Both MSU and No. 14 Michigan struggled early this season and are looking to head in the right direction before winter break in their first two of four meetings. Hockey reporter Alex DiFilippo discusses some of the big questions surrounding the home-and-home series against the Wolverines this weekend.
Both MSU and No. 14 Michigan have 17 players from the state of Michigan on their respective rosters. With such a strong recruiting base for both teams in Michigan, it’s no surprise that many players on both sides are familiar with each other.
For the first time this season, the MSU hockey team scored four goals in a game. But the end to the Spartans’ scoring drought only resulted in a 4-4 tie Saturday with No. 1 Minnesota in the second game of the College Hockey Showcase at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis.
With a six-game losing streak looming over the MSU hockey team’s head, the Spartans are heading into what might be the toughest four-game stretch on the schedule.
With the lack of offensive production this season for the MSU hockey team, head coach Rick Comley said it’s going to be vital to bring players to MSU who bring offensive power and physical strength to the table.
When the puck isn’t bouncing your way, it’s easy to get bummed out. And that’s exactly what is happening to the MSU hockey team as it still struggles to find a good bounce or two to lift its spirits.
The No. 17 MSU hockey team has endured two eerily similar weekends in a row. Saturday night’s 3-1 loss to No. 10 Miami (Ohio) was the second straight weekend the Spartans were swept by a clustermate opponent they will face two more times before the end of the season. But the final result wasn’t the only strange similarity of the two losing weekends against two Ohio-based teams.
The No. 17 MSU hockey team got on the board first but allowed five unanswered goals in Friday’s 5-1 loss to No. 10 Miami (Ohio) at Munn Ice Arena.
The No. 17 MSU hockey team was only able to record one goal this weekend at Ohio State. Ironically, the last time the Spartans tallied only one goal in a weekend came against Ohio State five years ago.
Columbus — For the first time in six years, the No. 11 MSU hockey team was swept at Ohio State. Saturday’s 3-1 loss and Friday’s 3-0 loss combined for the first two conference defeats the Spartans have received all season.
Columbus — All four goals in Saturday night’s game between the MSU hockey team and Ohio State came in the third period.
Columbus — Coming into Friday’s game against Ohio State, the MSU hockey team’s opponents were averaging 29.4 shots a game.
Freshman forward Daultan Leveille has been named the CCHA Rookie of the Month. Leveille is leading the No. 11 Spartans hockey team in goals (3) and points (5) — including two game-winning goals in the past three games.
MSU head coach Rick Comley worries about his team’s offensive production. The Spartans (4-2-2 overall, 2-0-2-2 CCHA) are averaging 1.9 goals a game and only have been able to score 15 goals in their first eight games. With seven of his team’s next nine games on the road, Comley is well aware that the Spartans are going to have to find a way to put the puck in the net.
Four MSU athletes were named Big Ten players of the week for their efforts last week.
Kalamazoo — Freshman forward Trevor Nill didn’t even see his first collegiate goal squeak into the net.
Kalamazoo — For the second straight weekend, the No. 11 Spartans found a way to earn four points.
In the Halloween matchup between No. 11 MSU and Western Michigan, the Spartans didn’t fall for many tricks and instead earned a handful of treats.
Heading into this weekend’s home-and-home series against Western Michigan, senior goaltender Jeff Lerg is only 10 saves away from setting the all-time MSU saves record. The captain between the pipes is trying to pass Dave Versical’s (1975-78) record of 3,108 career saves.
The horn sounded throughout the latter half of Saturday night’s MSU hockey game at Munn Ice Arena, but it wasn’t the horn to signify a goal being scored — it was the horn to signify a fire. Thankfully Munn didn’t go up in smoke, and despite a few stoppages, the errant false alarm didn’t disrupt the No. 12 Spartans’ performance as they won Saturday’s game 2-0 and took 3-of-4 points during the weekend series against No. 18 Northern Michigan.