Junior forward Matt DeBlouw checks Massachusetts forward Ray Pigozzi on Oct. 18, 2014, at Munn Ice Arena. The Minutemen defeated the Spartans, 4-3. Aerika Williams/The State News
MSU hockey (7-10-1, 1-2-1-1 Big Ten) has been playing some of their best hockey of the season as of late, going 3-1-1 since they dropped a 5-0 contest to Minnesota on Dec. 5th. It was after that loss that head coach Tom Anastos decided to sit then-leading goal-scorer and senior forward Matt Berry.
The move came as a shock to some, as Berry was considered by many to be one of the Spartans' top offensive threats.
"Matt was not meeting certain obligations that we felt every player on our team needs to meet," Anastos said. "I forced him to go reassess life as a Spartan hockey player and the commitments that are necessary to be part of it."
Now over a month removed from Anastos' decision, it seems as if Berry is making progression towards finding his way back on the ice.
Anastos doesn't believe that Berry will travel with the team this weekend as they take on Penn State, but won't know for sure until Wednesday evening.
"I'm giving him an opportunity to rejoin the team as of yesterday and he's going to have to continue day-by-day to demonstrate to me that he can meet those obligations and do them in a productive way," Anastos said. "We'll give him an opportunity to try to work his way back in, if that's possible.
"He knows exactly what's expected of him and he knows the consequences if he doesn't meet those expectations."
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