Spartans post eight on Princeton Sunday afternoon

By Alyssa Girardi –

EAST LANSING — With Big Ten hockey and No. 1 Minnesota looming in MSU’s future, Sunday afternoon’s 8-2 win against Princeton was the confidence boost the Spartans were seeking.

Six Spartans scored for MSU, and 15 players tallied at least one point. It was the program’s highest-scoring game since Dec. 29, 2009 when MSU defeated Michigan Tech, 10-1, in the Great Lakes Invitational.

The win completes MSU’s sweep of the Tigers (3-10-0, 2-6-0 ECAC) after they defeated them 4-1 on Friday evening, and boosts MSU to a 4-7 overall record. It was the second series sweep by the Spartans this season, but it breaks a four-game losing streak spanning the past three weeks.

“I think it’s a confidence-booster for sure that the pucks went in and guys can leave here today feeling pretty good about the game,” head coach Tom Anastos said.

“Yet at the same time, I know there’s not a person in the dressing room who thinks we’re a finished product and that we don’t have a long way to go to get better. … Certainly the weekend was helpful in building some confidence and seeing the results, really, of some of the things that we spent a lot of time working on during the course of the week.”

MSU scored three times in the opening period with goals from senior Jake Chelios (Bloomfield Hills), senior captain Greg Wolfe (Canton) and freshmen Villiam Haag. It was MSU’s second three-goal period this season, its first coming against Boston University on Oct. 26 (3-1).

Before this weekend’s series, the Spartan defense hadn’t scored yet this season. After the two wins against Princeton, the d-men have combined for three goals across two scorers.

Chelios, a defenseman, sent a slap shot into the top shelf during an MSU power play to score his second goal in as many games, his only two so far this year. Junior defenseman RJ Boyd scored his first of the season, a power play goal that was deflected off a Princeton stick.

The back line also combined for eight points. Freshman John Draeger had three assists in his second weekend back from a lower-body injury prior to the season starting and freshman Travis Walsh also tallied three assists.

Freshman Villiam Haag lined up alongside Troy natives and fellow freshmen Mackenzie MacEachern and Thomas Ebbing. With an assist and a goal by Ebbing — his first collegiate marker — and three MacEachern assists, the line contributed seven points.

“We have been practicing this week and I think all three of us are guys that can complete each other pretty well,” Haag said. “Ebbing is a good middle-man, as a center and doing his work real good; I have to give him credit for that. And MacEachern and me are two guys with speed and he likes to shoot and pass the puck. I think it’s hard work and some good luck at the beginning of the game that we get a game like this.”

Wolfe and Haag both notched two goals apiece, Wolfe’s in the first and the third periods and Haag’s in the first and the second periods. Wolfe’s second goal was shorthanded, and Haag’s second marker was on a power play.

MSU’s final tally came at the hands of freshman Joe Cox (Chelsea), his fourth this season. The Spartans’ scoring stretched three lines and across two defensive pairings, exemplifying the depth Anastos and the staff have worked at producing.

“It was nice to see the puck go in the net It was nice to see the puck movement we had. It was nice to see that all four lines and six de were involved,” Anastos said. “The game gave us an opportunity to get some guys experience who hadn’t really played all the much, either — a little extra ice time. It was nice to see the depth of the scoring, definitely.”

Jack Berger and Aaron Ave accounted for Princeton’s goals at 9:09 of the second period and 19:04 of the third period, respectively.

Princeton’s Eric Carlson was called for boarding and given a game misconduct after a big hit on Walsh about three minutes into the third period. Walsh left the game after the hit and did not return. Anastos did not know the status of Walsh immediately following the completion of the game, but said the anguish in his face was apparent when he left the ice.

MSU will prepare to open up Big Ten hockey next weekend with a home series against Minnesota. The puck will drop at 7 p.m. on Friday and 4 p.m. on Saturday at Munn Ice Arena.