DETROIT—Colorado College did most of its damage in the first half of the game and held on in third period.
Tyler Johnson had a goal and two assists to lift Colorado College to a 5-4 win over Michigan State in a semifinal game of the 46th annual Great Lakes Invitational at Joe Louis Arena on Wednesday.
Stephen Schultz added a goal and an assist and Dakota Eveland, Andrew Hamburg, Jeff Collett also scored for Colorado College (12-8-1). Joe Howe made 31 saves.
The Tigers, who will face Michigan in the championship game on Thursday night, led 5-2 after two periods and Daultan Leveille’s 6-on-4 power-play goal with 49 seconds left with the Spartans’ goalie pulled made things interesting.
“If the game would’ve gone another five minutes, we might have had some problems,” Colorado College coach Scott Owens said.
Lee Reimer had a goal and two assists, Dustin Gazley a goal and an assist and Brock Shelgren also scored for Michigan State. Drew Palmisano stopped 10 shots before being pulled midway through the second period after surrendering the Tigers’ fifth goal. He was replaced by Will Yanakeff, who made eight saves.
“We have to play with more desperation sooner,” Spartans’ coach Rick Comley said.
Michigan State (6-10-3) faces Michigan Tech in Thursday’s third-place game.
The Spartans did manage to break a scoreless streak of 149:39.
“Obviously, we’ve been challenged offensively.” Comley said. “It’s a young team. Sometimes young players look to other players lot.”
Colorado College led 2-1 after the first period on Eveland and Schultz’s goals sandwiched around Reimer’s marker. It was the first career goals for both Evland and Reimer, who are both freshmen.
Hamburg (4:15) and Collett (9:51), another freshman who got his first collegiate goal, made it 4-1 in the second period before Gazley cut the deficit to 4-2, 36 seconds later.
But Johnson responded with his goal only 17 seconds later to send Palmisano to the showers.
Shelgren made it 5-3 6:15 into the second period.
NOTE: Michigan State features sophomore F Dean Chelios and freshman D Jake Chelios, who are both the sons of former Detroit Red Wings’ and NHL star Chris Chelios. … Colorado College freshman F Alexander Krushelnyski is the son of former NHL player Mike Krushelnyski.
