By Michael Caples –
The Spartans aren’t done just yet.
In their winner-take-all Sunday night game with the Alaska Nanooks, Michigan State’s offense came alive, and they picked up a 4-3 win to advance to the second round of the CCHA playoffs.
Greg Wolfe (Canton), Jake Chelios (Bloomfield Hills), Matt Berry (Canton) and Anthony Hayes (Canton) all scored for the Spartans, helping Michigan State overcome a loss the previous night to still prevail in the series.
Michigan State will take on the Miami RedHawks in the CCHA quarterfinals next weekend in Ohio.
Freshman goaltender Jake Hildebrand, making his first start of the series, stopped 28 of 31 for the Spartans.
The Nanooks made the game closer than the Spartans would have preferred in the closing moments; Alaska scored twice in the final 2:30 of regulation to erase a 4-1 deficit.
After Andy Taranto gave Alaska the early lead in the contest with a goal at the 5:36 mark of the first period, MSU scored four unanswered goals to take control of the contest.
Wolfe scored at the 9:41 mark of the opening frame; the Spartans captain fired a shot past Alaska goaltender John Keeney after some fancy stickhandling to get free.
The game’s biggest momentum swing came early in the second period, when MSU recorded back-to-back goals in less than a minute. Jake Chelios managed to send a backhand through a crowd in front of the Alaska goal to give the Spartans their first lead at the 3:19 mark of the middle period. Then, just seconds later, freshman Ryan Keller (Farmington Hills) stripped the puck from a member of the Nanooks in the Alaska end, then quickly passed the puck to Berry, who tapped in his 14th goal of the season.
Hayes’ goal, a blast at the top of the right circle just 34 seconds into the third period, turned out to be the game-winner for the Spartans.
Goals from Jarret Granberg and Adam Henderson pulled the Nanooks within striking distance of a tie, but the Spartans prevented them from adding a fourth goal in the final seconds of play to win the series.
Match-ups decided for second round
The CCHA quarterfinal match-ups will be:
- Miami vs. Michigan State
- Notre Dame vs. Bowling Green
- Western Michigan vs. Michigan
- Ohio State vs. Ferris State