When Troy Ferguson skated in green and white from 1999 to 2003, Munn Ice Arena was in the midst of a record sell-out streak, packing people into the arena to create one of the best atmospheres in college hockey.

"When I played, the crowd was good," Ferguson said. "Whenever it came to a big time or a big game, they were always there for us."

The regular-season sellout streak at Munn Ice Arena ended at 323 consecutive games this season. Munn used to have students flocking to the arena, creating a snake-pit type atmosphere in the building, chasing visiting teams away.

But the building that attracted capacity crowds since 1985 has had an average attendance this season of about 5,800 - in a rink that can hold more than 6,500 people.

"There were a lot more students back then," said Sean Bryan, co-director of the Slapshots student section.

"The crowd was real rowdy back then, people compared it to Yost and Western Michigan."

The only sold-out game this season was in mid-November against intrastate rival Michigan.

This season, Bryan said the student section sold about 130 Slapshots ticket packages to students. Students have options to different ticket plans, and anywhere from 30 to 50 students come out to each individual game. Student tickets cost $72 for each plan.

The tickets were sold in two separate packages - A and B - that divide all home games into nine per package.

The split ticket packages this year were a trial-and-error-type idea that directors hoped would get more of a student fan base to the rink, and Bryan said, won't be attempted again.

"It definitely helps having a big student section," sophomore goaltender Dominic Vicari said. "When you have a big student section, it's harder for teams to come in and play. I think our arena is just a little quiet, but it's a great arena so you can't really ask for anything else."

Ferguson, who is enrolled in MSU's College of Osteopathic Medicine and is the Spartans radio color commentator, said part of the problem for students who come to games now is that they are scattered throughout the rink, and fail to participate fully in the game because of the location of their seats.

"We have a lot of students that come, but we have a smaller student section of our fan base," Ferguson said. "We have a lot of students that are spread out within the normal crowd, so that obviously creates different kinds of atmospheres.

"It's not a good crowd or a bad crowd, it's a different crowd."

Okemos residents Tom and Martha Rand, who are seven-year hockey ticket holders, said they are baffled at the poor attendance and by the presence shown by fans this year.

"If seats are going to be empty during the game, you need to find a way to fill it with warm bodies," Martha Rand said.

In reference to getting more of a youth turnout, Tom Rand said if 300 to 500 tickets are available to students for decent prices, "it would make a tremendous difference."

Former MSU hockey head coach and current Athletics Director Ron Mason, agrees student numbers are off.

"Obviously, when the team isn't doing as well, we're not going to draw a lot of people," he said.

"In the '80s, when we were building the program, the place was electric. We could have built up a tremendous student section, but the students are off by about 300 or 400."

FOX Sports Net sponsored a White Out game Feb. 18 against Ohio State, and MSU had a $2 student-ticket game against Bowling Green the following weekend that drew a crowd of more than 6,000, who played an active role in the tempo of the game.

Mason said promotional considerations similar to these will be reviewed in the future.

"We've done this in the past," Mason said. "Players are students here, too. In the past, they've gone around to frat houses, sororities and dorms to talk about hockey and encourage fellow students to come to a game."

Bryan said it's a shame promotional ideas have to play a part in attendance, but if that is what is needed in order to draw crowds, then that's what needs to be done.

"I think that if you took a poll on campus ? I don't think hardly anyone could name Coach Comley," Bryan said.

Mason, who has complete control over ticket policies, said he has been "a little disappointed" with the attendance this year, but said hockey fans are still loyal and support the team.

Bryan said he was surprised at the lack of students, since there is no NHL hockey because of the lockout. He said it's hard to get the rest of the crowd involved in the game.

"We're trying," he said. "It's hard when you're surrounded by 5,800 people and none bother to join in. It feels like we're the odd ducks at Munn Ice Arena and everyone is just looking at us."