"Kids come to Michigan State to try to play the best teams," head coach Adam Nightingale said. "We want to find out about our team. And I think you don't really find anything out until you play the best, and [Boston University is] certainly at the top of the list."

The Spartans will face the Terriers Friday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. ET and Saturday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. ET.  Friday’s game will be nationally televised on ESPN2 and both games will be available to stream on ESPN+. 

In its previous series MSU dropped its Thursday home opener against New Hampshire, falling 4-3 after a last-second UNH goal. Nightingale referred to the game as "helter skelter" attributing part of the loss to the team’s youth and the adjustment that college hockey is.

The Spartans responded the next day, shutting out the UNH Wildcats 2-0 off goals from senior defensemen Matt Basgall and Patrick Geary. 

"We got a group of guys that are hungry to get better, and don't think they have all the answers," Nightingale said. "Obviously we want to win every game we play in, but it's about getting better every game. And I thought we did that from Thursday to Friday, and looking to do that this weekend."

Michigan State’s offensive execution and sharpness in front of the net will be put to the test against the Terrier’s powerful offense. 

"Boston University is [a] super, super good team execution wise," junior forward Tommi Mannisto said. "If we don't execute, they will turn the puck and do some damage to us."

Hanging onto the puck will be crucial to the Spartans’ success, Nightingale said, adding that it's ever more important when facing a good opponent like BU. 

"I think that can happen early in the season, where you chuck the puck around a little bit," Nightingale said. "We gotta really value having it, and especially playing a good opponent here, right? They're going to create enough on their own, and we don't want to create some chances for them."

Sophomore winger Cole Eiserman leads BU in scoring, with five goals and one assist to tally six points in just three games. Both sophomore defenseman Cole Hutson and freshman forward Ryder Ritchie have five points a piece, with Hutson marking two goals and three assists and Ritchie scoring one while dishing out four assists. 

The weekend series will be the first time the teams face off since 2014. However, BU’s roster holds some familiar faces for the Spartans. 

MSU freshman forwards Cayden Lindstrom and Porter Martone have both played with Ritchie and just last year junior netminder Trey Augustine and sophomore defenseman Colin Ralph competed in the IIHF World Junior Championship for the U.S. National Junior Team — alongside BU’s Eiserman, Hutson and sophomore forward Brandon Svoboda. 

"They know me well," Augustine said. "But I also know their tendencies too, and it just kind of brings more energy to it. It's more fun playing against those guys."

While the weekend matchup is sure to be exciting with a highly ranked opponent, former teammates and a national broadcast, the games will continue to test how the Spartans respond to adversity. 

The season has barely begun and hockey is a fluid sport, Nightingale said, adding that while they will respect their opponent the team is predominantly focused on their own gameplan and execution. 

The team’s youth has been emphasized throughout the past weeks — a trait that Boston University shares. In their game opener the Terriers debuted 10 new players — two transfers and eight freshmen. 

Michigan State has only faced Boston University twice in Boston and has never won. The Spartans will look to change that and earn their first road win. However, the away game will also serve to answer some of the team’s biggest questions early on in the season.

"We got to figure out some things about our team," Nightingale said. "There's no better place to do that than out there."