University of Minnesota Athletics
Vanek Leads Comeback as Minnesota Ties Michigan State 5-5
11/29/2002 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
The Spartans jumped ahead in the first period as Mike Lalonde took the feed from Jim Slater and beat Travis Weber at the 2:56 mark. As they would all night, Minnesota responded as Vanek brought the puck in the zone, fired on net from his knees and Matt Koalska was there to put home the rebound.
In the second period, Ash Goldie scored on the rebound at the 6:55 mark to put Michigan State back on top. The lead would hold until 12:25 when Chris Harrington's wrister from inside the blueline made it through the traffic and past Spartan goaltender Matt Migliaccio. Just over a minute later, David Booth tallied his first of two goals on the night.
Vanek finally broke through 39 seconds after MSU took a 3-2 lead. He brought the puck wide into the zone, waited, and then fired a wrister past Migliaccio. With time winding down in the period, the Spartans took control of the game with a pair of goals 16 seconds apart in the final minute of the second. Lee Falardeau and Booth each scored on rebounds to give MSU a 5-3 lead.
In the final period, the two teams played to a stalemate until just under seven minutes remaining. On a Koalska backhand, Vanek got the rebound, Migliaccio made the intial save, but Vanek slapped it home for his second marker of the night.
With less than four minutes to play, Vanek picked up another rebound and waited, then sent a wrister past the sprawling Migliaccio. The two teams went on to play a scoreless overtime session.
Vanek had 15 shots on goal in the game, including seven in the third period alone. The line of Vanek, Koalska and Troy Riddle accounted for four of Minnesota's five goals and four of the six assists on the night.
Travis Weber stopped 25 of 30 shots in the contest which was his fourth straight start. Migliaccio brushed aside 46 of Minnesota's 51 shots.
Michigan State will face Wisconsin tomorrow in Madison, while Michigan, 4-1 winners over the Badgers tonight, travel to Minneapolis for a 2 p.m. matchup with Minnesota.
