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MSU hockey prepares for rematch with rival Michigan in Detroit

January 29, 2015
<p>Sophomore forward Joe Cox takes a shot at the Michigan net Dec. 29, 2014, during the 50th Great Lakes Invitational at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The Spartans were defeated by the Wolverines, 2-1. Danyelle Morrow/The State News</p>

Sophomore forward Joe Cox takes a shot at the Michigan net Dec. 29, 2014, during the 50th Great Lakes Invitational at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The Spartans were defeated by the Wolverines, 2-1. Danyelle Morrow/The State News

Photo by Danyelle Morrow | The State News

MSU hockey (9-11-2, 3-3-2 Big Ten) will return to Joe Louis Arena on Friday for the first time since December 29th, 2014, when the Spartans lost to UM in the Great Lakes Invitational title game. MSU will face the same opponent this weekend, but it will be a different looking Wolverine team testing the Spartans this time around.

“The rivalry game is always a big game with lots of focus,” head coach Tom Anastos said. “[UM] happens to be playing probably as well as their team has played in, certainly for this season they’re hitting their stride, and maybe you could argue the last couple seasons. They’ve got a lot of depth of front, they’re scoring at an incredible pace right now, and so we’ve got to make sure we do lots in our defensive game to deal with that.”

When MSU lost 2-1 to No. 13 UM (15-7, 7-1 Big Ten) in late December, the Wolverines had four players taking a leave of absence to play in the World Junior Championships. Since those players have returned, UM has had the look of a national contender. 

UM is 5-0 since their return, averaging 6.8 goals-per-game. With the recent offensive surge, the Wolverines have become the highest scoring team in Division I hockey, averaging 4.36 goals-per-game. UM has also catapulted itself to the top of the Big Ten standings with 21 points, while MSU sits at third with 13 points.

“They didn’t have four players in that game that they have now,” Anastos said. “And those four players are all very good, dynamic offensive players… There’s just a lot of depth on their team this year, and our guys will be very aware of it.”

It will be strength vs. strength to some extent, as the Spartans rank 25th in the nation allowing an average of 2.45 goals-per-game.

“We’ve been playing pretty good defense as of late,” junior defenseman Travis Walsh said. “[Junior goaltender Jake Hildebrand] has been playing great. We have confidence that we’ll be able to deal with [their offense] and try to slow them down a little bit.”

Hildebrand has been hitting his stride as of late and was named the Big Ten First Star of the week for his performance against Ohio State last weekend. Hildebrand stopped 55 of the 56 shots he faced in the two victories, and leads the Big Ten with a 2.41 goals-against-average and a .918 save percentage.

“He may very well be the best goalie in the Big Ten right now,” Anastos said of Hildebrand. “Right now, I think he’s play as well as he’s played since he’s been [at MSU]… He gives our team confidence and I think right now he’s probably playing with as much confidence as he’s ever had. So, I would put him right there as the best, or certainly one of the best, in the Big Ten at this stage of the season.”

Hildebrand will have to play some of his best hockey in order for the Spartans to earn a victory this weekend. MSU will play the Wolverines on back-to-back weekends, as they take part in the Coyote Logistics Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field on February 7th.

“We’ve been excited for this one all year,” Walsh said. “These next two weekends are going to be the hardest games we’ll play all year and they’re going to be the most important ones. We love playing them.”

Junior captain Michael Ferrantino might have summed it up best.

“It doesn’t get a whole lot better,” Ferrantino said. “They’re on top and we want to knock them off.”

The puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Joe Louis Arena in what will be MSU's 301st all-time meeting with UM, making it the most-played rivalry in college hockey.

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