by Dan Nufer
The 2010 CCLA tournament has come to an end and, until Sunday, it could not have gone better for MSU. If you recall, in the CCLA tournament teams have a chance to play three games, each win allows the team to move on to the next round until the championship game, which gives the winner an automatic invitation to Nationals.
MSU’s first game was against the University of Pittsburgh and our Spartans had no trouble walking over them and into the next game. But for the first few minutes it didn’t seem that way.
Less than two minutes into the game Pittsburgh fired a goal passed Goalie Dean Hall (#3), putting MSU down 0-1. But a minute later, Dan Witt (#41) answered with a goal for MSU tying the score at 1-1 and sparking an impressive run for MSU.
After Witt’s goal, MSU scored 8 unanswered points in the first period alone. The 8 goal run was thanks to, Pat Nemes (#35) and Michael Baily (#16) both had two goals in the eight goal run, Mike Manetta (#15), Connor Bush (#9), and two more by Dan Witt. After putting the score at 9-1, MSU kept themselves and Pittsburgh quiet for most of the second period, taking only 4 shots and allowing Pittsburgh to take only 5. With 4 minutes left in the half, Nick Gaworecki (#34) scored one for MSU, which was answered only a minute later by a goal for Pittsburgh, putting the score at 10-2 at the end of the first half.
MSU came out fighting even harder in the second half, and after only 2 minutes of play, Lucas Poquette (#22) scored one for MSU, followed only another one minute later by Jeremy Racine (#7), putting the score at 12-2. Both teams continued to play hard the rest of the game but MSU wasn’t going home without a victory. Goals for MSU by Dan Witt and David Stead (#4) put the final score at 14-6, MSU.
With the excellent victory, MSU moved on to the semi-final game against the University of Buffalo, which proved to be a bit, but not much, more difficult for the Spartans.
MSU was full of energy and showed it by scoring, 7 goals in the first half, which were answered by only 3 for Buffalo. The 7 goals were scored by, Dan Witt, Micheal Baily, Connor Bush, two by Shane Jay-Garfein (#2), and two by Lucas Poquette.
With such a loud first half, MSU remained relatively quiet for the third period. Buffalo, on the other hand, managed to slip three goals passed Dean Hall, to put the score at, 7-6 going into the fourth period. The fourth period was anything but quiet for MSU.
MSU started the period with four unanswered goals, scored by Tom Haubenreich (#12) and Dan Witt, who had two goals each. With the score at 11-6, with only 4 minutes left, the game seemed in the bag for MSU, until Buffalo produced a 3 goal run of their own. But the run was too little too late, as they say, and after a final goal by Pat Nemes, the final score was 12-9, and MSU was headed to the CCLA Championship game.
The championship match-up was exactly what Spartan fans had hoped for, MSU vs. U of M, and it was quite the game.
MSU started the game with two unanswered goals by, Brendan Hunt (#14) and Pat Nehmes but two minutes later U of M snuck a goal past Dean Hall, and we had ourselves a game.
The next six goals were answered almost immediately by goals for U of M, but, until the middle of the fourth period, MSU held the lead. Goals for MSU were scored by, Michael Baily, Pat Nehmes, two by Dan Witt, and two by Mike Degenhardt (#44), putting the score at 8-5, MSU.
By the end of the third period the score was at a nail-biting 10-8 MSU lead. Though it was close, things were looking great for MSU, considering they had held the lead the entire game and had a two point lead with only one period of play left.
Less than a minute into the fourth period, U of M fired a quick goal past, Dean Hall, and, unfortunately, the scoring didn’t end there. With the score tied at 10-10, and only 12 minutes left in the game, it was quite the nerve-racking experience. Fortunately, Tom Haubenreich scored one for MSU putting the score at 11-10 giving MSU the lead. But his goal was answered only seconds later by a goal for U of M, tying the score at 11-11. Both teams fought incredibly hard but after two great saves by Dean Hall, U of M managed to get one past him giving them their first lead of the game.
With the score at 11-12, MSU couldn’t seem to find the spark they had in the first two and half games of the tournament and let in one more goal putting the final score at 11-13, U of M.
They couldn’t quite hold them back for all four periods, but MSU played an incredible game and an impressive tournament overall.
MSU’s record, at this point, is 10-5, which is the second best record in the CCLA Division, behind U of M’s 14-1. Their incredible play thus far in the playoffs has ranked them at #9 in the nation giving MSU a place in the National Tournament!
MSU set out to make it to Nationals at the beginning of the season and they have earned it!
On Tuesday May 11th at 7pm, MSU will take on #8 BYU in the first round of the tournament. BYU has a current record of 11-5 and has lost to three of the same teams that MSU has. This match-up is sure to be an incredible one and you won’t want to miss it!
If you want to head to the games, the tournament will take place in Denver, Colorado or you can watch the game on Fox College Sports, and if you don’t subscribe to that channel well than you can come on back here to, msuCatalyst.com/sports, for a recap of MSU’s first round of the National Tournament.
Once again, we have to be proud of our incredible MSU team and cheer them all the way onto a National Championship!
GO GREEN!
Friday, July 9, 2010 at 9:01AM 
