Rivals MSU and Michigan will each face off on home ice this week with their fans behind them to help heat up the competition.
"Whenever we play Michigan, there's always a little more propensity through everyone's mind," said junior forward Jim Slater, who leads the CCHA overall scoring race with 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists).
Both teams will have the opportunity to play on home ice this week, where each team usually dominates. U-M stands at 7-2-0 this season at home compared to MSU's 5-6-1 record. MSU's, however, carries a stronger game on the road with a 3-1-0 record. U-M is 2-3-0 away from Yost Ice Arena.
MSU is tied for third in the CCHA Standings, while Michigan holds the fifth spot. The Spartans (8-7-1 overall, 6-3-1 CCHA) have scored 13 points in the conference season, compared to the 10 currently held by Michigan (9-5-0, 5-3-0).
The rivals' last encounter in Ann Arbor ended with 37 saves by MSU goalie Matt Migliaccio and a 4-0 win, MSU's first at Yost since Nov. 4, 2000.
It's been more than nine months since the teams' last meeting, and MSU has the series lead for the past 10 games with a 5-3-2 series record. Michigan, however, still commands the overall series with a 125-110-10 mark.
The first battle will begin at 7:35 p.m. Friday at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, and the tables will turn when the Spartans have the opportunity to defend their territory at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at Munn Ice Arena.
"There's no better way to do it than down there at Yost and then back here in front of our home crowd," Slater said. "Going down to Michigan will be good. We're just gonna put it on the line this weekend, 'cause we have to."
