THEHISTORY 1966, 1986, 2007 THREE-TIME NCAA CHAMPIONS SPARTAN HOCKEY TIMELINE OF TRADITION Michigan State has long been at the forefront of collegiate hockey success. Spartan hockey ranks among the winningest programs in NCAA history, and both teams and players alike have reached the pinnacle of achieve- ment. From its championship tradition to record-setting players and coaches, Spartan hockey truly embodies a Commitment to Excellence. Jan. 11, 1922 – Michigan State March 16, 1967 – MSU, fifth in the WCHA regular season, de- plays its first intercollegiate hock- feats champion Michigan Tech, 2-1 in overtime, to win the ey game, falling to Michigan, 5-1. playoffs for the second straight season. Doug Volmar nets both goals, including the winner at 5:44 of overtime. Feb. 11, 1923 – MSU gets its first win, 6-1 over the Lansing March 18, 1967 – After falling to Boston University in the Independents. NCAA semifinals, MSU captures third place with a 6-1 win over North Dakota in the NCAA consolation game. Jan. 12, 1950 – MSU plays its first game since 1930, losing to Nov. 10, 1973 – Tom Ross ties the school record with five Michigan Tech, 6-2. goals in a 9-5 win over Notre Dame at MSU Ice Arena. Nov. 29, 1951 – MSU plays its Dec. 28, 1973 – MSU wins its first Great Lakes Invitational, first game under legendary defeating Michigan Tech, 5-4, in the finals. coach Amo Bessone, defeating Carl Moore played on MSU’s first Ontario Agricultural College, team in 1922, and captained the Oct. 25, 1974 – Munn Ice Arena hosts its first game, a 4-3 team in 1926. 8-2 at home. MSU loss to Laurentian. The arena is dedicated a week later, on Nov. 1, 1974. Feb. 6, 1954 – Goaltender Ed Schiller makes a Spartan-record 73 saves in a 5-4 loss to Denver. Nov. 16, 1974 – The first sellout crowd in Munn history sees the Spartans down North Dakota, 6-2. Goalie Ron Clark sets a Feb. 19, 1954 – MSU skates to its second scoreless tie in his- record with 30 saves in the first period. tory, 0-0 against Michigan. It snaps a 14-game losing streak to the Wolverines since hockey was reinstated in 1950. Feb. 14, 1976 – The Spartans establish a new single-season attendance record at Munn Ice Arena in a win vs. North Dako- Dec. 7, 1957 – MSU sets a school record for most goals in a ta, 7-1. A total of 157,567 fans attend games during the year, game in an 18-0 win vs. Ohio State. The mark still stands. a record which still stands. March 1, 1958 – MSU completes its first winning season (12- March 14, 1976 – The longest game in MSU history is settled 11), despite losing to Minnesota in the finale, 5-1. in the third overtime, as Minnesota defeats the Spartans, HOCKEY HISTORY 7-6, after 86:33 of play in the March 13, 1959 – MSU makes its first NCAA Tournament ap- WCHA playoffs. It is the final pearance, defeating Boston College in the semifinals, 4-3. game for record-setting stars Tom Ross and Steve Colp, March 14, 1959 – The Spartans fall to North Dakota, 4-3 in who finish their careers with overtime, in their first national championship game. MSU fin- 324 and 300 points, respec- ishes the season 17-6-1. tively. Dec. 11, 1964 – Mike Jacobson scores three goals in one March 3, 1979 – Amo minute of the first period against Wisconsin. The accomplish- Bessone (above) coaches his ment lands him in Sports Illustrated and still stands as the fast- final game, a 5-3 win over est three goals by one player in MSU history. Michigan. It is Bessone’s 367th win in 28 years at Michigan State, a record which stands until 1992. March 5, 1966 – MSU defeats defending national champion Michigan Tech, 4-3, to win the WCHA playoffs after finishing sixth in the regular season. April 1, 1979 – Ron Mason is named Spartan head coach. March 18, 1966 – Doug Volmar’s goal gives MSU a 2-1 win Oct. 19, 1979 – Ron Mason gets his first win at MSU in his first over Boston University in the NCAA semifinals. game, 7-6 over Western Michigan. March 19, 1966 – MSU completes one of the most unlikely Oct. 23, 1981 – MSU begins its first season of CCHA play, de- postseason runs with a 6-1 win over Clarkson to claim its first feating Lake Superior, 4-3, in East Lansing. MSU had left the NCAA championship. Bob Brawley gives the Spartans a 2-1 WCHA along with Michigan, Michigan Tech and Notre Dame. lead in the second period, and they cruised from there. Goal- tender Gaye Cooley is named the tournament MVP and Amo Bessone is named Coach of the Year. 138 MSUSPARTANS.COM 1966, 1986, 2007 THREE-TIME NCAA CHAMPIONS SPARTAN HOCKEY TIMELINE OF TRADITION March 13, 1982 – MSU wins its first CCHA playoff champion- Feb. 6, 1987 – A then-Munn Ice Arena record crowd of 6,902 ship by beating Notre Dame, 4-1, with All-America goalten- watches a 6-3 MSU win over Bowling Green. der Ron Scott. March 7, 1987 – Michigan State wins its fifth CCHA playoff March 20, 1982 – MSU’s first NCAA Tournament appearance title in six seasons when Kevin Miller beats Bowling Green All- 2017-18 under Ron Mason ends with a 9-4, two-game, total-goals se- America goaltender Gary Kruzich in overtime for a 4-3 win. ries loss to New Hampshire in the first round. March 28, 1987 – MSU is the runner-up in the NCAA Tourna- Dec. 29, 1982 – A North American collegiate hockey record ment, falling to North Dakota, 5-3, in the title game. crowd of 21,247 at Joe Louis Arena watches MSU win the Great Lakes Invitational, 5-3 over Michigan Tech. March 12, 1989 – MSU captures its sixth CCHA playoff crown HOCKEY MICHIGAN STATE in eight years with a 4-1 win over Lake Superior State as goal- March 12, 1983 – MSU tops Bowling Green in the CCHA title tender Jason Muzzatti earns tournament MVP honors. game, 4-3 in overtime. Ron Scott stops a penalty shot by BGSU All-American Brian Hills during the extra stanza to set April 1, 1989 – Making its third trip to the NCAA Frozen Four the stage for Mark Hamway’s winning goal. in the last four years, and fourth trip in the last six seasons, MSU finishes third with a 7-4 consolation win over Maine. March 10, 1984 – The Spartans win their third straight CCHA playoff championship, defeating Western Michigan, 5-0, with Feb. 3, 1990 – Ron Mason becomes only the second hockey Norm Foster in goal. coach in NCAA history to reach the 600-win plateau as MSU defeats Ohio State, 4-2. March 23, 1984 – After reaching the NCAA Frozen Four for the first time in 17 years, MSU falls to Bowling Green, 2-1, in Feb. 17, 1990 – MSU makes it back-to-back regular-season the semifinals. CCHA championships– and four in six years – with a 5-2 win over Michigan at Yost Arena. Dec. 29, 1984 – The Great Lakes Invitational championship game produces the third straight North American record Feb. 23, 1990 – MSU extends its record CCHA unbeaten crowd, as MSU defeats Michigan Tech again, 7-0, in front of string to 27 games (24-0-3) with a 4-3 win at Lake Superior 21,576 at Joe Louis Arena. State. The win also established what was then a CCHA record for points in a season. March 24, 1985 – In possibly the most painful loss in MSU history, Providence knocks the “Super Team” out of the NCAA March 11, 1990 – The Spartans win their seventh CCHA play- tournament, 4-2 (Providence wins the two-game, total-goals off championship in nine years, besting Lake Superior, 4-3. series, 6-5). Providence goalie Chris Terreri stops 50 MSU Peter White is the tournament MVP. shots and its season at an NCAA record 38 wins. MSU out- scores its opponents by more than two-to-one on the sea- April 1, 1990 – Kip Miller son, and 18 members of the team go on to sign professional (right), just the second contracts. Spartan ever to record 100 points in a season, becomes Nov. 15-16, 1985 – The National Hockey League uses Michi- MSU’s first Hobey Baker gan State’s exhibition series with Team Canada at Munn as its Memorial Award Recipient, first experiment with video replay. NHL Director of Officials named by the Decathlon John McCauley and Hockey Night in Canada Vice President Athletic Club of Blooming- of Production Don Wallace oversee the experiment. Both ton, Minn. coaches challenge one goal in the series, which the two teams split, but neither is overturned. March 28, 1992 – Backed by Mike Gilmore’s 36-save Dec. 14-15, 1985 – Mike performance, Michigan Donnelly (left) scores eight State edges Maine, 3-2, to goals in a two-game sweep advance to the NCAA Frozen Four for the second time in four of Ohio State. Five come in years. Saturday’s 6-5 MSU win, in- cluding the OT winner. April 26, 1992 – Ron Mason accepts the Spencer Penrose Award as 1991-92 American Hockey Coaches Association Di- March 29, 1986 – MSU wins vision I Coach of the Year. its second national champi- onship, downing Harvard, Nov. 21, 1992 – Ron Mason gets MSU win No. 368, 6-5, in Providence, R.I., on 6-2 over Illinois-Chicago, surpassing Amo Bessone (367, Mike Donnelly’s NCAA-re- 1951-79) as the Spartans’ winningest hockey coach.