Badgers Lose 2-1 to Michigan State
November 24, 2001 | Men's Hockey
The Badgers knew going into Friday night's game vs. Michigan State, it would be a defensive affair, keyed by two of the country's best goaltenders in Spartan netminder Ryan Miller (the 2001 Hobey Baker winner) and the Badgers' Scott Kabotoff. Miller entered the game with a 1.49 goals-against average and .937 save percentage and Kabotoff a 1.89 GAA and .947 save percentage.
Michigan State started the scoring early on with a Jim Slater tip off of a shot from defenseman John-Michael Liles from the left point. That score came just 3:03 into the game and proved to be the only offense in the first period. The Badgers trailed just 1-0 after the first period, despite being outshot 14-5 in the opening frame and holding the Spartans scoreless on three power-play attempts.
The second period the Badgers took control, firing 13 shots at Miller, including Rene Bourque's which beat the MSU goaltender high. Bourque took a pass from Wheeler and after his first backhander hit the pipe, he put the rebound in to knot the game at 1-1 at 12:15.
The game-winning goal was scored by Michigan State's Andrew Hutchinson at 14:43 of the third period. Hutchinson took a shot to the left of Kabotoff which deflected in off of UW blueliner Rob Vega. An MSU defenseman checked Vega into Kabotoff just after the shot was taken and the Badger netminder had no chance at the save.
The UW drops to 6-5-0 overall this season and will meet Michigan Saturday night in the second game of the College Hockey Showcase.
For Kabotoff, he has allowed two or less goals in seven of his nine starts this season and has given up just five goals in the last five games.
