December 6, 1996
Notre Dame Suffers Another Tough Loss
First career goal for Irish freshman Ben Simon lost amidst last-minute defeat
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State's Mark Loeding slid in
a shot with 54 seconds left in regulation, giving the No. 8 Spartans a 4-3
victory and handing Notre Dame its fifth one-goal loss in the last seven
games in Central Collegiate Hockey Association action Friday before the
192nd consecutive sellout (6,358) at Munn Arena.
The win pushed Michigan State (11-5-0, 9-2-0 CCHA) into a tie with
Lake Superior State atop the conference standings while Notre Dame
(4-10-1, 3-8-1 CCHA) fell into a tie with Western Michigan for seventh
in the 10-team league (Bowling Green gained sole possession of sixth,
moving ahead of the Irish and Broncos, after downing Alaska-Fairbanks on
Friday).
The Irish scored twice in the first eight minutes of the third
period to tie the game, 3-3, but MSU came away with the game-winner
after earning a faceoff at the left circle Irish zone. MSU's Sean Berens
on the faceoff and the puck then slid between the circles. The Spartans
Richard Keyes tried to quickly poke a shot towards the net but the puck
kicked off several players skates. Loeding alertly flailed at the puck
and pushed in a shot that kicked off the right post and dribbled along
the goalline before settling into the left side of the net.
The loss was the second last-minute loss in the last three weeks for
Notre Dame, which lost by an identical 4-3 count at Miami University on
Nov. 23, after a wraparound goal with just 40 seconds left in
regulation.
The Irish missed out on a chance to beat the Spartans for the first
time since December of 1982. Since that time, MSU has won 11 of the 14
games in the series, with Notre Dame battling to three ties.
Notre Dame jumped ahead after scoring one of its quickest goals of
the season (1:08), as freshman center Ben Simon (Shaker Heights, OH)
sent home a backhanded shot at the right side of the crease, off a
rebounded shot from sophomore Aniket Dhadphale. The goal was the first
of Simon's collegiate career and ended an early season of frustration
that had seen him fail to score on his first 31 shots.
MSU gained the equalizer seven minutes later, when sophomore center
Mike York put back a rebounded shot from defenseman Chris Bogas. York,
who would go on to assist on MSU's second and third goals, earlier in
the week joined Simon and Lake Superior's Jason Sessa as the only CCHA
players one three of just 15 collegiate players named to the 1997 U.S.
junior national team.
The Spartans claimed the lead with two goals in the second, the
first coming at the 9:29 mark when the hosts gained a 2-on-1 break after
a pair of Irish players ran into one another at the blueline. York
quickly capitalized on the advantage, sending a pass across the crease
for Bryan Adams, who one-touched a shot past Irish junior goaltender
Matt Eisler.
In the closing moments of the second period, MSU converted on the
powerplay, after being held in check by the Irish on three earlier
man-up chances. York again provided the setup pass, sending the puck
from the left to right circle for the waiting Berens, who had time to
control the puck and eye the net before flicking a rising shot from the
center of the circle into the left side of the net.
The Irish came back to tie the score for the 10th time this season
on third-period goals by sophomore Craig Hagkull and senior defenseman
Brian McCarthy.
Hagkull netted his first goal of the year after Alban made a costly
mistake, wandering out of the crease to chase down a puck at the boards
to his right. Alban reached the puck and elected to flick it towards the
center of the ice. Hagkull was stationed at the center of the blueline
and intercepted the clearing attempt before quickly firing into the open
net (6:08).
Two minutes later, McCarthy flicked home a multiple-rebound shot
after a major pileup in front of the MSU net, with two players from each
team sprawled between the circles as McCarthy scored amidst the
confusion.
Of Notre Dame's five recent one-goal losses, four have come by 4-3
scores. In addition to the pair of last-minute defeats, Notre Dame's
recent frustrations include a 4-3 overtime loss to Mankato State.
Dhadphale now has assisted in four straight games and five of the
last six while bringing his season assist total to 10. The left winger
had just seven assists all of last season but led the Irish in 1995-96
with 13 goals (he has lit the lamp just three times this season, having
failed to light the lamp in the last nine games).
NOTRE DAME 1 0 2 - 3
MICHIGAN STATE 1 2 1 - 4
SCORING
1st period - ND 1. Simon (Dhadphale) 1:08; MS 1. York (Bogas, Tuzzolino) 7:50.
2nd period - MS 2. Adams (York) 9:29; MS 3. Berens (York, Hodkins) PP 18:44.
3rd period - ND 2. Hagkull (unassisted) 6:08; ND 3. McCarthy (Urick, Andrusiak) 8:06; MS 4. Loeding (Keyes, Berens)19:06.
Shots on goal: ND 10-4-7/21, MS 7-13-7/27.
Saves: ND (Eisler) 6-11-6/23, MS (Alban) 9-4-5/18.
Powerplay: ND 0-for-2, MS 1-for-4.
Penalties: ND 6 for 12:00, MS 4 for 8:00.
