The State News caught up with Anastos recently to discuss the summer schedule, new uniforms and potential renovations to Munn Ice Arena.
— Dillon Davis, The State News

One thing that you had some success with last season was having your incoming freshmen to enroll in summer courses to get a jump on school. Will that be the case again this summer?

“Yeah, we’re taking it another step though this year. All of our freshmen came in last year and all of the returning players last year and in past years have gone to the first summer semester. We’re bringing in all of our players in the second summer semester in addition to the freshmen. So all of the returning players are coming in. We’ll have everybody here July 2.”

It’s been announced recently that the team will have a new set of home and away uniforms next season with an alternate vintage uniform as well. What’s the thought behind that and what might they look like? How much was branding involved in the decision?

“Our Spartan head branding will be a key component of it in terms of creating a look and a fresh look after a couple years of wearing what we wore. Some of the design, you just learn certain things that impact the jersey from a wearing standpoint. When I came here, I asked the players if they liked the uniforms, which they did, and if they liked the material and how it wore and the comfort of it and how it allowed for performance and all those types of things. We talked about designs, and I had some of them involved and trying to create designs that are certainly cool and the players liked and recruits would like and that kind of stuff. We wanted to be able to connect the present with the past and present a little bit.”

There was some talk about a potential renovation to Munn Ice Arena or possibly a new stadium, with the snag coming in waiting for a donor to step up. Where does that stand at this point?

“The process of canvassing potential donors and funding sources, that’s kind of ongoing. I don’t have anything to update in that regard.”

Does that keep you on edge at all waiting to see what comes of a potential renovation plan?

“We’re just going through a process, and that takes time. The first step of it was to identify the potential cost that would be associated with it and see it with both options. That’s been done. The next step is to go out and get information in the hands of people about how we could potentially fund either one, and that’s where we are today and how we’re spending time today. That doesn’t just happen overnight. I’m not sure of the timing when Mark Hollis wants to make a decision on what direction to go. The reason I’m not uptight about it is that either way we go is a real win for hockey. If we renovate Munn, it will be spectacular. If we get a new building, it will be spectacular.”