Thursday, January 15, 2026

Take a peek behind the curtain and test drive the NEW StateNews.com today!

Sports

ICE HOCKEY

Spartans hit the road with five-game win streak, full lineup for weekend series in Nebraska-Omaha

Eric Fish
January 20, 2006

Having won five contests in a row, including seven of the past eight, the MSU hockey team is red hot. After making Michigan its latest victim in a 2-0 Tuesday night win, the Spartans (13-8-5 overall, 7-5-4 CCHA) have a quick turnaround and will face Nebraska-Omaha in a road series starting tonight. The Spartans are now in a third-place CCHA tie with Lake Superior and are in the process of playing six times in two weeks. "You just really can't take a night off," senior defenseman Jared Nightingale said.

SPORTS

Player of the Week

Tom Keller
January 20, 2006

PAUL DAVIS Senior basketball center Rochester Davis averaged 20.5 points and 11.0 rebounds on 55.6 percent shooting in the past two games.

FOOTBALL

Mich. native gives verbal

Steve Highfield
January 19, 2006

The MSU football team added an in-state pass rusher when Jonathan Misch, of Orchard Lake St. Mary's Preparatory, verbally committed to the Spartans on Monday morning. Misch, who flew under the recruiting radar, is undersized for a defensive end at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, but he compensates with a high energy level and great potential. "I have a high motor," he said.

SPORTS

MSU returns to comforts of Breslin

Ethan Conley
January 19, 2006

Points haven't been easy to come by for the MSU women's basketball team. In the last two games, the Spartans have struggled to get points from their bench, and some of the starters have been inconsistent as well. The team will need to regain its scoring punch soon because the opposition isn't getting any easier.

SPORTS

From the road

Women's basketball reporter Ethan Conley embarked on a five-day road trip to Wisconsin and Minnesota.

FOOTBALL

Jackson tabbed as defensive line coach

Steve Highfield
January 17, 2006

The MSU football team added Derrick Jackson to its coaching staff as the defensive line coach. Jackson, known for his recruiting efforts, joins MSU from Northern Illinois, where he served as the defensive interior line coach, helping the Huskies rank second in the MAC in scoring defense in 2005. Prior to Northern Illinois, he spent two years as defensive line coach at Eastern Illinois and two years coaching defensive ends at the U.S.

SPORTS

From the road

Men's basketball reporter Matt Bishop recalls the atmosphere at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio, where the Spartans pulled the win against the Buckeyes in double overtime. Well, folks, Value City Arena is no Breslin Center. What Value City Arena is, though, is a place where the fans get loud at all the wrong times (like when the home team has the ball) and are never loud unless their team, in this case, Ohio State, hits a shot that ties the game. They might as well change the name of the place to Munn Ice Arena because the similarities between the two are striking. Ohio State handed out towels to many of the fans, but like the cheering, the only time the towels were waved was when Ohio State hit a basket that tied the game.

SPORTS

WEB EXTRA: Men's team notches win; women fall to Vanderbilt

The MSU men's tennis team began the season with a convincing doubleheader sweep of Northern Illinois, 5-2, and IUPUI, 7-0, Saturday at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility. The opening sweep for the 2006 campaign marks the sixth consecutive season MSU has inaugurated the season with a doubleheader sweep.

SPORTS

Freshmen ignite weekend meet

By Alex Altman Special for The State News The MSU gymnastics team put together its best performance of the season on Saturday, defeating Western Michigan and Pittsburgh at Jenison Field House in front of a large crowd. The Spartans finished with a combined score of 193.550, an improvement of more than four points from last weekend's meet when they lost to Kentucky 192.775 to 189.225. Despite battling an ankle sprain, junior Kristen Coleman finished the meet in first place with an all-around score of 38.500, helping improve the Spartans' record to 2-1. Freshman Katlyn Roggensack finished with the fourth best score of 38.200, and junior co-captain Chayla Hill finished in first place in both the vault and floor exercise, earning scores of 9.850 and 9.875, respectively.

SPORTS

WEB EXTRA: Spartans outmuscled by No. 17 Minnesota, 71-58

Ethan Conley
January 17, 2006

Minneapolis — In the corners of Minnesota's Williams Arena there are scoreboards that don't actually show the score, but instead tally the total number of rebounds, steals and blocks by each team. They're not scoreboards, they're "hustle meters." They were a clear indication of why the MSU women's basketball team fell to No.

ICE HOCKEY

Player of the week

Eric Fish
January 13, 2006

JEFF LERG Freshman goaltender Livonia Last weekend against Wayne State, Lerg stopped 42 of 44 shots in 3-1, and 5-1 wins, respectively.

ICE HOCKEY

Freshman trio gels with on-ice chemistry, off-ice friendship

Eric Fish
January 13, 2006

They've combined for 14 goals and 25 total points this season. They combined for two huge goals in the 3-3 CCHA-opening tie at Michigan, and they've all been drafted by various NHL clubs. But the greatest part about the trio of Justin Abdelkader, Tim Kennedy and Tim Crowder is that they're all just freshmen. "They have good chemistry; they seem to mesh really well," MSU head coach Rick Comley said of the line.

SPORTS

Team in 'best physical shape' but injuries thin lineup to 11 athletes

Nicholas Richer
January 12, 2006

Tumbling mats and balance beams have sprained ligaments, pulled muscles and fractured bones for the MSU women's gymnastics team. While these types of injuries are expected on football fields, head coach Kathie Klages said that gymnasts, like the gridiron giants, put their bodies through abuse for the love of sport. "They go through intense training all through high school and their bodies get a little beat up when they get to the college level," Klages said.