They work hard all week in practice with the uncertainty of whether or not they will be in uniform during the weekend.

They compete with each other for playing time on the fourth line and have shown how much depth the No. 5 Spartans have.

It's been a luxury for MSU head coach Rick Comley to have options in redshirt freshman Dan Sturges, sophomore Zak McClellan and junior Chris Lawrence to compose the forward unit on the team's fourth line.

The three have been in and out of the lineup around freshman forward Nick Sucharski, who has regularly centered the line since Christmas.

"No matter what threesome I seem to have in there, they go out and do their job," Comley said. "But they've had an ability this year at times to go out and turn a game our way."

In Friday's 3-2 win over Miami (Ohio), hard work from Lawrence and Sturges kept play in the RedHawks zone for their entire shift, drawing the Munn Ice Arena crowd to its feet in applause.

"I don't really look at us as a fourth line — it's kind of a label a little bit," Sturges said. "Coach isn't afraid to put us out against their (the opponent's) first line.

"You're only as good as your weakest link. I think we've been able to bring a lot of energy to the team and been able to have some success."

Sturges has appeared in 23 games this season, McClellan has played 22 and Lawrence 30. Although their respective point totals aren't leading the team, their value isn't underestimated.

"We've got to get out there and be productive," Lawrence said. "We can't be a liability; we have to go out and just play the way we know how to play."

Comley has praised Lawrence numerous times for his on- and off-ice leadership.

"It's just something I can bring to the table," Lawrence said. "I'm not going to put up a lot of goals like everyone else does, but if it's something else that I can do to help the team win, then I'm willing to do it."

Even when not in the lineup, each has found a way to stay involved and help with the team.

"If I can't be out there on the ice with the guys helping out, I try to keep everybody loose in the locker room, keep them having fun," McClellan said. "A happy hockey player is a good hockey player."

The three have also been instrumental in bringing Sucharski around to a comfortable level with the university and the program. Sucharski missed the first eight games of the season with mononucleosis.

"He was definitely trying to figure out where he was on this team," Sturges said. "We just tried as hard as we could to make him feel that he was just a part of this team as anybody."

Since his return, Sucharski has played all 27 games. Aside from centering the fourth line, Sucharski also has been bumped up to the first line in circumstances and has played more on the power play.

"They really know how to talk to you, and they really know how to get you into the loop," Sucharski said of his linemates.

"They talk so much, and they're really a positive influence on the guys. Off the ice, they're great friends."

Scoring honors

Junior defenseman Tyler Howells picked up CCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors for his one goal and three assists in the weekend sweep over then-No. 2 Miami (Ohio).

On the season, Howells leads all defenseman in the CCHA with 31 points and has a team-best plus-18.