Ouch: MSU vs. Miami (Ohio), Game 2

Oxford, Ohio — I hope anyone who said No. 9 Miami (Ohio) was overrated saw this game.

Because you are wrong.

In the RedHawks 6-1 domination of the Spartans on Saturday, Miami showed off why they were the No. 1 team in the country at one point this season.

They passed it tape-to-tape throughout the game and appeared to be on a constant power play. In fact, there would be five minute stretches where the Spartans wouldn’t even get the puck in the RedHawks zone.

Here’s an indication of how lobsided this game was: the shots were 60 for Miami and 13 for MSU.

Enough said.

Although a 6-1 score almost always indicates a poor showing from your goaltender, MSU senior netminder Jeff Lerg stood on his head all night. He robbed numerous point plank chances and the final score could easily have been 12-1.

So what was the difference between the Spartans 4-1 victory last night and their 6-1 routing tonight?

That’s easy – it was the first period.

Miami came out with more jump than a pogo stick and were determined to snap its five game losing streak.

By the time the horn sounded at the end of the first period, the RedHawks were already holding a 3-0 lead.

And MSU sophomore defenseman Jeff Petry said he could feel Miami’s intensity from the moment the puck dropped.

“I think we just got out-competed,” Petry said. “From there it’s just hard to come back from a three goal or four goal deficit.”

To make matters worse in the first frame, senior forward Tim Crowder was checked awkwardly into the boards and injured his shoulder. He didn’t return to the game.

MSU head coach Rick Comley said the injury appears to be quite serious and would be “surprised if he was back before the end of the year.”

Although Crowder hasn’t had the numbers everyone expected this season, he is a strong, physical player who has experience in big games.

His loss will be quite costly for the Spartans down the stretch.

But let’s not forget the positives from this weekend.

Sure the Spartans got smoked Saturday, but they were able to steal a game Friday, and that was huge.

If they can have similar results this weekend at No. 6 Michigan, it would be a big time boost coming into a stretch of the season where the Spartans have the best chance to make up ground in the CCHA.

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