Ice Hockey

1 Jeff Lerg
	Class: Senior Hometown: Livonia, Mich. Height / Weight: 5-6 / 155 Position: Goaltender Birthdate: 04/09/1986 Previous Team: Omaha Lancers (USHL)

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Will serve as the Spartan captain in 2008-09 and was an Alternate Captain as a junior... One of the most accomplished netminders in school history ... A "team-first guy" with an exemplary work ethic ... Has consistently excelled on the largest stages ... Established himself as one of the top goaltenders in the nation ... In his NCAA Tournament career (eight games), Lerg owns a 1.62 GAA, sixth-best in the NCAA record book; his career save percentage of .947 in tournament games ranks fifth, and his six career tournament wins is the fourth highest total all-time and tied for the most among MSU goalies ... One of only three Michigan State netminders to win NCAA Tournament games three consecutive seasons - Norm Foster won NCAA contests in 1984, 1985, and an NCAA title in 1986, and shares the MSU record of six NCAA Tournament victories with Lerg and Jason Muzzatti, who won six games from 1988-90 ... In his career (114 GP), Lerg has 10 shutouts, and 28 games in which he has allowed a single goal. He has allowed just two goals on another 30 occasions - a grand total of 69 of 114 games (61%) that he has allowed two goals or fewer ... Moved into second place on the all-time career saves list on March 28 against Colorado College with a season-best 41 saves, surpassing former Spartan great Jason Muzzatti (2,928). Lerg's 2,956 saves is just 152 shy of the all-time record of 3,108 held by Dave Versical (1975-78) ... Occupies top-10 positions in several career netminding categories at Michigan State: save percentage (.922), second; saves (2,956), second; goals-against average (2.22), third; career shutouts (10), fourth; wins (67), fifth; games played (114), fourth.

2007-08 (Junior) CoSIDA/ESPN Magazine Academic All-America ... Detroit Athletic Club's Michigan College Athlete of the Year ... An AHCA Second-Team All-American ... MSU's Perani Cup Champion ... One of five finalists for the James E. Sullivan Award, given annually by the AAU to the top amateur athlete in the country ... Top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award ... First Team All-CCHA ... CCHA Scholar-Athlete of the Year ... Finalist for CCHA Player of the Year honors ... Named "Michigan's Best", the state's top sports figure of 2007, by the Detroit Free Press ... Stopped 64 of 68 shots (.941) in the NCAA West Regional at Colorado College and earned All-Tournament Team recognition; made 41 saves against the host Tigers in the first round, his season and career NCAA Tournament best ... Overall on the season, he owns a .926 save percentage (10th nationally), 2.22 goals against average (18th), and 24-11-5 record (.646, seventh). He ranks second in the nation in minutes played (2464:14), and ranks sixth in percentage of team minutes played, (96.3 percent) ... In CCHA contests, ranked first in minutes played (1666:59), save percentage (.935) saves (786), shutouts (4) and goaltender victories (19); second in winning percentage (.714); third in goals against average (1.98). He is the only goalie in the league to play in every CCHA contest of the season ... Ranks first among all Division I goaltenders in saves (1,136) and faces an average of 27.7 shots per game, the third-most of any CCHA netminder and 13th nationally. Only three goalies ranked in the top 15 in saves per game play for teams that are better than .500 (Lerg, Alex Kangas of Minnesota, and and Kevin Regan of Hockey East champion New Hampshire) ... A six-time CCHA Goalie of the Week honoree this season, including four straight weeks in January, becoming the first goalie in CCHA history to do so since the league dedicated a weekly award for netminders; his six were the most weekly awards of any netminder in the conference ... RBC Financial CCHA Player of the Month for January ... Hockey Commissioner's Association (HCA) National Player of the Month for January ... Pre-Season First Team All-CCHA Pick ... Named a preseason All-American by InsideCollegeHockey.com ... Struggled in first outing at North Dakota, allowing six goals on 24 shots ... Stopped 45 of 49 shots in a non-conference sweep of Colgate (10/26-27) ... Made 54 saves in a two-game sweep of Northern Michigan, including a season-best 33 stops in a 3-2 victory in the second game (10/26-27) ... Named CCHA Goaltender of the Week after the Alaska series (11/2-3), when he allowed just two goals on the weekend and made 47 saves ... Broke the school record of 60 consecutive starts and games played with his game at Alaska (11/2) ... Appeared in his 63rd consecutive game against Mercyhurst (11/9), making 22 saves in a 6-2 win which served as his 50th career victory. His streak ended the next night, as he sat in favor of sophomore Bobby Jarosz ... Had 30 saves in each game against Miami (11/15-16) ... Made 19 saves against Minnesota (11/23) and 33 saves against Wisconsin (11/24) in the College Hockey Showcase, both overtime stalemates ... Earned CCHA Goalie of the Week honor on Dec. 2 for his 49-save effort in a series sweep at Lake Superior State ... Stopped a 37 shots in game one of Ferris State series (12/7), followed by 26 saves in game two (12/08) ... Made a season-best 40 saves in a consolation-game loss to Providence in the Great Lakes Invitational (12/29) ... Awarded third CCHA Goalie of the Week honor of the season on Jan. 7 for his play in Lake Superior State series (1/4-5); stopped 63 of 68 shots through both games, including four saves in the overtime period of game two ... Earned his second consecutive CCHA Goalie of the Week accolade after stopping 64 of 66 shots in the Notre Dame series (1/11,13); made 34 stops, including eight in overtime, in game two's 1-1 tie, with the lone Irish goal scored in the final minute of regulation with an extra attacker ... Honored as CCHA Goalie of the Week for outstanding series at Ohio State (1/18-19); he recorded his first shutout of the season (seventh of his career) and stopped 50 of 51 shots in the weekend sweep ... Credited with his sixth CCHA Goalie of the Week award - fourth straight - after posting his second consecutive shutout, making 26 saves in a 1-0 victory in game one of the Michigan series (1/25), backstopping MSU to its first win - and shutout - at UM's Yost Ice Arena since 2003 ... Had his shutout streak, which dated back to the previous weekend's Ohio State series in Columbus, snapped at 190:54 over 11 periods when MSU allowed a second-period power play tally in game two (1/26) against the Wolverines ... Played in his 100th career game in the opening contest of the Nebraska-Omaha series (2/1) ... Made 37 saves, including 18 (one on a penalty shot) in the third period, to backstop MSU to a 4-2 victory in game two of the UNO series (2/2); had a total of 65 saves in the weekend contests ... Made a 15 saves in the first 40 minutes of game one against Northern Michigan (2/8) and stopped 26 of 29 shots in game two (2/9) ... Posted third shutout of the season (and ninth of his career) at home against Western Michigan (2/15), making 23 saves ... Made 22 stops in a 4-2 win at Lawson the next afternoon (2/16) to record his first road victory over the Broncos ... Stopped 70 shots in a split with Michigan, including 39 in the meeting with the Wolverines at Joe Louis Arena. It was his second -highest total of the season ... Made 60 saves in a home-and-home sweep of Bowling Green (2/29-3/1), including his fourth shutout of the year in a 4-0 victory in the road game; it was his 10th career shutout, and his third of the season on the road ... Made 86 saves in three-game CCHA quarterfinal series with Northern Michigan (3/14-16), allowing six goals on 92 shots. Made 24 saves in game one, 28 saves in game two and 34 save in game three, including eight in overtime, and was named second star in game one and third star in game two ... Had two assists during the year, one against Western Michigan (2/15) and one against Northern Michigan (3/14).

2006-07 (Sophomore): USA Hockey College Player of the Year ... Named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team, stopping 58 of 61 shots en route to the NCAA title ... Was also Most Valuable Player of the Midwest Regional after stopping 44 of 46 shots ... Boasts career NCAA Tournament numbers - a 1.50 goals against average and .949 save percentage - which rank in the top five of the NCAA record books ... Named the team's Most Valuable Player ... Played in 96.9 percent of available minutes in the team's 42 games, the highest percentage of any netminder in the CCHA and the second-highest in the country... With six career shutouts, currently sits tied for fifth on the Spartans' all-time list ... Ninth all-time at MSU in career wins (43)... Named CCHA Perani Cup Champion for 2006-07, and also the team's CCHA Scholar-Athlete designee ... CoSIDA Academic All-Region selection ... Stopped 35 shots at Ferris State (11/10) to record his first shutout of the season and fourth of his career in a 6-0 victory ... Matched a career high for saves in a period in that game at FSU, stopping all 18 shots he faced in the middle frame ... Named CCHA Goaltender of the Week for his 35-save shutout of the Bulldogs (11/10) and his 29 saves in a 2-2 tie with FSU earlier in the week (11/7) ... Earned his fifth career shutout in a 25-save whitewash of Notre Dame (11/18), 2-0 ... Made 45 saves in a 5-2 victory over Harvard in the GLI semis (12/29), and stopped 66 of 69 overall en route to being named to the Great Lakes Invitational All-Tournament Team and earning CCHA Goalie of the Week honors ... Stopped 54 of 56 shots - including a 27-save performance for his third shutout of the season - in a weekend sweep of Lake Superior State (1/19-20). His efforts earned him CCHA Goaltender of the Week honors ... Held an opponent to one goal or less for the eighth time in a 23-save, 5-1 victory at Nebraska-Omaha (2/2), and for the ninth time two games later in a 2-1, 33-save performance against Ferris State (2/9) ... Made a career-best 54 saves against Michigan in a 3-3 tie at Joe Louis Arena (2/10). Also tied a career best for saves in a period against the Wolverines, stopping all 18 in the opening frame ... Earned CCHA Goaltender of the Week honors on Feb. 12 after stopping 87 of 91 shots in the weekend against Ferris State and Michigan ... Tallied the first two assists of his career in game one of the Western Michigan series (2/16) ... Stopped 43 of 46 shots in the CCHA quarterfinal series against UNO, allowing just three goals in the two-game set ... 26 saves in the NCAA first round contest against Boston University, a 5-1 MSU victory (3/23) ... Made countless clutch saves in a 2-1 win over Notre Dame (3/24) in the Midwest Regional final ... Continued his stellar postseason run at the Frozen Four, stopping 29 shots to lead the Spartans to the national title game (4/5) ... Surrendered just one goal on 30 shots in the NCAA title game, making several incredible stops, including one head coach Rick Comley called "the best I've ever seen" on a Brian Boyle shot off a two-on-one ... Finished the NCAA Tournament third overall - and first among goalies playing more than one contest - in both save percentage (.954) and goals against average (1.25).

2005-06 (Freshman): Emerged as one of the standout goaltenders in the nation over the course of the second half of the season ... Posted a goals against average of 1.96, which ranked second in the CCHA and third nationally, while his save percentage (.928) was third in the CCHA and seventh among national leaders ... Ranked third in the conference and 10th nationally in winning percentage (17-6-6, .690) ... CCHA Rookie of the Year and CCHA Tournament MVP ... CCHA All-Rookie Team honoree, and Honorable Mention selection to the All-CCHA squad ... Twice earned National Rookie of the Month honors from RBC and the HCA (January and March/April) ... Earned the MSU Outstanding Rookie Award at the team banquet ... Named to the InsideCollegeHockey.com National All-Rookie Team at season's end ... MSU's Perani Cup champion for the season (30 points) ... Made his first career start in 4-3 win over Cornell (10/29), making 22 saves in his first collegiate victory ... Kicked aside 29 shots (four in OT) in 2-2 tie against Ferris State (11/8) ... 29 saves in his Munn Arena debut against Nebraska-Omaha (11/12) ... Earned Perani Cup second star honors despite a 3-2 OT loss ... Recorded 21 saves in a 3-3 tie with WMU (11/18) ... Entered the game in relief against Western Michigan (11/19); In 36:03, allowed one goal and made 12 stops ... Garnered Perani Cup third-star honors with 18 saves (2 GA) in a 3-1 loss to Wisconsin (11/25) ... Against Alaska Fairbanks (12/9), a 4-4 tie, made 32 saves, including 17 in the second period ... Recorded 18 saves in a 3-1 victory over Wayne State (1/6), his first victory at Munn ... Made 24 saves in MSU's 5-1 win over the Warriors (1/7) to secure his first series sweep ... Earned his first collegiate shutout, kicking aside 31 shots and earning Perani Cup second-star honors in MSU's 4-0 blanking of Alaska Fairbanks (1/13) ... Collected his fourth straight victory in 2-1 win over Alaska Fairbanks (1/14) ... Earned his second shutout, a 2-0 blanking of Michigan, behind 31 saves to earn first-star honors (1/17) ... Made a career-high 41 saves to earn a 4-3 OT defeat of Nebraska-Omaha (1/20); Kicked aside 31 UNO shots in a 3-2 loss the following night (1/21) ... Made 25 saves, including 13 in the second period, in 2-1 loss to Ferris State (1/24) ... Kicked aside 27 of 28 Wolverine shots, including 13 in the middle frame, earning Perani Cup first-star honors in a 1-1 tie with Michigan (1/27) ... Turned away 29 Wolverine shots in a come-from-behind 5-5 tie at Joe Louis Arena (1/28) ... Recorded 26 saves and Perani Cup third-star honors in a 2-1 win over Notre Dame (2/4) ... Posted 31 saves, including 16 in the final period, in 4-3 win at Ohio State (2/9) ... Recorded 20 saves in both games of a series sweep of regular-season champion Miami (2/17-18) ... Stopped 28 of 30 shots in a game at Lake Superior, earning Perani Cup first-star honors in a 3-2 victory (2/23) ... Made 15 saves in last regular-season game, a 2-2 tie with Lake Superior State (2/25) ... Stopped 80 of 87 shots in the three-game CCHA quarterfinal series against Alaska Fairbanks (3/10-12); made 27 in a tough 2-1 loss to open the series, 30 (15 in the second period) in a 6-1 game two victory, and 23 - which included 10 in the final frame - in the series-clinching 7-4 win ... Kicked aside 25 shots in a CCHA semifinal victory over Michigan ... Followed that with a 22-stop, 2-1 victory over Miami in the CCHA Championship game to earn Tournament MVP honors ... Pitched the first shutout in MSU's NCAA history, a 1-0 victory over New Hampshire (3/25), in the first round of the East Regional in Albany, N.Y. (36 saves) ... Made 29 stops in a tough 5-4 loss to Maine in the Regional Final (3/26).

PRIOR TO MSU: Played for the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League from 2003-05 ... Won USA Hockey's Dave Peterson Goalie of the Year and the USA Hockey Junior Player of the Year awards in 2005 ... Was the 2005 USHL Player of the Year and the Goaltender of the Year ... 2005 Itech/Goalie's World Goalie of the Year ... In 2004-05, posted a 36-11 record, a 2.16 GAA, a .916 save percentage and six shutouts in 52 contests ... Led the league in shutouts (6), GAA (2.16), wins (36), minutes played (3,105:52) and ranked second in save percentage (.916) ... Broke the USHL record for wins in a season with 36 in helping lead Omaha to a share of the regular-season title ... Selected to play in the 2005 USHL All-Star Game ... 2004-05 Team MVP ... Selected as the USHL's Goalie of the Month for November and again for February ... In 2003-04, posted 24-5-2 record along with a 2.20 GAA and a .917 save percentage in 35 games ... Also recorded four shutouts ... Named to the 2004 USHL All-Rookie Team and All-USHL Second Team ... Won a gold medal with the U.S. U-17 Select Team in the Czech Republic in the summer of 2002.

PERSONAL: Born April 9, 1986 ... Finance major ... Enjoys golfing, watersports, roller hockey and skiing ... Graduated from Millard North High School in Omaha, Neb. ... Member of the honor roll all four years ... Favorite NHL team: Detroit Red Wings ... Favorite NHL player: Manny Legace ... Son of Ken and Jane Lerg ... Father played hockey at Ohio State from 1969-72 ... Uncle Dan Lerg played hockey at Michigan from 1977-80 ... Cousin of Bryan Lerg, the senior captain of the Spartans ... Says his dad is his hero, because "he is an example of how hard work pays off. He has always showed me that nothing in life comes easy."

CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR	GP	GS	MP	Svs	GAA	Sv%	ShO	RECORD
2005-06	31	29	1840:07	778	1.96	.928	3	17-6-6
2006-07	42	42	2465:06	1042	2.41	.913	3	26-13-3
2007-08	41	41	2464:14	1136	2.22	.926	4	24-12-5
TOTALS	114	112	6769:27	2956	2.22	.922	10	67-31-14