2002 NCAA Ice Hockey West Regional -- Game 1 Quotes
3/22/2002 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Colorado College 2, Michigan State 0
Friday, March 22, 2002 -- 4:30 p.m.
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Mich.
NCAA West Regional -- First Round
Postgame Quotes
Colorado College Head Coach Scott Owens
General comments ... "I'm real happy with the way we came out in the first period. It set the tone. We had several good scoring opportunities. Even though it was only 1-0, I thought it was very important for us. When you play a team like Michigan State it's important to get up on them. That was a real key point for us, that we were able to get the first goal."
On the team getting off to a slow start this season ... "I thought we could come back and battle back. There's enough games and good seniors and leadership. I'm really proud of this team and where we've come since then."
On Michigan State coach Ron Mason ... "I don't know Coach Mason very well but I know how highly respected he is and what an unbelievable career he's had."
On goaltender Jeff Sanger ... "He's as focused as I've seen him. He looks confident. As much as the saves he makes are impressive it's also his demeanor. We've made some mistakes back there and he's been there to bail us out."
On the crowd ... "It helped out as the game went on. As it filled in, people kind of got into it."
"I thought Peter (Sejna) had one of his better games in the last few weeks. He's just so strong. That whole line, and later we put Trent (Clark) on the right side, I just had a lot of confidence in it. In the first period, territorially we did really well."
On playing back-to-back days ... "We kind of learned last year, and it helped us this year, we have a warrior mentality right now. We got through the WCHA Final Five with three games in three days. It was a really good team win. We're definitely more rested than we were last year. We're on spring break, the kids have rested Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday."
Colorado College Senior Goaltender Jeff Sanger
On the MSU shot that hit the crossbar ... "It was a pass out from the corner, the guy was in tight, I believe I got it with the blockers and then I don't know if he batted it out of the air, I lost track of it."
On facing 2001 Hobey Baker winner Ryan Miller ... "Whenever you play against a good goalie you always feel there's added pressure. You know it will be a close game. He played outstanding. You expect that from a guy like him."
On recovering from a slow start this season ... "Starting out 0-5 in the league, it really shows what kind of team we have, battling back. The past couple weeks people have really stepped up. We're playing more like a team right now. One more game and it's the Final Four. You just have to stay composed."
Colorado College Senior Wing Trent Clark
On his goal ... "I knew if we didn't have any traffic in front of (Ryan) Miller he'd make the save. I saw the puck was going wide. I got lucky and it went in."
On scoring his first goal since Dec. 1 ... "I've had several chances, one like that is kind of nice to get."
Michigan State Head Coach Ron Mason
General comments ... "We knew coming in their six seasoned forwards had good strength and speed and we'd have trouble with that. Right off the bat we did. As of all year we've had some problems scoring goals and we didn't get some breaks tonight either. Overall I thought our kids played hard and didn't give up, they battled right to the end and that's all you can ask for. Their goalie played pretty darn well. Unless you win a national championship, you lose your last game. We would have loved to advance but that didn't happen. It's a very young hockey team, one of the youngest I've had. The experience of getting to this position is invaluable. Ryan Maloney went down early against Bowling Green and at that point it showed how young we are. We had to make a lot of adjustments. Adam Hall, he's had a great four-year career. He's an unbelievable captain. The last defense for coaching each year is, at least for me, the hockey banquet. For me that will be the last thing I do (as MSU head coach)."
On his thoughts in the last few seconds of the game ... "Like I always am, I felt sick inside. I really felt that we deserved at least one goal. Had we got that goal it would have meant a lot. Fortunately for me I've been to the top of the mountain and haven't been down very often.
"I think that in this position you're always wondering what you could have done better, I guess that's the way I look at it. One thing I'll never look back on is the competition part of it. I've always loved that."
On the midseason announcement of his retirement to become athletic director ... "I really didn't want the announcement until the season was over. I didn't notice anything myself but someone told me even if I didn't notice it, there would be a subtle change in the team. I can't see what that subtle change was. With a leader, a coach, in a fine-tuned machine, it just shakes it up a little bit. Obviously it did have an effect -- all you have to do is look at our record. Not in terms of work habits. It was pretty tough for the players but it was a decision I had to make at the time. If I had my druthers I would have never made it (the announcement) at that time."
Michigan State Junior Goaltender Ryan Miller
On the loss ... "You come to NCAAs with high hopes, I was trying to rally our goalies and set the table for going all the way ... I was wrong and it doesn't feel too good."
On the second goal ... "I was coming across faster than the play was happening. I reached back ..."
On coach Ron Mason ..."Coach is always prepared, he always prepares us for a game. I appreciate him as a coach, as a person he's always been supportive of us. He's made Michigan State a great place to play. I thank him for the opportunity to play here."
MSU Senior Wing Adam Hall
Did it hit you at the end of the game this was your last as a Spartan ... "It really didn't, it hit me in the locker room. This team has been so up and down this year. We've been down two goals and have come back. I've never once this season, including tonight, felt we were out of the game. That's why it never crossed my mind. And then when you come off the ice ... you just look down the line and see all the faces, it's been a great four years.
"Any end of the season game is going to be emotional because some guys are leaving and the team is never going to be exactly that way again."
On Coach Mason's retirement announcement ... "Once the announcement was made there was no changing it. We were going to continue to play strongly."
On Colorado College ... "We don't take a single thing away from CC, obviously they played a great game. Hockey can be the greatest game and sometimes it can be the cruelest game."
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