Spartans sweep aside Western Michigan

By Matt Mackinder/Michigan State Beat Writer

Michigan State earned their first sweep in CCHA play in more than a year by taking both ends of a home-and-home set last weekend from Western Michigan.

"I thought we played well tonight, better than we did last night," MSU head coach Rick Comley told MSUSpartans.com after Saturday night's 5-3 win in Kalamazoo. "I'm happy with our results, and it was great to get the fourth line on the board, too. I'd like to see us cut down on the penalties, but they are hard-work penalties, not ones that we're taking out of laziness.

"Our kids are working hard every week, and its nice to see them being rewarded."

Anthony Hayes and Dean Chelios, two-thirds of the freshmen fourth line, scored their first NCAA goals Saturday night with Chelios' early in the second staking MSU to a 2-1 lead. Andrew Rowe, CCHA scoring leader Corey Tropp and Dustin Gazley (empty net) added goals for the Spartans to back Bobby Jarosz's 21-save outing.

Jared Katz scored twice for WMU, while Chris Clackson also tallied. Riley Gill stopped 26 shots in net.

Friday night in East Lansing, Michigan State held on for a 2-1 win when a Max Campbell shot at the final buzzer was ruled to not have fully crossed the goal line before time expired.

Chris Forfar and Gazley tallied to put MSU up, 2-0, before Trevor Elias made it 2-1 late in the third period to extend his scoring streak to six games. That set the stage for the late flurry with Gill on the bench for the extra attacker.

"I had no clue," Palmisano told MSUSpartans.com on what he thought about during the final seconds. "I knew the ref wasn't pointing behind me, and everyone went to check it out and I was just hoping it wasn't a goal. And luckily things went our way tonight."

Palmisano finished with 23 saves, while Gill made 19.

The Spartans (6-2-0 overall, 3-1-0 CCHA), will host Nebraska-Omaha this Thursday and Friday, while Western Michigan (4-2-0 overall, 0-2-0 CCHA) hosts Lake Superior State this weekend for a pair.

The game Saturday night will be Military Appreciation Night at Lawson Ice Arena and the Broncos will pay special tribute to who are currently serving or have served in the United States military.