Box Score FAIRBANKS, Alaska - Sopohomore right wing Andy Taranto notched a pair of goals but was the only player to score for the Alaska Nanooks as they lost their Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season finale to the Michigan State Spartans Saturday night at the Carlson Center.
Alaska netminder Scott Greenham made 29 saves in the loss as the Nanooks fell into a tie for sixth place with Ferris State, who holds the tie breaker. With 38 points in the converence ranks, the Blue and Gold can finish no better than seventh and no worse than ninth in the final league standings. Michigan State held their ground in 10th place despite their three-point evening.
The teams traded scores in the opening five minutes of the contest - MSU jumped on the board first, as Derek Grant beat Greenham in front. Taranto tied the score for the home team at 4:16, with a shot from the top of the left circle. The advantage at the first intermission went to MSU, who got a power-play goal from defenseman Torey Krug at 14:25.
Grant got his second of the night at 13:26 of the second period to push MSU's lead to 3-1 and the Spartans outshot the Nanooks 14-7.
The teams traded goals in a 30-second span in the latter part of the third period. MSU's Mike Merrifield forced a turnover and brought it the length of the ice for a goal at 12:35 of the period. On the next shift, Taranto got his second marker of the night as he was able to utilize the traffic in front to put back a rebound at 13:03.
The Spartans regained their three-goal advantage at 15:24, when Greg Wolfe connected on the power play and Lee Reimer added a sixth goal for MSU with 2:04 remaining in the game.
Special teams proved crucial in the story of the game as the Nanooks were held scoreless in all four of their chances, but allowed the Spartans to capitalize on half of their four man-advantage opportunities.
Alaska will closeout the regular season with a home-and-home series against the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves next weekend as they seek to defend their 2010 Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup title. The teams will meet at the Carlson Center on Friday at 7:05 p.m., while the series finale will be played in Anchorage at the Sullivan Arena on Saturday night at 7:07 p.m.
