The Forfar file

You’ll find freshman forward Chris Forfar on the ice for the MSU hockey team when the game is on the line.

Forfar has established himself as a clutch player for the Spartans, being trusted by MSU head coach Rick Comley to kill penalties and be on the ice in the waning minutes of the game.

“Forfar has been unbelievably valuable,” Comley said. “He’s a coach’s player. If you notice in all key situations, he on the ice. That’s pretty darn good for a freshman.”

With senior forward Nick Sucharski and Forfar, the Spartans have two centerman whom they can rely on to win a defensive zone faceoff — an area in which last year’s team struggled.

In Friday’s 2-1 victory against Western Michigan, Forfar won four straight faceoffs in the third period before losing the last one of the game, which came with 5.1 seconds left in the third period and almost led to a Broncos goal.

“It’s a good feeling to know that I’m being counted on trying to win the faceoffs,” Forfar said. “I got a couple of clutch wins there, but the last one didn’t go my way.”

Comley doesn’t expect Forfar to put up huge offensive numbers this season, but said his role on faceoffs and killing penalties makes him an important “piece to the puzzle.”

Forfar said he’s always been able to win faceoffs, a talent he said requires strength, luck, speed, skill and technique.

“My junior coach told me it’s man vs. man on faceoffs, so go out and prove you are better than the other guy,” Forfar said. “I continue thinking about that and not wanting to lose to someone else. But with faceoffs a lot of it can be practiced and improved on.”

The 6-foot, 200-pound Darien, Ill., native played two years for the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League before committing to MSU early last December, meaning he didn’t know if he was going to have the opportunity to play college hockey when his season started with Lincoln.

But when MSU came knocking, Forfar was ready to become a Spartan — despite not knowing MSU won the National Championship in 2007.

“It was pretty quick sell,” Forfar said. “I had to talk to my parents about it to make sure they were OK with it at first. But I knew I wanted to go here once they came calling. I always wanted a nice, big school with a big hockey program too. MSU fit the mold.”

Said Comley: “I watched him very close last year myself. It was 100 percent a decision I had to make. He played in Lincoln and people watched him and wanted him to do more. But what he does, he does well.”