It's not reasonable to expect someone else to comment about an MSU game
that I couldn't attend, when I don't share my comments about one that I do
attend. So, herewith are some thoughts about this past weekend when our
sizzling Spartans felled the fearless Falcons and the wily Wolverines.
MSU 8 BGSU 2
------------
Friday games at Munn are always difficult for me to remember. We live
almost seven hours away from East Lansing, and after hassling with the
trucks and the van-sized potholes populating I-80/94 through eastern
Illinois and western Indiana I have a hard time remembering what planet I'm
on.
Most of this game was not as lopsided as the score would seem to indicate.
In fact, for a short time I was beginning to wonder where the Spartans were
and why those guys on the ice were wearing Green and White. MSU didn't
really get moving until late in the second period. I don't recall being
overly impressed by the Falcons, but I can't say they sucked, either. As I
mentioned, I just don't remember much about this game.
Afterward we went to dinner at Pistachio's, a spot I might recommend if
you're in East Lansing and crave seafood. They set a pretty respectable
table-full-o' fish, which I found surprising in land-locked East Lansing.
The highlight of our meal, however, was getting into the restaurant parking lot.
Unknown to us, Bob Dole and company had cleverly chosen that particular
strip mall to hold an impromptu rally on Saturday night. Of course, the
politically innocent Gaskins entourage arrived shortly before the rally
ended. And while there didn't seem to be too many Dole supporters in sight,
there sure were one hell of a lot of busses on hand to shuttle around the
campaign staff, the press and other Dole/Kemp camp followers and
hangers-on.
Naturally, the bus drivers were gracious enough to block every driveway
into the lot and most of the parking lanes as well. Many others
strategically deployed their assault vehicles up and down both access roads
on either side of the mall, just in case some unsuspecting motorist tried
to approach from those quarters. I stopped counting at 33, but there were
more busses that I didn't count. We were too busy fighting our way through
the throng of press groupies who were storming the vehicles to get a
favorable seat.
The whole act had to have killed business at the restaurant during the time
the circus was setting up and performing. Not too bright for a Republican
(IMHO), but then, he didn't win that election, did he?
MSU 5 Michigan 4
----------------
Yes, yes, YES! Virginia, this was a hockey game! Both teams hit the ice
with all 12 cylinders firing and the turbocharger ready to kick in at a
moment's notice.
If I never see another game I will at least know that MSU really *can* play
the kind of hockey they've teased us with at rare moments during the past
two years. And they can sustain the pace for three complete periods.
Mike Watt scored first for MSU just over four minutes into the game. The
Wolverines lived up to their name and snarled their way to a response, but
it took them almost ten minutes to do it. Nice unassisted play by Sean
Richlin.
All hell broke loose in the second period. With both teams down one man to
penalties, Tony Tuzzolino fired one past Turco to put the Spartans ahead
again. The Wolverines answered only two minutes later, but that just kicked
the Spartan's turbocharger into action and sent Sean Berens racing down the
ice as fast as his little legs could carry him. It wasn't quite fast
enough, because Turco deflected the attempt. But Jon Gaskins (yes, we're
proud of him) grabbed the rebound for Kevin O'Keefe to nail the goal only
22 seconds after the face off.
The third period was a chair-stander! In spite of the band, some students
and the few parents and fans who try to make a little noise to support the
players, Munn is usually pretty quiet. But the energy out on the ice
Saturday night fired up even the stodgy MSU alumni who never seem to cut
loose and cheer for their team.
MU's Matt Herr smacked one past Alban on a power play just under two
minutes into the period to tie the score again. Play continued and the
tension mounted with both teams trying their hardest for what seemed like
half an hour but was actually only 5 minutes. Then things got really tense
when Brian Morrisson scored for the Wolverines at 7:45 into the third to
put Michigan on top for the first time in the game.
It seemed to take forever for MSU to respond, but Shawn Horcoff (who IMO
was one of the biggest surprises of the weekend) poked the puck past Turco
to tie it up once more.
Both teams were playing so well I felt sure the game would go into
overtime, but the window of sudden death closed on Michigan just 52 seconds
from the buzzer when tony Tuzzolino and Tyler Harlton combined to feed the
puck to Brian Adams for the winning goal.
And the crowd went nuts! Up until that moment there were several Michigan
parents sitting next to us, but I think that's when they disappeared. I
know they weren't around when the buzzer's echo died, but I suppose they
could have slunk off anytime during the last 52 seconds and no one would
have noticed.
Michigan called time out after the final goal to pull Turco off the net.
But it didn't help.
Not that they needed help. The Wolverines played extremely well. But MSU
played just a shade better. And they did it at the right moments!
Surprises, Disappointments and Ironies
--------------------------------------
We thought it very ironic that the Ticket Fairies at Munn would seat a
bunch of Michigan parents among the MSU parents, and right behind the
Spartan bench, too. Not that they were treated poorly. Quite the contrary.
But they might have been more comfortable closer to the Wolverine
contingent.
Anyone know how to conduct sensitivity training?
One of the biggest surprises of the weekend was Spartan freshman Shawn Horcoff.
Horcoff scored the third goal of his college hockey career on Saturday in
the third period against Michigan, but Friday night he scored his first two
college goals (and the first goal of the third period) against Bowling
Green; both of them on MSU power plays.
From where we were sitting (diagonally across the rink from him, behind the
MSU bench) his first shot on goal Friday night looked rather tentative. And
judging from his apparent reaction when the goal minder's light flashed
red, he seemed as startled to see it go in as anyone could have been. Later
in the same period he sunk another, also on a power play. I was hoping he'd
turn the hat trick, but Steve Ferranti and Sean Berens hogged the next two
goals ;) and by that time the game was over.
Another surprise was Matt Shegos' officiating Saturday night. While he
seemed to see halucinations of Mike York darting around the ice with stick
raised high above his shoulders, Shegos actually called a pretty decent
game. Perhaps he'd been reading some old Prince Valiant comic books during
the warm up and was unable to banish the vision of Prince V. vanquishing
the Visigoths (or whatever).
One of the big disappointments was that Mike York may have been reading
those Prince Valiant comics, too, and he tried acting out the scene where
Valiant routs the Romans with up raised sword. Guess they didn't have
Shegos to kick around back then. But he was around on Saturday to call the
penalties against York.
Another disappointment: One of the stadium ushers almost doused Lin (Jon's
mom) with a fire extinguisher when smoke began pouring from her ears
because of some words uttered by the arena PA announcer. Late in the third
period he mistakenly credited one of Jon's assists to #21, Brian Crane. I
guess he could only see part of the number 2 when he made the announcement.
But the score keeper got it right in the official stats.
But the most disappointing note of the weekend was the MSU band.
One of my favorite band numbers has always been the "Dudley Doright" song.
You know -- the one they used to play on the Bullwinkle show when Dudley
was racing to rescue frail Nell from being run over by a locomotive.
The MSU band used to have a girl (I think she played trumpet) who would
scream the part of "Nell lying on the railroad tracks screaming for help"
during the "tension" bridge of that song, when the tuba goes crazy
("bummmmm bump de bump bummm" etc.). Alas, she was absent this past
weekend. I don't know how she managed to scream like that week after week,
but it was thrilling to hear. You'd swear there really was a maiden on a
train track about to be decapitated. I hope she hasn't left the band. I,
for one, missed her scream horribly.
This weekend the Spartans will harness our huskies against the Nanooks from
UAF. Unfortunately we'll miss both games. But I hope someone will post some
comments.
cheers!
-- Bob Gaskins <[log in to unmask]>
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