On this day three years ago, the MSU hockey team was No. 1 in the nation, Ron Mason was head coach and then-sophomore goaltender Ryan Miller was having his Hobey Baker Memorial Award-winning season.

The team is now 16-13-1 as of yesterday afternoon, Mason is MSU athletics director, and Miller is in his second year with the Rochester (N.Y.) Americans, the minor-league affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres.

But this weekend, the former Spartans standout returns to his home state to represent the American Hockey League in its 2004 AHL All-Star Classic in Grand Rapids.

Miller joins former teammate Andrew Hutchinson, who plays for the Milwaukee Admirals, the minor-league affiliate of the Nashville Predators.

"He's very worthy of the honor, doing the job he does," Rochester head coach Randy Cunneyworth said.

"He means a lot to us. He's one of the reasons we're doing well this year."

Miller, who skipped his senior season at MSU, was the Sabres' fifth-round pick (138th overall) in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.

His professional debut on Nov. 19, 2002, resulted in a loss against the New Jersey Devils.

Three days later, however, Miller's 17 saves earned him his first NHL win against the Columbus Blue Jackets - even though Miller said the game "wasn't pretty."

He then went on to win three of four starts before being sent back down to Rochester.

That season, Miller compiled a 6-8-1 record in 15 games for Buffalo.

This season is a bit more difficult for Miller, as he's only appeared in three games in the NHL, all of them losses.

The Sabres also have been playing well with Martin Biron in net.

"What he's encountered is a setback, and I don't think he's taken that kind of disappointment before," Cunneyworth said.

"But in the long run, it'll help him. He can only control the things he can control."

Miller has a plethora of achievements and successes on his plate - back-to-back nominations (including one win) for the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in Division I hockey, CCHA's Player of the Year and Best Goaltender awards.

He also holds MSU's career records for goals against average (1.54), save percentage (.941) and shutouts (26).

But his main focus now is to permanently play in the NHL.

"(Buffalo is) a smaller-market team, but they definitely have players that you build on," Miller said. "Because they don't have all-star players, they have to play some of their players from their depth.

"Right now, I'm just trying to work my way up - I know I've got things I need to work on."

Cunneyworth said the goaltender's focus on the game is nothing like he's seen in someone his age.

"He's a very driven person, which is both good and bad," Cunneyworth said.

"He's out 15 minutes before (practice), then practices with the rest of the group - this is all without a coach telling him to do so.

"He needs to learn to separate himself from the game. He thinks hockey and nothing but hockey. But he's stronger and more poised (than last year)."

Current MSU captain Jim Slater, who played with Miller his freshman year, said the ex-Spartan's competitive nature was apparent even in college, but "he's gained the experience of being here a couple of years," he said.

"He's one of the most team-oriented guys," Slater said.

"He was always worried about winning. He actually made guys on the team a lot better being a goalie like that. He did so much for the (hockey) program and the university - it's pretty much unexplainable."

One of the hardest adjustments for the East Lansing native has been playing almost double the number of games as college hockey.

"Last year, I was very tired after the year, during the playoffs," Miller said.

Miller's family will welcome his homecoming, especially one of his brothers, Drew, a freshman defenseman for MSU.

Even before Ryan and Drew, the Miller name was hardly new to the MSU community.

Ask any generation of Spartans to name one of the Millers and a name will come off without a second thought.

Eight other members of Ryan and Drew's family have suited up for the Green and White - grandfather, Butch; father, Dean; uncle, Lyle; and cousins, Kip, Kevin and Kelly Miller and Curtis and Taylor Gemmel.

Kip, now with the Washington Capitals, also won the Hobey Baker in 1990.

Ryan and Kip have been the only Spartans to be honored with college hockey's top award.

"You want to follow them in their footsteps, because they had all the victories at Michigan State," Drew said.

"But you also want to be your own person and set your own name as a Miller."

In his first season at MSU, Drew already is working toward his own identity.

In 30 games for the Spartans, he has six points and has been effective on the penalty kill.

"I'm feeling more confident in my game, and I'm in a lot more key situations," he said.

"I don't really think of myself as a freshman now. I've had half a season to fit in and know my role."

Ryan said he and his younger brother keep tabs on each other, as one plays in upstate New York and the other in Michigan.

"He likes to call me, telling me all about what kind of fun he's having at school and how happy he is," Ryan said.

But this weekend, the brothers can have that conversation face to face.