(I'm not sure if I'm doing a pop-up book for this one.  The trip was relatively
uneventful.)
 
As I reported last week of my trip to Bowling Green to watch the Spartans lose,
here's a brief recap of my trip to Kalamazoo, to watch the Spartans win.
 
As amazing as it may seem to some of you who have ever been to the state og
Michigan (my fingers are starting already), the sun was shining on Saturday
(which is a rarity at ANY time of the year).
 
We arrived in Kalamazoo at roughly 5 pm and promptly looked for a place to eat
(after first verifying that the HOCKEY-L TEAMINFO file was correct and that
they hadn't moved the arena).  Promptly turned into 45 minutes, as the usual
"Do you want to eat here?"  "No, not here.  Anywhere's fine." conversation
erupted in the car.  (I think I ended up doing three laps around WMU's campus.)
 
We eventually ended up at the Ground Round on Stadium Drive (about 1 mile or so
west of the arena).  Good cheap food, and they bring fresh baskets of popcorn
out.  Great place for steak lovers (which probably includes about 99% of the
population).
 
On to the arena at roughly 6:30.  For those who haven't been to Lawson, it's
not far from the main part of campus but it's sort of set back in the trees a
bit on the side of a hill (somewhat similar to the north side of Munn Arena,
but more roads).  Parking was convenient and not too expensive ($3).  My wife
made a "GO STATE" sign (which she eventually managed to smack me in the head
with at least twice during the game).  The evening really started to turn cold
as we entered Lawson, so bundling up was the attire of the evening.  As I was
walking in, I began to wonder how a team could go to Big Rapids and lose two
6-2 games and then go to Ann Arbor and pull out a tie.  So, I really didn't
know which WMU team would show up.  Fortunately, it was the one that went to
Ferris.
 
My seats were buried WAY down in the corner, in the third row of section 22
(almost directly up from the MSU goal in the 1st and 3rd periods and right
above the walkway where MSU came in).  Actually, theses seats weren't that
bad, since it was that goal that the Spartans put five in in the second.
 
About 3 or 4 minutes into the first, Mike Watt picked up a five-minute major
for checking one of the Broncos into the MSU bench.  Shegos blew this one bad
(it was Matt).  If you haven't seen either of the Shegos brothers ref recently,
you haven't missed anything.  The Bronco had turned sideways when Watt essen-
tially lifted him into the bench.  Two minutes for boarding, maybe.  Five for
checking from behind, never.
 
Anyway, MSU killed the penalty off while allowing WMU only four shots on goal
(three in the span of about 10 seconds).  Immediately after, Steve Guolla was
able to pick up a loose puck behind the Western net, skate in on Renfrew, and
beat him off the rebound.  The period ended with MSU up 1-0.
 
An omen came during the first intermission.  The Bronco mascot pinned up a
reverse replica of the Spartan emblem (green "S" on white paper) over the
net at the far end, then lined up and skated to the net to tear the flag down.
Well, he ended up in the net while never touching the Spartan flag.
 
Western picked up a penalty early in the second and the fireworks started for
MSU.  The Spartans made it 2-0 when Rem Murray, cut off from making the pass
across the net to Anson Carter on the doorstep, fed Chris Smith cutting in from
the left point to beat Renfrew between the legs.  About a minute or so later,
Tony Tuzzolino came down on a 3-on-2 and put a shot on net that Renfrew came
out about 10 feet to stop.  Unfortunately for him, the puck kicked straight
up the slot, which Richard Keyes fanned on but Taylor Clarke put into the
empty net to make it 3-0.  On the play, the Broncos picked up a roughing call,
which gave MSU a power play and their fourth goal.  This time, Murray was
able to thread the needle and find Carter on the doorstep for Anson's 27th
of the year.  MSU made it 5-0 when a shot by Chris Smith from the point
deflected to Taylor Clarke on Renfrew's left side.  Instead of trying to
force the puck on Renfrew, Clarke skated below the goal line and fed Tuzzolino
in front, who had an opening the size off a Mac truck to shoot for.  The
Spartans added their sixth goal on the power play, when Richard Keyes put
one past Renfrew off of a rebound.  WMU added a goal late in the second when on
a 4-on-3 power play a shot from the point caromed off of Mayers' skate and
into the net.
 
The Spartans added two goals in the third, one from Mike Watt and Richard
Keyes' second of the night to make the final 8-1.  All in all, an excellent
outing for MSU.  MSU's third line (Clarke, Keyes, Tuzzolino) ended up with
4 goals on the night, providing scoring where you really don't expect it
from.  If that line can continue to produce, it will make it even tougher
for teams to key on the Carter-Guolla-Watt line or the Suk-Murray-Sylvester
line.
 
The defense played well, not allowing too many second chance opportunities,
and Mike Buzak in goal played one of the better games that Green and White
fans have seen in a while from the senior from Edmonton.  Buzak will pro-
bably get the night off Friday at Big Rapids in order to be fresh for the
Spartans' home game against Michigan on Saturday.
 
The win kept MSU within striking distance of the co-leaders of the CCHA, BG
and UM.  But the Spartans control their own destiny.  If MSU wins its last
10 (not highly likely, but possible), they win the conference, independent of
what either BG or UM do.  They are currently 3 behind both UM and BG, but
have 2 games in hand on the Falcons and have two meetings left with the
Wolverines.
 
Anyway, the trip home was also rather uneventful, despite having to go through
downtown K-zoo to get back on I-94 (then again, I could have taken M-43 back,
which my wife didn't realize was Grand River Ave. in Lansing/E.Lansing/Okemos).
I was also able to catch the end of the MSU/Illinois game on the radio.
 
Unfortunately, I won't be going to the Friday game in Big Rapids (driving
that far on a Friday is a pain-in-the-ass).  The next road trip is scheduled
for February 18 to Detroit for what will hopefully be the rubber game (OK,
you perverts, get your minds out of the gutter, or make room for me) between
MSU and UM.  I won't need restaurant tips this time, since I'll most likely
be heading to Greektown.
 
(BTW, Mr. Hauessler, I'll be in section 207, about 13 rows up, if you want to
stop by, or let me know where a good meeting place will be.)
 
G. M. Finniss
Michigan State University 12-3-2, 17-6-2
WVU '87, UTenn '92, MSU who the hell knows when?