Holidays are traditionally set aside as a time for rest and recuperation and that philosophy doesn’t change for MSU’s top-ranked hockey team.
After this weekend’s CCHA series with last place Ferris State, the Spartans (11-1-3 overall, 8-1-2 CCHA) will have almost three weeks to rejuvenate mentally and physically before the 36th annual Great Lakes Invitational on Dec. 29-30.
“It’s nice to get days off here and there, but this team is very capable of playing two games in a row,” sophomore defenseman Brad Fast said.
The GLI tournament is held annually at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, with MSU, Michigan and Michigan Tech traditionally welcoming a fourth team. This year, national power Boston College of the Hockey East conference will join the field.
MSU will face the Eagles on the first day at 4 p.m., while the Wolverines will battle Tech, of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, 30 minutes after the conclusion of the MSU game.
The losers meet in a consolation game on Dec. 30, immediately preceding the championship game.
“The GLI is always a big tournament,” senior right wing John Nail said. “It’ll be a good showcase of college hockey with four good teams. But we don’t want to look ahead too far. We have to beat Ferris this weekend.”
The Spartans have won three straight GLI titles, beating the Wolverines in the championship all three times. But from 1989-1996 U-M dominated the tournament, winning eight consecutive GLI crowns.
MSU has won nine titles in the GLI’s history, tied for second with Tech. U-M has won 10.
In last year’s tournament, MSU topped Tech 6-3 in the first round and edged U-M 3-1 for the championship.
Senior goaltender Joe Blackburn, who has not played yet this season, made 37 saves in the championship game while senior right wing Rustyn Dolyny, sophomore right wing Kris Koski and sophomore left wing Brian Maloney all scored power play goals.
Boston College promises to be the toughest first-round opponent the Spartans have had in years. The Eagles are ranked No. 3 in the nation and hold a 11-3-0 overall record.
The Spartans have confidence in their corner, having posted a 16-3-1 mark in their last 20 games at Joe Louis, dating back to 1996.
The 19,275 capacity arena is the home of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings and usually ends up being the biggest venue the Spartans skate in throughout the year.
“Joe Louis is a really unique experience,” MSU head coach Ron Mason said. “How many colleges can draw 20,000 fans for a hockey game?”
After the GLI, two storied hockey programs will tangle for the first time, when MSU hosts Yale for a two-game series at Munn Ice Arena Jan. 5-6.
The Bulldogs, of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference, are 5-5-0 and received votes in this week’s U.S. College Hockey Online and USA Today polls.
Both games against Yale are scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
