Sophomore center Tim Hearon knows exactly what MSU is heading into this weekend.
For two years, Hearon played junior hockey in Omaha, Neb. - the site of MSU’s first road series and a place known for its rabid fans.
“They love their hockey out there,” said Hearon, who played for the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League before coming to MSU.
“It’s a crazy building to play in, but it’s fun to play in that environment once in a while - kind of hostile.”
The top-ranked Spartans (3-0-1 overall, 3-0-1 CCHA) tangle with No. 12 Nebraska-Omaha (3-1-0, 0-0-0) on Friday and Saturday at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. Game time is 8:05 p.m. EDT both nights.
Hearon still summers in Omaha and said he skates with the Mavericks during the off-season. Although he keeps in touch with friends and former teammates in the Cornhusker state, he assured his top priority this weekend is hockey, followed by social obligations.
“I’m there to win a couple games, not just to visit,” Hearon said. “There will probably be quite a few people out there and it should be pretty fun, but we have to be focused.”
MSU holds a 7-2-0 series advantage over the Mavericks, who became a NCAA Division I team in 1996 and joined the CCHA in 1999.
Omaha is the last team to defeat MSU at Munn Ice Arena, doing so with a 2-1 victory on Oct. 20 last season, but has never beaten MSU at home (0-2-0).
MSU junior left wing Brian Maloney expects tough, hard-checking contests this weekend, but said he’s not complaining.
“It makes us better,” Maloney said. “To play those tougher games gets us better in the long run and helps us get to the final four, hopefully.”
The Mavericks, who lost to Minnesota-Duluth in their season-opener before winning three straight games, are led by a pair of all-CCHA honorees from last season - forward David Brisson and defenseman Greg Zanon.
Brisson tallied 22 goals and 25 assists last season and Zanon contributed 12 goals and 16 assists. Both have one goal this season.
But the pleasant surprise for the Mavericks has been the reemergence of forward Jeff Hoggan. He has posted five goals and four assists in three games this year after scoring 12 goals all last year.
“They’ve got some all-stars on that team - some top-flight hockey players,” MSU head coach Ron Mason said. “Obviously, they’ve got a good team - a real aggressive team.
“This will be the biggest series of the year for them and probably the biggest, to this point, other than ‘The Cold War,’ for us.”
In addition to the Maverick skaters, MSU also has to contend with second-year goaltender Dan Ellis. Ellis posted a 2.49 goals against average and .911 saves percentage in being named to the CCHA all-rookie team last season.
And as if the Spartans don’t have enough to worry about on the ice, the 8,314 seats surrounding the rink promise to be full of rowdy Omaha fans for both games. Most Spartans who have played in the Civic Auditorium agree it’s one of the most unruly venues in the CCHA.
“It’s a hornet’s nest,” Mason said. “Last time we went there, I thought they knocked us all over the place.”
