For most, the Cold War refers to the post-World War II hostility between world powers. But for MSU and U-M hockey fans, it means game time.
In 2001 MSU hockey (10-12-2, 4-4-2-2 Big Ten) began a tradition that has spread across the hockey community.
The “Cold War,” as it’s commonly referred to now, saw the MSU and U-M battle outside on the gridiron of Spartan Stadium. A crowd of 74,554 people braved the frigid weather that evening, setting a world record for the highest attended hockey game at the time, a record that is now held by the “Big Chill” in Ann Arbor between the same two schools.
While it would be hard to argue that last weekend’s Hockey City Classic can compare to that monumental night some 13 years ago, it still offered Spartan players and fans a unique opportunity that might not come again.
The Spartans did not get the result they were looking for in their 4-1 loss to the Wolverines, but they will be left with a lasting memory of the spectacle of this event.
Setting the scene
With MSU and U-M playing outside the state of Michigan for just the second time in 47 years, it allowed displaced Spartan alumni a rare opportunity to watch their alma mater minus some of the normal expenses that go along with it. Whether they were Spartan graduates living near Chicago, or current students, Spartans from all over made the trip to watch their team play.
For father and son Jeff and Jack Linforth from Northwick, Illinois, it was an opportunity to look back on some fond memories and possibly look forward to what lies ahead.
Jeff Linforth is an MSU alumnus who attended the university from 1980 to 1985 and often found himself at Munn Ice Arena. Jack Linforth, a sophomore in high school, has adopted the Spartans as his favorite team with the influence of his father.
Now, Jack Linforth is seriously considering MSU after he graduates high school.
“I used to go to all those games up in the old Munn back when I was there,” Jeff Linforth said. “Good years. Munn used to rock.”
From 1981 to 1985, MSU never failed to reach the NCAA quarterfinals and won the NCAA championship the year after Jeff Linforth graduated.
While the Linforths were content just seeing the Spartans play close to home, many fans showed up hours before the game and tailgated in the parking lots of Soldier Field. It is not very often that fans are able to tailgate for hockey games, especially at Munn Ice Arena, but they came out in full force before the Hockey City Classic.
While many tailgaters were enjoying cold beverages and food, there were two young boys who could be seen on the other side of the parking lot shooting at a hockey net. Chicago residents Matthew Crozier and Jack Owens drew a lot of attention throughout the day. Crozier had donned a Minnesota hockey sweater while Owens proudly wore his MSU jersey.
While Owens does not have immediate ties to MSU, like Jack Linforth, he had an experience with the hockey team that has made him a big fan.
As a hockey player himself, Owens attended a hockey camp at MSU over the summer and the team made an immediate impact on him.
“After watching (senior forward Matt Berry) play, I really liked the team and I liked some of the players,” Owens said. “I got to know them because they were our coaches and they’re a bunch of really nice guys.”
The day was just starting for Owens and Crozier, as they could be seen down on the field during the game and outside the locker room after the MSU loss. The Spartans still found time after their defeat to sign the jersey Owens received from the camp.
Dealing with ice conditions
The weather made for an interesting playing surface at the Hockey City Classic. With the temperature sitting in the 40s throughout the afternoon and the sun beating down on the ice throughout the day, officials were forced to keep delaying the first matchup between Miami University (Ohio) and Western Michigan due to soft ice. The game finally got underway an hour and 40 minutes after the scheduled start time, giving the Spartans and Wolverines some extra time to prepare for a big game in less than ideal conditions.
“We talked about it all week, that when you go into this circumstance you just don’t know what to expect,” head coach Tom Anastos said. “It’s all about being mentally ready to play for whatever comes. ... The most you can do is just talk about it, talk about it, talk about it. We had some ice damage at our rink for a day of practice so we got some practice.”
When the Spartans had their practice at Soldier Field on Friday night, they were the last of the four teams to take to the outdoor rink. Both players and coaches became concerned by how poor the conditions were and MSU did not even end up holding a formal practice.
While fans and media became frustrated and worried that the games would not be played, the people who actually had to play and coach the game were pleased, if not relieved.
“After (Friday), I didn’t think there was much hope that we’d have ice today that’d be good enough to play,” Anastos said. “They really did a good job working hard to get it into the condition that they were able to today.”
Junior captain Michael Ferrantino admitted that the ice was softer than it should normally be, but he was pleasantly surprised with the result after nearly a two-hour delay and another full 60 minutes of hockey being played on it just before.
“The ice was actually better than we thought it was going to be,” Ferrantino said. “I don’t think it was too much of a factor.”
While it did have a clear effect on the game, both teams were playing under the same conditions. Anastos made sure to make that point clear after the Spartans’ loss.
“Both teams played in those conditions,” Anastos said. “It’s outdoor hockey. The puck was bouncing all night and so you have to play a very simplistic game. We talked about it all week to prepare for and I thought they executed it better than we did.”
Breaking down the loss
Just a week after downing the Wolverines 2-1 at Joe Louis Arena, MSU struggled to keep the game simplistic with the rink conditions both teams were handed. Things started turning ugly right away for the Spartans as U-M’s Michael Downing was able to score just 1:43 into the game to give his team an early lead they would never give up.
“That puck had eyes and found its way in,” Anastos said of the goal. ”(Hildebrand) was screened by our own player, we didn’t block the shot, so now we’re playing from behind.”
MSU calmed down after the first 10 minutes of the game and ended up outshooting the Wolverines 11-10 in the opening period. Then, in a span of five minutes, U-M took control of the game by adding two more goals to its lead. Freshman defenseman and East Lansing native Cutler Martin scored the second goal of the game at 13:16 of the second period and U-M captain Andrew Copp scored just 4:31 after Martin’s goal to make it 3-0 heading into the third period.
While Hildebrand might want Copp’s goal back after it looked like he had it between the pads before Copp banged it home from inside the crease, Martin’s goal was similar to the first goal of the game. The Wolverines had been all over the Spartans zone for an extended period of time and with a few Spartans running on fumes, the puck trickled to Martin just between the face-off circles. Martin let go an innocent looking wrist shot, but with traffic in front of the net, Hildebrand could not pick up the track of the puck in time.
“I was trying to look around and I couldn’t find the puck,” Hildebrand said of the game’s first goal. “The second one hit off something. They’re throwing pucks at the net and getting bodies to the net. It makes a goalie’s job pretty tough.”
While MSU attempted numerous stretch passes and lob passes into U-M’s zone, the Wolverines were able to move the puck in short, crisp sequences taking the soft ice out of the equation as much as possible.
The end result was a 4-1 loss. The Spartans are 1-2 against the Wolverines this year and still have two more meetings left in March. While Anastos admitted that “losing sucks,” he still hopes his players will cherish the experience they were afforded.
“Obviously, it’s a really cool experience,” Ferrantino said. “It’s special. You get to play in a venue like this, and especially against Michigan, it’s something you’ll never forget.”
