MSU will make its first trip to the 15-month-old Berry Events Center in Marquette this weekend, hoping to bounce back from its first loss since Oct. 20.
The top-ranked Spartans (21-2-4 overall, 14-2-3 CCHA) will battle super-cluster opponent Northern Michigan (11-8-7, 7-7-6) in a two-game series that holds major ramifications in the league race. Both games start at 7:05 p.m.
“We expect a hard-fought series,” junior right wing Adam Hall said.
“Those guys are real tenacious around the puck, especially in one-on-one battles. We’re going to have to bring our top game, especially in their barn.”
Northern is 6-3-4 at home this season, including an impressive 7-1 stomping of No. 9 Western Michigan.
After No. 4 Michigan beat MSU 4-3 in overtime at Joe Louis Arena last weekend, the Spartans have a slim three-point lead over the Wolverines in the CCHA. U-M heads to fourth-place Nebraska-Omaha for a series this weekend.
“It’s a tight race,” freshman center Tim Hearon said. “Every game’s important because the college hockey season isn’t very long. Everything’s almost like must-win from here on out.”
MSU will have to find a way to win without freshman center Jeremy Jackson, who won’t accompany the Spartans to Marquette so he can concentrate on academics.
Head coach Ron Mason said Jackson hasn’t practiced all week.
“I’ve got to get him going to classes,” Mason said.
“Our academic support people know if someone’s going to class or not. If he does what we want him to do, which is go to class like a normal student, then there’s no problem. It’s up to him.”
Jackson has already sat out for two of MSU’s last three games for missing team functions. He has seven goals and 12 assists for a total of 19 points this season - good for fourth place on the team.
Jackson was unavailable for comment Thursday.
In Jackson’s absence, junior center Joe Goodenow will play on MSU’s top line with Hall and sophomore left wing Brian Maloney.
Goodenow has missed 14 games this year with a right shoulder injury. He returned to the lineup in the U-M game, but only played a few shifts. He has no goals and one assist in 13 games this season.
Hall also has been having trouble finding the back of the net of late, even though he’s still tied for the team lead with 12 goals. He tallied nine goals in his first 15 games, but has only notched three in the last 12 games.
“I don’t think I’m doing anything different,” Hall said.
“The same thing happens at every level of hockey. You can’t get frustrated by it. Sometimes the puck bounces over your stick and sometimes it bounces your way.”
With a win or a tie tonight, MSU would start a new unbeaten streak after the school record-tying run of 23 came to an end against U-M.
“It was a great streak while it lasted, but everyone knew it was going to come to an end,” Hearon said.
“We got beat by a great team, but now we have to focus and look ahead.”
Mason said the Spartans’ balance was their greatest asset during the streak.
“At times it was goaltending, at times it was power play, at times it was penalty killing, at times it was one player, at times it was a line,” Mason said.
“That’s why we had a streak - it wasn’t just one thing.”
