The Spartans just can't seem to buy a break when they've had to make the long, dreaded trek to Alaska-Fairbanks.
When the Spartans (6-7-4 overall, 3-5-3 CCHA) made the journey last February, they were stricken with sickness. This year, they'll have to play through injuries along with travel adjustments when they meet the Nanooks Friday and Saturday, both 11:05 p.m. EST starts.
"(The trips are) tough under the best of circumstances," MSU head coach Rick Comley said. "This is a rut that I've never seen as far as the injuries and the lineups and stuff."
Junior captain Drew Miller (shoulder) and sophomore defenseman Jeff Dunne (shoulder) did make the trip and will likely play, but it remains to be seen how much they are able to contribute. Sophomore forward and team point leader Bryan Lerg didn't practice Tuesday because of an ear infection, but Comley expects him to be in the lineup both nights.
Senior defenseman Jared Nightingale (mononucleosis) and sophomore forward Dan Sturges (groin injury) also aren't making the trip, putting the MSU lineup in a pickle and making an already difficult weekend of play even tougher.
"It's just another thing we've got to fight through," junior defenseman Ethan Graham said. "It's just a long season and things are going to happen. It's just another obstacle."
The Spartans will play an Alaska-Fairbanks (6-6-2, 4-5-1) team that shares equal status in the CCHA with nine points, making this mid-season weekend crucial for each team in the conference race.
"You've got to try to win a game up there," Comley said. "Two would be a bonus, (but) you've got to get one. They don't lose twice at home very darn often."
On top of the time change and long travel, the players will have to adapt to an Olympic ice surface for both nights of play at the Carlson Center.
"Going to Olympic ice is always a challenge," Comley said. "That will settle in.
"On big rinks there's more room, you can move and free up a little bit and hopefully we will."
Miller hopes the larger ice surface will help the Spartans' struggling offense, which has gone back to a beginner's approach.
"You always have to go back to the basics and start there and work your way back up," he said. "That's the approach we're taking. We're getting pretty close to fixing what's not working."
Comley said he wasn't unhappy with the play of junior goaltender Dominic Vicari last weekend against Bowling Green, but he plans on starting freshman netminder Jeff Lerg for Friday's series-opening contest.
"He deserves to play," Comley said. "We'll just see what happens."
After this weekend, the Spartans will get some much needed time off to heal up, and they will not see action again until the Great Lakes Invitational Tournament starting Dec. 29.
The team's goal is to head into that break on a positive note, Comley said.
"If we can get a split this weekend, then you're 2-2 in your last four instead of saying you've only won one in your last ten," Comley said. "You're only a game under .500 — not good enough, but no one will have more missed man games than we've had.
"If everyone had been healthy and we went 1-5-4, I'm probably your assistant beat writer."
