really wasn’t that Knapp was playing that well either. He gave up countless rebounds that were cleared by the Miami defensemen moments before the Spartans could get a stick on it.

And it didn’t help that another fluke goal found its way past senior goaltender Jeff Lerg.

This time it came off the stick of sophomore defenseman Jeff Petry who was trying to get in the passing lane during a 2-on-1.

There is no doubt that Petry made the right play. But once again the bounces just didn’t go for the Spartans tonight.
It did seem that the Spartans were going to make it a close game when sophomore forward Corey Tropp beat Knapp to make it a one goal game.

The crowd erupted and the student section was ready with the shredded newspaper – and they threw it all, because like most of us, they didn’t know if the Spartans would score again.

And they didn’t.

But the story of the game wasn’t that the Spartans played bad. They had their chances and MSU head coach Rick Comley said he felt they “played good enough to win.”

But a loss is a loss and it isn’t going to get any easier for the Spartans as they head back on the road for a weekend series at Nebraska-Omaha and then play perennial powerhouses Wisconsin and Minnesota over Thanksgiving weekend.

Obviously the Spartans are going to need to score if they are going to have any chance in these games.

It’s not time to throw out or simplify the offensive systems yet. The offense was present tonight and had numerous chances.

It’s just a matter of getting a lucky bounce here and there.

Maybe the Spartans would be better suited saying a couple extra prayers to the hockey Gods this week.

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Hockey reporter Alex DiFilippo and Sports Editor Matt Bishop take you inside both MSU hockey and professional hockey four times a week.

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Commentary:

Peter Bell

11/17/08 4:22pm

You are delusional. Although the Spartans didn’t play as badly as they did in the 5-0 blowout Miami delivered Friday, Michigan State did not “dominate” the game as you say. They definitely played better. The difference is that the Spartans score (ranked 57th out of 58) and Miami can, Miami’s players are bigger, faster and don’t allow chances and have a #1 penalty kill.

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Zoya

11/18/08 10:26am

I have to say that I agree with Peter. The Spartans played better than Miami in periods 1 and 2, but they didn’t “dominate” them. They fell off in the third, and even after they scored the goal to make it 2-1, they were half-hearted in their efforts to tie it up. Frustrating is exactly the word I’d use to describe it from a fan’s point of view, however.