Detroit — If it weren't for tying Lake Superior, 2-2, in the CCHA regular-season finale Saturday at Joe Louis Arena, the No. 5 Spartans would have won every single game in the month of February.
After clinching second place in the league Friday night when Michigan tied Ferris State, the Spartans (20-10-8 overall, 14-7-7 CCHA) skated into Saturday's contest with nothing on the line. Even with the stipulation, MSU outshot the Lakers 47-17 and might have won it, if it weren't for a turnover in the third period that allowed Lake Superior (15-12-7, 11-12-5) to even the game.
"We got a big tie for us and nationally, that's going to help us and steady us so we'll take the point," MSU head coach Rick Comley said.
Since the new year, the Spartans have gone 12-2-3 and are riding a nine-game unbeaten streak that dates back to Jan. 27.
"This run has given us a lot of confidence," senior forward Colton Fretter said. "In hockey, confidence is huge."
After starting the season 5-1-1, the Spartans were haunted by injuries and went on an eight-game winless skid that wasn't snapped until a victory over Bowling Green on Dec. 2.
"We started the season off really hot, then we had some ups and downs," junior captain Drew Miller said. "You can't have a season where it's perfect. It's what you want but in reality it's not going to happen all the time."
With a healthy lineup the Spartans came back after the holiday break and "took off," Comley said.
"This team deserves a lot of credit," he said. "This second half that we've had is probably as good as anybody in the country. These kids have worked tremendously hard to get to this point. It's been a great stretch run."
According to www.uscho.com, the Spartans are tied for fourth nationally in the PairWise Rankings — rankings that are crucial in determining the seeding for the 16-team NCAA tournament.
"I'm happy with how we are," Miller said. "Second place and now playing for a chance to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA is something we're really proud of.
Although a berth in the national tournament is anything but a lock with the CCHA playoffs still yet to play, Fretter sees the program headed back to its glory days.
"Coming here when Ron Mason recruited me, they made (the tournament) every year and that's kind of what I expected but it wasn't that easy," he said. "It's nice to kind of have the feeling like it's back to where the program was before I got here."
The Spartans will have the luxury of a week off because of an earned CCHA first-round playoff bye while teams fifth through 12th in the conference standings play next weekend for the chance of meeting teams one through four the week after.
The Spartans will host one of the four second-round CCHA playoff series the weekend of March 10 in a best-of-three series at Munn Ice Arena.
They'll know their opponent after next weekend.
