Jan. 2, 2009
Box Score
EAST LANSING, MI - For the second consecutive game the Alaska Nanooks saw their opponents come from behind late in the third period to ruin their chances of earning two points in the conference standings, as the Michigan State Spartans scored twice in the final four minutes of regulation to upset the visitors on Friday night at Munn Arena.
The Nanooks opened the scoring with a goal at 17:16 of the first period. Freshman defenseman Joe Sova launched a slapshot from the left point that was going just wide, but the puck ricocheted off an MSU defender in front and into the back of the net for a 1-0 Nanook lead at the first intermission. Senior Braden Walls assisted on the tally.
MSU's goals came from Dustin Gazely and Daultan Leveille in the waning minutes of the game, turning what had been a solid defensive effort for Alaska for over 50 minutes into a victory for the home team. Leveille's game-tying goal came on a power play. The Blue and Gold continued their power-play woes as they were unable to capitalize on a Spartan penalty in the final 1:44 of the game and watched their hosts steal away two points.
The Nanooks killed off a five-minute power play early in the second frame, as rookie rearguard Scott Enders was whistled for hitting from behind at 2:44. At 3:11, the Spartans went up two men when senior Adam Naglich assessed a hooking penalty. Senior netminder Chad Johnson and the Alaska defense denied MSU's best efforts and successfully killed off the penalties.
Alaska had its own five-on-three chance at 15:29, as two Spartans sat in the sin-bin together for 1:44. The Spartans killed the advantage, only to see another penalty whistled a second after the kill was completed at 17:30.
In the third period, the Nanooks continued to pepper Lerg with shots, but he held his ground and kept it a one-goal affair. MSU pressed in the other end as well, but Johnson was just as solid in his own crease. The Spartans got a late power-play chance when Derek Klassen was whistled for contact to the head-roughing at 14:28. They had a great chance with just 12 seconds left, when Ben Warda had a shot on the doorstep that went to replay to confirm whether it went in, but Johnson managed to hold it over the line and play continued.
Just nine seconds later - and with three seconds remaining in the man advantage - the Spartans got the equalizer. Gazely had the puck behind the net and put it in front to Johnson's right, and Leveille backhanded it from the far post to even the score.
The same line connected less than 90 seconds later to give the Spartans their first lead of the game - this time, it was Gazely getting the marker off an assist from Leveille.
Johnson made 25 saves for the Nanooks, while MSU's Jeff Lerg had 35.
Alaska, who remained tied for third in the league standings with Nebraska-Omaha, is now 9-6-4, 7-5-3-2 in conference play. The teams will face off tomorrow at Munn Arena in a 7 p.m. puck drop.
