A couple recent posts have asked the question:  What is MSU doing against UM
that nobody else in the country is doing?  IMO, the key to MSU's two victories
over UM rest on the shoulders of one man:  #32 Mike Buzak.  Not as much in the
first game but definitely in Saturday's game, Buzak has stepped his game up a
notch or two when the opponent is Maize and Blue (hey, that rhymes!).
 
If you look at the two games, MSU's offense has not but a lot of pressure on
Shields (approx. 20 shots per game).  Shields has just had off-nights.  With
a goaltender of his caliber, you have to expect some off-performances.  For-
tunately for UM, their offense has seemed to turn the heat up whenever Shields
has struggled.   And, to be honest, most teams don't have the type of goal-
tending or defense capable of withstanding the pressure.  After giving up a
goal or two, they are forced to open up more, which just adds to the onslaught.
 
With a team like MSU, however, that won't work.  The Spartans this year are
pretty much built on defense.  Looking at them, you can pretty much figure that
on an average night, they aren't going to score a ton of goals.  Beyond the
first line with the exception of Rem Murray, ther aren't a lot of big goal
scorers on this team.  In Saturday's game, MSU did get scoring from people who
usually don't contribute much.  In particular, the checking line of Scott Worden, Matt Albers, and Brian Crane has started to create chances from aggressive
play and been able to convert.  But, on an average night, the bulk of the
scoring comes from the Wexford line of Anson Carter, Kelly Harper, and Steve
Guolla or from the first power play unit of Carter, Guolla, Murray, Steve Suk,
and Chris Smith.
 
After talking with John in Ann Arbor all week, he pretty much had me convinced
that UM would not come out flat because to them, the game was essentially
meaningless save for the fact that it was Michigan State.  UM did come out
strong, only to be stoned by Buzak.  When MSU went up 3-0 midway through the
second, it may have taken some of the drive out of UM.  The Wolverines seemed
to have some momentum after cutting the deficit to 3-1 by the end of the second,but were unable to put one past Buzak early in the third.  Worden's
goal midway
through the period iced the game for MSU.
 
As to Mason having some advantage over UM that no one else has, I tend not to
believe that.  Ron has sort of an advantage over almost any coach due to his
drive to win (no offense to any other coaches out there).  He didn't get to
be the winningest coach in college hockey and build or rebuild three of the
leading programs in the country today on nothing.  Saturday, he simply had the
advantage of having the hot goaltender.  Let's just hope that lasts for the
next four games.
 
G. M. Finniss
Michigan State University
WVU '87, UTenn '92, MSU who the hell knows when?