Celebrate the Legacy Team of the Week
November 28, 2012 02:31 PM
1989 CCHA Champion Michigan State Spartans
Led by All-American forwards Bobby Reynolds and Kip Miller, senior forward Danton Cole, defenseman Chris Luongo, sophomore goaltender Jason Muzzatti and a trio of freshman that included CCHA Rookie of the Year Rod Brind’Amour, forward Peter White and defenseman Jason Woolley, Michigan State averaged almost six goals-scored a game and finished the 1988-89 regular season in first place (25-6-1) in the nine-team CCHA standings, seven points ahead of second-place Lake Superior.
The Ron Mason-coached Spartans got four goals from Brind’Amour and three from sophomore forward Shawn Heaphy to sweep eighth-seeded Ohio State, 9-5 and 11-4, in a best-of-three first round playoff series and earn a trip to Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena to face Bowling Green in the semifinals. Behind two goals from senior defenseman Brad Hamilton, the Spartans knocked off the Falcons, 3-2, to set up a matchup against Lake Superior in the final. In the championship, Muzzatti made 37 saves and the Michigan State beat the Lakers, 4-1, for their sixth CCHA playoff title in the last eight seasons.
After splitting with Boston College in the first two games of the NCAA tournament quarterfinals in East Lansing, Michigan State won the deciding Game Three, 5-4, in overtime on a goal from sophomore forward Mark Hirth. In the semifinal, the Spartans lost to Harvard, 6-3. MSU took third place in the tournament after defeating Maine, 7-4, in the consolation game, and finished the season with a 37-9-1 mark, their sixth 30-win season in seven years.
As part of the ‘Celebrate the Legacy’ final season, the CCHA is looking for all the players who have their name engraved on the Mason Cup, the CCHA’s playoff championship trophy.
We need your help!
Check out the roster of the 1989 Spartans championship team at CCHA.com as part of the CCHA’s ‘Search for Mason Cup Champions’ and call us (248-888-0600) or email us at: pcolvin@ccha.com, if you know where any of 1989 Spartans are.
Head Coach: Ron Mason
Assistant Coach: Newell Brown
Assistant Coach: Terry Christensen
Assistant Coach: George Gwozdecky
Walt Bartels
Steve Beadle
Rod Brind'Amour
Danton Cole
Jim Cummins
Don Gibson
Mike Gilmore
Brad Hamilton
Shawn Heaphy
Mark Hirth
Chris Luongo
Joby Messier
Kip Miller
Pat Murray
Jason Muzzatti
Dwayne Norris
Mike O'Toole
Bobby Reynolds
Kerry Russell
Jamie Stewart
Peter White
Jason Woolley