Michigan State eliminates Black Bears with four unanswered goals in 4-2 win

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ST. LOUIS – The University of Maine couldn’t have had a better start in its Frozen Four semifinal against Michigan State on Thursday afternoon.

The Black Bears scored twice in the first 3:24 against a team they had built a 3-0 lead against in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals a year ago en route to a 5-4 win.

But this was a different Michigan State team, and the Spartans scored the next four goals to collect a 4-2 victory over the Black Bears.

Chris Mueller’s crucial first-period goal swung the momentum to the Spartans, senior defenseman Chris Snavely tied it with just his second goal of the season late in the second period, and sophomore center Nick Sucharski scored the game-winner 5:11 into the third period before Jim McKenzie added an insurance goal 4:35 later.

Michigan State (25-13-3) will play the North Dakota-Boston College winner in the national championship game at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Maine concluded a 23-15-2 season.

“This game was a lot like our season … ups and downs,” said Maine senior defenseman and assistant captain Mike Lundin. “We had the momentum in the first period but they took it back. They’re a hard forechecking team and we had trouble breaking the puck out of our zone. They did a better job getting the puck to the net and that’s why they won.”

“They went to the net hard. That’s how they got their goals. That’s what you have to do,’ added Maine senior center Mike Hamilton. “We didn’t get to the net as much as we should have. We made it easy on [goalie Jeff] Lerg.”

Michigan State coach Rick Comley said the Spartans knew they weren’t going to beat Maine goalie Ben Bishop clean.

“You have to get rebounds and screens and tips, and those are the types of goals we got,” said Comley. “To be honest with you, that’s kind of how we score. We don’t get a lot of pretty goals.”

Keith Johnson’s goal 23 seconds into the game, the sixth-fastest in Frozen Four history, and Josh Soares’ goal at 3:24 staked the Bears to a 2-0 lead.

Johnson swept a 14-footer from the low slot past Lerg off a backhand pass from Soares and Soares then snapped a wrister over Lerg’s blocker after Travis Ramsey’s shot from the right point deflected to him in the high slot.

MSU sophomore center Justin Abdelkader said the Spartans didn’t panic.

“We have more experience this year and we felt we matched up well with Maine,” he said.

Mueller gave them a huge lift with a terrific individual effort 4:01 later.

Mueller and line mates Bryan Lerg and McKenzie cycled the puck around the Maine net and Mueller outmuscled Maine defenseman Keenan Hopson before emerging to the left of Bishop. He backhanded the puck toward Bishop; it hit the goalie’s stick and popped in the air.

Mueller swatted it out of the air, waist-high, and it beat Bishop to the far post.

“I was able to get good wood on it,” said Mueller.

“That was a big goal,” said Maine’s Johnson. “They took the momentum from us and we were back on our heels pretty much the rest of the game.”

Maine nearly regained a two-goal lead when Michel Leveille’s wrister glanced off Lerg’s blocker, flipped in the air and landed on the top of the net.

Senior captain Chris Lawrence gave the Spartans a useful pep talk between periods.

“He told us they only scored two in the first period this year,” said Sucharski.

The Spartans had the better scoring chances in the second period as they were able to cycle the puck effectively in the Maine zone and limit Maine’s bids.

One of the few odd-man rushes of the game produced Snavely’s tying goal.

Abdelkader took a pass from Snavely on a three-on-two and weaved into the offensive zone before dropping the puck for Snavely, who blasted a low laser from the top of the right faceoff circle inside the far post.

“Justin made a great pass,” said Snavely. “Tim Kennedy was heading to the far post and I tried to shoot it at him.”

Bishop said, “I never saw it.”

Maine had a great chance to regain the lead early in the third period when a net-front flurry saw the puck wind up on the stick of Teddy Purcell to Lerg’s left. Purcell swiped at the puck and it fluttered over the helpless Lerg only to hit the crossbar.

“The bounces went their way tonight,” said Purcell.

Sucharski then gained a measure of redemption by scoring a goal from amid a scramble.

He and line mates Matt Schepke and Jay Sprague were assigned to shadow Leveille’s line but were victimized on the goals by Johnson and Soares.

“It was sweet redemption,” said Sucharski, whose line mates teamed up to create a loose-puck situation. The puck had made its way to Schepke in the slot and Bishop made the initial save only to have a rebound roll into the slot.

“I just saw the puck lying there,” said Sucharski, who chipped it over Bishop.

Sucharski had scored just once in his previous 16 games.

“I dove out to try to cover the puck but I couldn’t get it,” said Bishop.

Maine came close to tying it, but Lerg made a terrific save with his mask of David de Kastrozza, who was able to get free in the middle of the slot and tip a Lundin point shot on goal.

As the Spartans then protected the lead, McKenzie added an insurance goal.

McKenzie intercepted a Maine pass at the offensive blue line, then passed to Mueller.

Mueller skated down the left side and took a wrist shot that Bishop kicked out with his left pad. Mueller swatted the rebound toward the net and McKenzie batted it out of the air into the net.

“We made all kinds of mistakes and Michigan State took advantage of them,” said Ramsey.

Leveille credited Michigan State for being “really patient and sticking to their game plan.”

The Spartans never allowed the Bears to generate any odd-man rushes and played with extreme discipline, giving the nation’s best power play just two opportunities. They also did an effective job protecting the net front, allowing Maine just one shot at a time and clearing the rebounds.

The Bears also hurt themselves by missing the net 20 times.

MSU outshot Maine 33-31.

SPARTANS 4, BLACK BEARS 2

Maine (23-15-2) 2 0 0 – 2

Michigan State (25-13-3) 1 1 2 – 4

First Period -1, Maine, Johnson 10 (Soares, Leveille), :23. 2, Maine, Soares 20 (Ramsey, Johnson), 3:24. 3, Michigan St., Mueller 15, 7:25. Penalties: Kennedy, MS (cross-checking), 11:04; Leveille, MA (tripping), 15:20; Soares, MA (checking from behind), 19:21; Ramsey, MA (slashing), 20:00; McKenzie, MS (slashing), 20:00.

Second Period – 4, Michigan St., Snavely 2 (Abdelkader, Kennedy), 16:32. Penalties: Shepheard, MA (slashing), 1:44.

Third Period – 5, Michigan St., Sucharski 9 (Schepke, Sprague), 5:11. 6, Michigan St., McKenzie 12 (Mueller), 9:46. Penalties: -Graham, MS (tripping), 2:34.

Shots on goal – Maine 11-12-8-31. Michigan St. 12-11-10-33.

Power-play opportunities – Maine 0-2, Michigan St. 0-3.

Goalies – Maine, Bishop 21-9-2 (33 shots-29 saves). Michigan St., Lerg 25-13-3 (31-29).

A – 18,857

High-percentage scoring opportunities – Maine 12-10-8-30; Michigan State – 10-11-6-27