10/31 Recap: Tropp pots winner; Lagacé ready

Corey Tropp continued his blazing season start on Saturday by cashing the game winning goal as Michigan State defeated Western Michigan, 5-3. Tropp's closer, his 7th of the year, came at 6:44 of the third period when he roofed a backhand off a cross-ice feed from Nick Sucharski. The junior's seven goals and 13 points lead the NCAA through the first month of play, all the while propelling the unranked Spartans to a 6-2 record. Justin Jokinen was -1 with a team-best five shots on goal as Mankato played to a 4-4 tie at #3 Denver. The sophomore showed good jump on a line with Eli Zuck and Zach Harrison one night after a collision in the Pios crease that left DU netminder Marc Cheverie out of action for at least a month with a deep calf laceration. Connor Knapp missed his Saturday nod as #1 Miami squeaked past Northern Michigan, 2-1. Knapp has been shaky in his past two starts, but it appears that the sit was more about Knapp recovering from a flu bug than it was sub-standard play. Bowling Green's Nick Eno again gave way to 21-year old freshman Andrew Hammond as the Falcons lost at #13 Nebraska-Omaha, 3-1. Despite inflated goals against and save percentage numbers, Eno made several spectacular stops last Friday against Minnesota State. Still, Hammond was the Falcons best player on Saturday and earned the back-to-back road starts this weekend against UNO. In the OHL, Nick Crawford was even as Saginaw took a 5-4 shootout win over defending Memorial Cup champion Windsor. 2010 eligible Ivan Telegin scored his 9th and 10th goals of the season for the Spirit while consensus top-3 for next June, Taylor Hall, netted his 17th for the Spits. Saginaw sits alone in second place in the OHL's West Division with 22 points. Windsor still paces the league with 29 points. In the QMJHL, Jordon Southorn was -1 as PEI was shut out by Montreal, 3-0. The Rocket (10-7-2-1) sit in fourth place in the tightly packed Atlantic Division. Also of note from Eastern Canada, Chicoutimi Sagueneens forward Jacob Lagacé was held out of action this week as he continues to feel effects from being on the wrong end of a thundering blow to the head from Quebec's Danick Paquette last Friday (10/23). It was thought that the Sags leading goal man would return on Thursday, but precautionary measures have kept him off the ice. With headaches gone, Lagacé skated hard on Wednesday and will be on the ice when the Sags battle Baie-Comeau on Sunday.