MSU hockey: Alaska shuts out Spartans, 2-0

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The longest, most grueling road trip of the season didn’t start out as well as Michigan State had hoped on Friday at the Carlson Center.

After arriving here late Wednesday night and practicing twice, the Spartans didn’t show much offense as Alaska scored two quick goals in the second period and went to a 2-0 victory in the first game of a Central Collegiate Hockey Association series.

MSU managed only 16 shots on Nanooks goaltender Scott Greenham and only four in the third period. It was the first time the Spartans have been shut out this season.

“They’re a team that protects the net very well,’’ MSU coach Rick Comley said. “We had the puck, got it to the point but couldn’t get it to the net. We just have to try to do better tomorrow night.’’

The 12th-ranked Spartans (17-10-4, 12-7-4-1) have lost two straight games and three of their last four. The victory for the Nanooks (11-9-7, 7-9-6-4) ended a five-game (0-2-3) winless streak.

Backup goalie Bobby Jarosz, a senior, got the start in goal for MSU and made 24 saves.

The Spartans will try to rebound and get a split in the series when the teams meet again at 10 tonight.

“We came out in the first eight to 10 minute and looked sharp and played pretty well,’’ Comley said. “But they tightened it down. They played the big ice well.

“We had guys work hard but they might have tried to do too much at an individual level rather than a team level. And we made a couple poor plays in front of the net and they got two goals.’’

The Nanooks took a 2-0 lead on goals 72 seconds apart midway through the second period. Aaron Gens started it by beating Jarosz from the point at 9:14 and Dion Knelsen converted from in front at 10:26.

Despite the loss, MSU remained in second place in the CCHA, but its lead on third-place Ferris State is down to one point after the Bulldogs earned one point Friday with a 3-3 tie and shootout loss against Northern Michigan.

But FSU has two games in hand on the Spartans and will make up those games next week while MSU is idle.

The Spartans and Bulldogs meet in a home-and-home series – Feb. 19 at FSU and Feb. 20 at Munn Arena.