Northern Michigan is in second to last place with 23 points, but if MSU sweeps both games, Northern Michigan will drop to last and the Spartans will move up a ranking.

“For us, it’s a big series; it’s a very big series,” head coach Tom Anastos said. “For us to make any advancements, we have to start winning games. We certainly don’t want to finish where we are today.”

MSU is coming off a split series with Bowling Green last weekend, losing Friday night, 2-1, then coming out on top, 3-1, on Saturday.

If MSU wins Friday against Northern Michigan, it will be the first time the Spartans have won back-to-back games all season, and if they sweep the series, it will be their first swept weekend.

“It sure would be nice,” Anastos said of potentially sweeping a team. “But it’s only attainable if you win Friday night, so we gotta really focus on coming out and having a really good effort Friday night and hopefully put ourselves in a position to try to take that step.”

With only a few weekends left before the CCHA playoffs begin, the fight to not be at the bottom of the league is becoming greater.

Given the way the standings currently are, MSU will have to play on the road during the first round of the playoffs, and the Spartans are determined to force another team to come to Munn Ice Arena.

“Home ice is obviously one of our goals, but we have to take it one night at a time,” captain and junior forward Greg Wolfe said. “Wins haven’t been coming that easy, so we just have to focus all our efforts into Friday and have a great effort from every guy, then get that win and go from there.”