Saturday, 8 January 1994 at Kent
 
MSU       3      1       5  -  9
Kent      3      3       0  -  6
 
First period-  1, MSU, Fleming 1 (unassisted) 6:40
               2, MSU, Carter 14 (Guolla, Murray) pp 7:42
               3, Kent, McPherson 6 (Morin, Sylvester) pp 9:28
               4, MSU, Murray 7 (Ferranti) 9:54
               5, Kent, Sylvester 14 (Morin, Dartsch) 19:03
               6, Kent, Thornbury 5 (Sabo, Muldoon) 19:44
                Penalties- Suk, MSU (rough) 6:58
                           Mischke, Kent (rough) 6:58
                           Dartsch, Kent (rough) 7:28
                           Wiegand, MSU (cross checking) 8:17
                           Tuzzolino, MSU (interference) 11:13
 
Second period- 7, MSU, Carter 15 (Murray) pp 1:49
               8, Kent, Morin 13 (Gunderson) 13:57
               9, Kent, Sabo 3 (Sylvester) pp 16:32
              10, Kent, Dartsch 8 (Sylvester) 19:49
                Penalties- Sabo, Kent (hook) 1:06
                           Fair, Kent (elbow, 10-minute misconduct) 9:29
                           Tuzzolino, MSU (cross checking) 16:04
                           Vanstaalduinen, MSU (high stick, rough) 19:02
                           Fair, Kent (high stick, rough) 19:02
                           Ferranti, MSU (rough) 19:02
 
Third period- 11, MSU, Harper 7 (Carter) 3:42
              12, MSU, Harper 8 (unassisted) 6:32
              13, MSU, Harper 9 (Ferranti, Murray) pp 8:27
              14, MSU, Worden 2 (Turner, Ware) 13:31
              15, MSU, Carter 16 (Harper, Guolla) 15:57
                Penalties- Fair, Kent (hold) 6:55
                           Sabo, Kent (10-minute misconduct) 15:57
                           Burkett, MSU (rough) 19:28
                           Krosky, Kent (elbow, rough) 19:28
                           Suk, MSU (rough) 19:28
 
Goaltender saves- MSU, Buzak 9-8-8--25
                       Kruse (16:32 2nd period) x-6-x--6
                  Kent, Shaw 8-11-13--32
 
Power Plays- MSU 3-4, Kent 2-3
 
Referees- Shell, Cline
Linesman- Haneburg
 
A- 804
 
ANALYSIS-  Uncharacteristically poor Spartan defense in this game.  However,
        what has previously been a virtually non-existant Saprtan offense
        came alive, especially in the third period.  Kelly Harper, who has
        been somewhat quiet in the last month, scored his first career hat
        trick with three goals within a 4:45 span of the third period to
        pull the Spartans from a 6-4 deficit to a 7-6 lead midway through
        the third.  In addition, Anson Carter added a hat trick as the
        Wexford line (Carter, Harper, Guolla) scored 10 points (6g, 4a) in
        the Spartan victory.
           For the first time this season, Ron Mason lifted Mike Buzak late
        in the second after Sabo scored on the power play to give Kent a 5-4
        lead.  Asked after the game why he put Buzak back in to begin the
        third, Mason responded that he felt that the style of play that the
        Spartans would need to play in the third favored Buzak over Kruse.
           With the victory and Lake Superior's 5-2 loss to Michigan and
        Bowling Green's 6-3 loss at Illinois-Chicago, the Spartans now have
        a 3-point lead on both the Lakers and the Falcons, while still not
        gaining any ground on the first-place Wolverines.  The awakening of
        the offense appears to have come at the right time, since the Spartans'
        next four games are 15 Jan at home vs. BG, 21-22 Jan in a home-and
        home against Michigan, and 28 Jan at BG.  A stretch that easily could
        make or break MSU's season and determine whether the Spartans will
        return to the NC$$ tournament after a year's absence.
 
G. M. Finniss
Michigan State University