After two ties against CCHA-leading Michigan last weekend, the MSU hockey team will again play a challenging series this weekend when the Spartans travel to Alaska-Fairbanks to take on the Nanooks for a two-game set.
Aside from the competition, the Spartans (13-11-4 overall, 8-9-3 CCHA) will also be battling the flu that has spread through the team, as well as adjusting to the four-hour time difference and the Olympic-size ice surface the Nanooks play on.
If there is a bright side to making the long road trip, it's that Alaska-Fairbanks (9-12-3, 8-11-3) was on the road against Northern Michigan last weekend and will also have to make the haul back.
"That's a lot better than them being home a month waiting for us," MSU head coach Rick Comley said of the Nanooks' travel back from Northern. "But they do it (travel) so much, I think they adjust pretty well to it."
Junior forward David Booth said the Spartans must maintain a good attitude in order to achieve success on the journey.
"You can't think its going to be a bad trip," Booth said. "I think it's kind of a mindset. If you think it's going to be a bad trip, then you will have a bad trip."
Aside from all the adjustments the Spartans face, they will also have to deal with another hostile crowd.
"They have one of the best atmospheres there," Booth said. "I don't know how many Division I athletics they have in Fairbanks; I can't imagine too many. I don't think swimming would be one. I'm sure hockey is probably the biggest thing up there, and you can tell."
The Spartans take a five-game CCHA unbeaten streak, during which they have compiled a 2-0-3 record, into the weekend's series.
MSU is currently in a sixth place CCHA tie with Alaska-Fairbanks, making these upcoming games very important in the fight for home ice in the playoffs.
Senior captain Jim Slater said that he hopes the team can carry over the intensity they played with in the Michigan series to Alaska.
"We're in playoff hockey mode right now," Slater said. "We have to carry it (the intensity) over if we want to do things."
The Spartans will take on the Nanooks both Friday and Saturday, with faceoff set for 11:05 p.m. each night.
