Students left campus for winter break and three Spartan hockey players left for the World Junior Championships in Finland, but the rest of the team still had points to earn.
MSU participated in the 39th annual Great Lakes Invitational held after Christmas at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
MSU then had a weekend series against Northern Michigan to kick off the new year.
In a game where 106 penalty minutes were assessed, junior forward Kevin Estrada netted his first hat trick to pace the Spartans in a 7-2 win. After going up 5-3 the next night, MSU gave up its lead with 2.7 seconds left in regulation and Northern Michigan went on to win in overtime.
Golden gift
They say the third time around is a charm, but what about the fourth? The medal that sophomore defenseman Corey Potter won in Finland is his fourth in international play.
But what makes this particular one special is Potter celebrated his 20th birthday after the tournament. So was the gold medal the ultimate birthday gift?
"Definitely, definitely," Potter laughed.
Bald Booth
If David Booth's helmet fits him a bit more loosely now, it's because of his hair. The sophomore forward had his head shaved, courtesy of teammate and freshman goaltender Dominic Vicari.
It seems the effort has paid off already.
"It was a team-bonding thing, everybody was there watching," Booth said. "Dom did it after the first game. Then I scored two goals."
Former Spartans making waves
It took seven games for former MSU defenseman Andrew Hutchinson to score his first NHL goal for the Nashville Predators.
Hutchinson, a former CCHA best defensive defenseman, scored the third goal in a 4-3 overtime win on Jan. 8 against Colorado Avalanche goalie David Aebischer.
Defenseman John-Michael Liles, Hutchinson's former teammate from MSU, was on the ice for Colorado when Hutchinson scored. The two played at MSU from 1999-02.
Liles has been a solid force on defense for Colorado, which already boasts All-Star blueliners Adam Foote and Rob Blake. In 42 games, the former Spartan captain and All-American has four goals to supplement his 10 assists.
"They're putting him on the ice, and I'm not one bit surprised. He's the best kid I've ever coached," MSU head coach Rick Comley said.
