MSU head coach Rick Comley said senior defenseman John-Michael Liles was MSU's best player on the ice during this weekend's sweep of Alaska-Fairbanks.

And for his efforts, Liles was named the CCHA Offensive Player of the Week on Monday. Liles is the first Spartan to earn the offensive honor this season. He won it once last year.

Liles recorded a goal and two assists Friday and then added a goal and an assist in Saturday's victory.

He was also a combined plus-5 in the plus/minus rating this weekend.

He has seven goals and 14 assists this season - of which, four goals and six assists have come in his last six games.

"It's always nice to be recognized, but you've got to give a lot of credit to the team," Liles said. "We had a great weekend in getting two wins.

"Obviously, if we lost two times or split, there's no way that I have a chance for that award."

Comley heaped praise on the 5-foot-10, 184-pound Zionsville, Ind., product after Saturday's game.

"Liles is playing at such a high level right now," Comley said. "I mean, God, he's playing well. He's playing with poise, he moves the puck, he's dangerous. Everybody has to pay a lot of attention to him when he's playing like this.

"It's his puck skills. He'll step up, and as a coach you'll say, 'Oh, no.' Then he'll do something great and you say, 'Good play.' That's what he does."

Mr. Nice Guy
Senior left wing Brian Maloney needs to get a little meaner if he wants to lead the Spartans in penalty minutes for the fourth consecutive year.

As it stands, the Spartans' resident tough guy is third on the team in number of penalties with 11, and fourth on the team in penalty minutes with 22.

Liles has the most penalties with 13 and freshman left wing David Booth has the most minutes with 31.

Maloney even went seven straight games without an infraction - an unprecedented stretch in his career - until he was whistled for roughing in the third period Saturday against Fairbanks.

"I wasn't sure how many games it was, but I knew it was a long time," Maloney said. "I was getting away with a lot of stuff, too. I was still playing the chippy style - the way I usually play.

"But a few times the refs came up to me and told me to calm it down, where in my earlier days, they would have just rung me up for a couple of minutes."

Maloney had 34 penalties for 87 minutes his freshman year, 31 for 86 as a sophomore and 34 for 71 last season.

Who kidnapped the Sandman?
Through good times and bad, Comley has refrained from wearing his emotions on his sleeve this season.

But he hinted Saturday that the Spartans' rocky season has taken a toll on him.

"I've been waking up with my eyes tired, I'm trying so hard to sleep," Comley said. "If your eyes are tired when you're waking up, then you haven't slept well.

"It's been very, very frustrating."

Best for last
Even though MSU was playing well, things still looked dire for the Spartans when they went into Friday's third period tied 2-2 with Fairbanks.

Coming into the game, MSU was 9-0-1 when leading after two periods, but a dismal 0-9-0 when tied or trailing going into the third.

But on Friday, the Spartans reversed that trend by notching three third-period goals to win 5-2.

R & R
Comley gave the team the day off Monday.

Practice resumed Tuesday as the Spartans began zeroing in on Nebraska-Omaha.

The Spartans play the Mavericks at 7:35 p.m. Friday and 7:05 p.m. Saturday at Munn Ice Arena.