7:05 p.m. Saturday

Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

Alex Altman: Once again, hockey has generated headlines for all the wrong reasons. It seems the only time hockey becomes a stirring topic is when someone performs a barbaric act on or off the ice that creates controversy and gets shuffled through all the news mediums (and eventually YouTube). I don’t even recall the hockey team getting this much attention when it won the 2007 National Championship, and it’s really a shame. The loss of former MSU hockey player Andrew Conboy and sophomore forward Corey Tropp will sting the scuffling Spartans, who were lacking in depth before the suspensions. The effects of their absences could linger the rest of the season.

LSSU 3, MSU 1; LSSU 4, MSU 1

Cash Kruth: What a week it’s been for the hockey team, which has been dominating the coverage around here. Although news and opinion regarding last week’s incident likely won’t be over for quite a while, at least the Spartans get to get on the ice for a couple hours of peace. I think the Spartans will just be happy to play again, helping them win in dominating fashion on Friday. But with having to deal with a depleted roster for the rest of the season due to injuries and suspensions, I think their fatigue will show big in a loss on Saturday.

MSU 3, LSSU 0; LSSU 4, MSU 1

Joe Terry: Since everyone else is talking about the loss of Tropp and Conboy, let me hit on another point (no pun intended). The Spartans weren’t good with them, they won’t be a whole lot better without them. This weekend is just another set of games piling up on a team that is crumbling into obscurity. As much as I want to homer up and say MSU will gut one out to restore its pride, there’s not enough experience on this team to override the distractions.

LSSU 3, MSU 1; LSSU 5, MSU 2

Alex DiFilippo: There’s no way to get around it. The season-ending suspensions of Conboy and Tropp hurt the Spartans offensively. While their numbers weren’t great on the year, let me remind you that no Spartan has great numbers this season. The team has faced a lot of adversity this week and I expect the Spartans to come out emotionally charged. On Friday night, MSU scores five goals for the first time this season — led by freshman forward Ben Warda who will have two goals and a pair of assists. Then on Saturday, senior goaltender Jeff Lerg steals the show and gives the Spartans their first weekend sweep of season.

MSU 5, LSSU 1; MSU 3, LSSU 2

Men’s Basketball vs. Penn State

Noon Sunday

East Lansing, Mich.

AA: It’s still hard for me to respect a team that hasn’t mustered a winning season in conference play since 1995-96 and hasn’t been to the Big Dance in seven seasons, but Penn State leaves me no choice. The Nittany Lions are a dangerous squad, led by a pair of stars in Talor Battle and Jamelle Cornley. Cornley has been dominant his last three games, averaging 19.3 points during Penn State’s three-game winning streak. Cornley’s string of success might continue against MSU, but Penn State’s winning streak will not. Sophomore guard Chris Allen jettisons his shooting slump with 25 points, and the Spartans sweep the season series against the Nittany Lions.

MSU 79, Penn State 66

CK: I just can’t get the thoughts from last game out of my head, where the Spartans blew a 17-point lead and barely held on for the victory. Penn State is a dangerous team to be sure, and Talor Battle, Stanley Pringle and Jamelle Cornley rank among the best in the league. Still, I’ll give the edge to the Spartans, who will see sophomore guard Chris Allen break out of his recent slump with 16 points on 3-of-4 shooting from deep. A quick note for the Izzone, I’m looking forward to some classic, ESPN-worthy signs about Pringle on Sunday. Don’t let me down.

MSU 83, Penn State 71

JT: They got up huge in the last game, and that was played at Penn State. The only shot the Nittany Lions have is if they can pull a Northwestern and hit shots from the parking lot, where no one would think of guarding them. Don’t expect the Izzone to let the Spartans take off the second half in this game.

MSU 78, Penn State 65

AD: The last time these teams met it was a lot closer of a game than expected. If the Spartans can keep the Big Ten’s leading point scorer Talor Battle contained, I like their odds in this one. Even if the game does come down to the wire, the Spartans will have the advantage because Penn State is the worst team from the charity stripe in the Big Ten. MSU’s Durrell Summers has 24 points to lead the Spartans as they earn the regular season sweep.

MSU 76, Penn State 72

Women’s Basketball vs. Minnesota

8:00 p.m. Monday

Minneapolis

AA: This is a tale of two teams headed in opposite directions. Despite its considerable talent, Minnesota is coming off a three-game stretch where it got clobbered by Purdue and barely defeated Big Ten bottom-feeders Northwestern and Michigan. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won five straight games by an average of 11.2 points. MSU’s size advantage will overwhelm Minnesota on both ends of the court, and be the deciding factor in this game. Junior center Allyssa DeHaan and junior forward Aisha Jefferson score 15 points each, and MSU continues its run at a Big Ten title.

MSU 66, Minnesota 54

CK: The Golden Gophers are a hard team to read. One night they beat Ohio State on the road and a couple weeks later they barely beat Northwestern at home. There’s no doubt they have some serious players in forward Ashley Ellis-Milan and guard Emily Fox, but where’s the leadership that should make sure a close game against Northwestern doesn’t happen? On the flip side, the Spartans are playing too smoothly right now to drop a game, even if it is on the road. Jefferson (14 points, eight rebounds) is going to carry the load for the Spartans in what is sure to be the most exciting game with MSU ties this weekend.

MSU 58, Minnesota 54

JT: The problem with picking a game against Minnesota is you never know what team will show up. Picked by the media to finish fourth in the conference, the Golden Gophers have the talent to contend for the Big Ten title. Their problem has been motivation. This being a big game between two of the best teams in conference, it’s likely Minnesota will bring its A-game, but the Spartans are a tough matchup. MSU far outsizes Minnesota and should have a decided advantage on the boards, giving them plenty of points in the paint. Expect a close game, but a win for the road team.

MSU 69, Minnesota 65

AD: I just don’t see the Spartans losing this one. The team has shown they can both put up big points and win close, low-scoring defensive battles, as demonstrated in their wins against Northwestern (74-54) and Michigan (41-37). But as I say every week, DeHaan must play well for the Spartans to succeed. There’s no hiding it. When DeHaan is on her game, it boils over to the rest of the team. Plus, she’s slowly creeping up on the all-time Big Ten blocks record. DeHaan will put up 18 to lead the Spartans in a narrow victory.

MSU 52, Minnesota 47