March 12, 2005
Box Score
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Miami University RedHawks (15-18-5) held a two-goal lead midway through the third period on Saturday night but could not hold off a late charge by Michigan State (19-15-4) as the Spartans scored twice late in the third period to send the game into overtime where Colton Fretter netted the game-winner for MSU. The loss ends Miami's hopes of advancing to the CCHA Super Six for the second consecutive season as the RedHawks were swept in the best-of-three series at Munn Ice Arena.
Miami scored on its first power-play opportunity for the second night in a row, at 13:44 of the first. With Michigan State's Chad Hontvet in the penalty box for holding, junior Matt Davis' (Rocky River, Ohio) took the puck at the center point and sent a wrist shot through traffic that found its way behind MSU goaltender Dominic Vicari, staking the RedHawks to a 1-0 lead. Sophomore Geoff Smith (Toronto, Ontario) and freshman Nathan Davis (Rocky River, Ohio) were credited with the assists on Davis's fifth of the year.
Freshman Mitch Ganzak's (Redford, Mich.) first collegiate goal doubled Miami's lead at 3:27 of the second. Geoff Smith broke in down the right-wing boards and fed the puck into the crease where freshman Ryan Jones (Chatham, Ontario) redirected it off of Vicari and on to the stick of Ganzak, just off the left post, who was streaking in from the left point.
Michigan State cut the RedHawks' lead in half at 16:46 of the second after a turnover in the neutral zone. The Spartans' Ryan Lerg picked up the puck just outside Miami's blueline and eventually beat sophomore goaltender Brandon Crawford-West (San Diego, Calif.).
Miami sophomore Marty Guerin (Lansing, Mich.) restored the RedHawks' two-goal lead less than two minutes later when his slapshot from the slot found its way past a screened Vicari.
The two-goal cushion was short-lived as the Spartans scored the fourth goal of the second period with just 14 seconds remaining on Jim Slater's 16th of the year. Slater took a pass on the right-wing boards and streaked in past the Miami defense and tucked the puck behind Crawford-West, making the score 3-2 in favor of the Red and White after 40 minutes.
Jones put Miami in front 4-2 with a goal that was the product of sheer hard work and determination. After senior Todd Grant (Indianapolis, Ind.) fired a shot toward the MSU net, Jones outmuscled a pair of Spartans and banged home the rebound for his eighth goal of the year at 12:44 of the third.
A pair of Michigan State goals less than two minutes apart dissolved the RedHawks' lead with just over five minutes remaining in the third period. Tommy Goebel made it 4-3 at 13:25 before Colton Fretter tallied the equalizer at 14:56 to send the game into overtime.
Early in the overtime period, Todd Grant had a golden scoring opportunity for the RedHawks with his team on the power play but Vicari made a sensational pad save to extend the game.
After Ryan Jones was whistled for tripping at 14:xx, Colton Fretter sent Miami home with his second goal of the game, flipping the puck over Crawford-West at 8:45 of the overtime period.
Notes: JR D Matt Davis' goal in the first marked the third time this season that the Davis brothers, Matt and Nathan, registered a point on the same goal ... FR D Mitch Ganzak scored his first goal in 36 games as a RedHawk ... FR F Ryan Jones snapped a five-game pointless drought with an assist ... the RedHawks were 13-2-3 when leading after two periods during the regular season ... Miami's last overtime victory came at Ferris State (4-3, 1-28-05) ... Miami seniors Todd Grant, Joe Pomaranski and Chris Busby played in their finals games for the Red and White.
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