Michigan State: 2007 NCAA Hockey Champions!

On the banks of the Red Cedar,
There's a school that's known to all,
It's specialty is winning,
And those Spartans play GREAT HOCKEY!,
Spartan teams are never beaten,
All through the game they'll fight,
Fight for the only colors, GREEN and WHITE
Go right thru for MSU,
Watch the points keep growing,
Spartan teams are bound to win,
They're fighting with a vim,
RAH! RAH! RAH!
See their team is weakening,
We're going to win this game,
FIGHT! FIGHT! RAH TEAM FIGHT!


Michigan State won the NCAA title last night. The Birn household went absolutely nuts when Justin Abdelkader scored the game winning goal with 18.9 seconds left in the game. Jeff Lerg played great in net, keeping the Spartans in the game, including the amazing save pictured above that prevented Boston College from going up 2-0.

Tim Kennedy tied the game at 1-1 with about ten minutes left in the third period. Needless to say, I was nervous throughout the game. State went down 1-0 in the middle of the second and I thought for sure the game was over. BC is a better team, they have better skaters, a better power play and a better penalty kill. But I knew that so long as State was only down one goal, they had a shot to at least tie it. That said, it nerve wracking to watch them down one and even more nerve wracking when they tied it up. When Abdlekader put the puck in the net with 18.9 seconds left I screamed and jumped up, Janna was scared half to death and Seamus was alarmed. Chris Mueller got an empty net goal with 1.2 seconds left to give the Spartans a 3-1 victory and the national title.

For me, this is absolute huge. I've been suffering with this program for a decade and half now. Back when I was in school in the late 90's we had great teams and were often ranked #1 throughout the year only to lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament. 1998, 1999 and 2001 were especially bitter pills to swallow. This year's championship was very unexpected, State finished fourth in the CCHA, barely made the NCAA Tournament and no one expected them to do anything. We had less talent than every team we faced, yet our boys stuck to their game plan and grinded out four victories. Lerg was great in net, he only gave up 5 goals in 4 NCAA games, he deserves a ton of credit. He stood on his head when it counted.

This is what hockey is all about. Passion, teamwork and exciting games played for national titles. It's a great day to be a Spartan, all MSU alums should be proud of this team today. It makes up for all the disappointments of years gone by. To win a championship when no one expects it, to come out of no where makes it that much sweeter. Janna I think finally understands why I'm such a hockey fan, she witnessed it last night. Decades of suffering for one special night, it's worth every heartbreak.

MSU, we love thy shadows
When twilight silence falls,
Flushing deep and softly paling
O'er ivy covered halls;
Beneath the pines we'll gather
To give our faith so true,
Sing our love for Alma Mater
And thy praises, MSU.