“You want to play in games that mean something, you want to play quality opponents,” head coach Adam Nightingale said. “Regardless of what happens, we’ve got to keep growing as a team. I thought we grew last weekend but there is some pain in growing.”

For MSU, playing a full 60 minutes has been crucial in conference matchups. Slipping in the middle frame or deviating from the blue-collar hockey philosophy instilled by Nightingale often leads to surrendered leads or tie games.

“I think we’ve gone down early a couple times but there is never any panic with our group,” junior forward Karsen Dorwart said. “We know we will have a push. For us it’s big that we start on time. I think trying to play a full 60 minutes our way is really tiring on the other team.”

With senior captain Red Savage sidelined by injury, the Spartans rely on alternate captains Karsen Dorwart, Tiernan Shoudy and Matt Basgall, along with graduate transfer defenseman Nicklas Andrews, whose voice has become a key presence in the locker room. Leadership remains strong, even without Savage on the ice.

“I think we’ve got a really good leadership group, even a guy like Nick Andrews, he’s been around the block a few times and he’s really earned our guys’ respect,” Nightingale said. “We’re going to have to lean on those guys with Red (Savage) out, but we’ve got full confidence those guys will do a great job.”

The Golden Gophers have proven their strength in recent seasons, making deep runs in the NCAA Frozen Four, including a loss to Quinnipiac in the 2023 National Championship and winning multiple Big Ten regular season titles.

With forward Jimmy Snuggerud tied for second nationally in scoring, and support from Connor Kurth and Oliver Moore on offense, along with blueliners Sam Rinzel and Luke Mittelstadt, the Golden Gophers boast a deep, game-winning roster.

“They’ve got a great team over there and it’s going to be a very fun matchup this weekend. They’ve got a lot of skill so we’re going to have to play hard and play our way if we want to get the job done,” junior forward Charlie Stramel said. 

The Spartans have made rapid improvements this season but must address early mistakes and continue building consistency through every practice and game. Nightingale said they are trying to get better every weekend and that doesn't mean they are going to win every game, but they are able to continue to build consistency.

The Spartans and Golden Gophers will face off for six points this weekend, with games set at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, and 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at Munn Ice Arena.