For the last several years, the MSU hockey program has been characterized by miserly defense and sturdy goaltending.
The Spartans routinely won games by modest scores of 2-0 and 3-1. They focused first on thwarting the opposition's attack and then tried to muster enough offense to pull out a win.
It was Ron Mason hockey and it worked. But MSU's entire philosophy changed this season under first-year head coach Rick Comley.
Comley introduced an offensive scheme designed to put pressure on the other team instead of sitting back and waiting for a mistake. The switch improved the team's offensive output from 3.15 goals a game last year to 3.95 this season.
At the same time, however, MSU slid backward defensively. The Spartans led the nation by only allowing 1.78 goals a game last season, but that number inflated to 3.03 this year.
The more-offense-less-defense trend bucks modern Spartan history - and it doesn't look like it will change any time soon.
In fact, it could diverge from the norm even more next season because the Spartans lose their two most reliable blueliners, seniors Brad Fast and John-Michael Liles.
For Comley, thinking about next year's defense is scary enough to make him look at positives elsewhere.
"Obviously, the question is on defense, but I think we're going to be stronger up front and in goal next year," he said. "Fast and Liles will be monumental losses, but we'll be a lot faster up front."
Fast and Liles played almost every important shift for MSU this season, regularly logging 30 minutes of ice time or more per game. Without them, the team's defensive onus will fall on Joe Markusen, Corey Potter and Jared Nightingale - the only three returning defensemen. Markusen will have additional leadership duties because he'll be the only senior on the team, while Potter and Nightingale will be sophomores.
None of them have proved to be a fail-safe player in crunch time, but Markusen and Potter started to earn Comley's trust late in the year.
"I'd like to have the responsibility of being out there in those tough situations," Markusen said. "My first three years, there were always guys who played a lot and I looked up to. But now I'll be the older defenseman, and I'm looking forward to it.
"There's going to be more responsibility on the three of us coming back, but I think we can handle it."
Comley said the departure of Duncan Keith, a sophomore defenseman who left MSU during winter break, hurts next year's team even more than this year's. Keith would have been MSU's most talented returning defenseman and the best scoring threat from the blue line.
To compensate, at least four freshman defensemen will join the team next year. The quartet is comprised of a wide mix of players and styles - ranging from 6-foot-3, 17-year-old A.J. Thelen to 5-foot-9, 20-year-old Chris Snavely. At least three of them will have to play immediately because of lack of depth at the position.
Overall, the Spartans will welcome at least eight rookies next year. Tommy Goebel, Tyler Howells and Drew Miller will join a deep unit of Spartan forwards, which only loses three contributors from this year's team.
Adam Nightingale, a 23-year-old transfer from Lake Superior State, will also be eligible to play this fall, and he's is expected to add maturity to the young MSU lineup.
But the Spartans' go-to guy will probably be center Jim Slater, who scored 18 goals and 26 assists and made the All-CCHA First Team this season. Slater's speed and play-making ability are perfectly suited for Comley's fast-breaking style.
Plus, Comley thinks MSU's other returning forwards will ease Slater's scoring burden.
"There's going to be a lot of competition for spots in the lineup - and that's exactly what we need right now," Slater said. "We're going to have a great freshman class and, I think, be very dangerous."
As for the last line of defense, incoming freshman goaltender Dominic Vicari is expected to push for the starting job currently held by junior-to-be Matt Migliaccio. Vicari leads the U.S. Hockey League with a 1.89 goals against average and a 28-12-2 record. Migliaccio, in his first full season, exceeded many expectations by leading the CCHA with five shutouts. He was inconsistent at times, but compiled a 2.59 GAA and .914 saves percentage. Backup goalie Justin Tobe, who was beaten out by Migliaccio for the starting role this year, could also contend for playing time in his sophomore season.
"They're always bringing in goalies to make the team better," Migliaccio said. "You have earn your job against competition all the time, but it gives me confidence that I've done it before.
"It's going to be a young team, so we'll see what we can do. We want to come back, take some strides and get Michigan State back to where it's supposed to be."
