from Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, unofficial from game notes
 
WMU-  1  0  0  -  1
MSU-  0  1  3  -  4
 
First period- 1, WMU Millar (Whitton, Kenny) 11:10
                Penalties- Tuzzolino, MSU (hook) 4:40
                           Duke, WMU (interference) 5:24
                           Murray, MSU (rough) 12:09
                           Rucinski, WMU (holding stick) 12:09
                           Maloney, WMU (hold) 13:50
                           Guolla, MSU (interference) 14:06
                           Clarke, MSU (charge) 19:08
 
Second period- 2, MSU Clarke (Tuzzolino, Ferranti) 18:21
                Penalties- Kenny, WMU (interference) 4:49
                           Brooks, WMU (rough) 12:38
                           MSU bench minor (rough, served by Clifford) 12:38
 
Third period- 3, MSU Tuzzolino (Suk) 5:19
              4, MSU Fleming (Tuzzolino, Slater) 9:22
              5, MSU Murray (Smith) en 18:38
                Penalties- Kenny, WMU (interference) 2:10
                           Fleming, MSU (high stick) 5:28
                           Millar, WMU (rough) 5:28
                           Kenny, WMU (hook) 16:02
                           Sylvester, MSU (10 minute misconduct) 16:48
                           Sullivan, MSU (fight major, game disqualification)
                                                        19:59
                           Crane, MSU (fight major, game disqualification) 19:59
 
                           Albers, MSU (fight major, game disqualification)
                                                        19:59
                           Whitton, WMU (cross check, fight major, game
                                 disqualfication) 19:59
                           Duke, WMU (fight major, game disqualification) 19:59
                           Zimmerman, WMU (fight major, game disqualification)
                                                        19:59
 
Goaltender saves- MSU Buzak 8-6-8---22
                  WMU Renfrew 10-8-7---25
 
Power plays- MSU 0-5, WMU 0-3
 
Referee- Graff
Linesmen- Pearson, Nowosatka
 
A- 6,544 (167th consecutive regular season sellout at Munn Ice Arena)
 
3 stars- 1. Tuzzolino, MSU
         2. Clarke, MSU
         3. Fleming, MSU
 
_______________________________________________________________________________
 
Spartans break scoreless streak of 143:45 and also four-game winless streak
with home win tonight over Western Michigan.  Coupled with Michigan's victory
over Bowling Green and Miami playing a non-conference game in Alaska, the
Spartans move into a three-way tie for second place in the CCHA (however,
they lose the tiebreaker to both BG and Miami).
 
Spartans controlled the first period of play without being able to put one
past Renfrew.  Western's lone goal of the game came off a rebound in front
of the net, one of the few times during the period where the Broncos controlled
the puck in the MSU zone.
 
The second period started out poorly for MSU, as the game was played mostly
between the blue lines.  MSU broke its scoreless streak when Steve Ferranti
found Tony Tuzzolino in across the red line.  Tuzzolino's shot was stopped
by Renfrew, but the rebound kicked out to a trailing Taylor Clarke, who
didn't miss the open net (the first Spartan in seven periods of hockey not to).
 
With that goal, a great weight seemed to be lifted off the shoulders of the
Green and White, and the third period saw a team that actually looked like it
had a chance to score every time it crossed the opposing blue line.  Tuzzolino's
goal (on a 2-on-2 rush with Clarke) gave the Spartans the lead for good at the
5:19 mark.  Fleming added a goal at 9:22 when Slater was caught deep in the
Western zone pursuing the puck and had to flip it back out to the point.
Tuzzolino (who was covering Slater's position) stopped the puck for Fleming,
whose blast was stopped by Renfrew, only to have it trickle through into the
net.  The Spartans added an empty netter by Rem Murray and almost got one
from goaltender Mike Buzak, whose shot was deflected inside the WMU blue line
by one of the Bronco defenders.
 
A cross check by Jamie Whitton on Brian Crane led to a free-for-all in front
of the Western bench with :01 on the clock.  Three players were ejected for
both teams (doesn't this sound familiar?):  Sullivan, Crane, and Albers for
MSU; Whitton, Duke, and Zimmerman for WMU.
 
While the Spartans lose Sullivan, Crane, and Albers for the Michigan game (it
was unlikely that Sullivan would have suited up anyway), they will get the
services of Anson Carter, Richard Keyes, and Tyler Harlton back, fresh from
their one-game suspensions resulting from the "scalping incident" against
Miami.  They should be rested and ready for the Wolverines.
 
Tomorrow would appear to be MSU's biggest game of the season.  A win would builda huge amount of confidence heading into the final four games of the season
and the CCHA playoffs.  Add on top of that that the team on the other side of
the ice is wearing Maize and Blue, and the game (if possible) takes on an even
bigger significance.  In CCHA play, against the other top 4 teams, MSU is 1-6
this year.  Against the rest of the league, they're 12-0-3.  MSU is going to
have to prove it can play with the other "big boys" in the CCHA.  If they play
like they did in the first and second periods tonight, the game won't last
long.  If they play like they did in the third, Detroit could see the hottest
game between the two cross-state rivals in a long time.  The only question is:
Which MSU team will show up?  And can the John Hauessler jinx of meeting other
Hockey-L members for the first time continue?  It's only a mere 20 hours away.
 
G. M. Finniss
Michigan State University 13-6-3, 18-9-3
WVU '87, UTenn '92, MSU who the hell knows when?