MSU hockey head coach Rick Comley has been named one of 11 finalists for the Spencer Penrose Award, which is awarded to college hockey's top coach of the season by the American Hockey Coaches Association. Comley previously won the award in 1980 and in 1991, a year when Comley won his lone national championship.
Four years ago, senior captain Chris Lawrence had everything planned out. After his successful stint in juniors with the Pittsburgh Forge of the North American Hockey League, he was going to star at small Division I Mercyhurst College on scholarship in his home state of Pennsylvania, which made his parents happy that he'd be close to home. But then MSU changed everything when the university told Lawrence it wanted him to play hockey as a member of the Spartans. "I never even took a visit when I came here," Lawrence said.
Although the Spartans won Saturday against Notre Dame in the NCAA Midwest Regional, they lost one of their top defenders. Junior defenseman Daniel Vukovic injured his knee early in the second period when he got tangled up behind the MSU net.
Fans will remember the embraces and fist pumps. They will remember sophomore goaltender Jeff Lerg leaping into junior defenseman Jeff Dunne's arms.
Grand Rapids — Once the Spartans regained their breath, celebration ensued. While watching failed attempts at scoring empty-net goals and Notre Dame controlling with a six-on-four power play in the final seconds, MSU fans and players could only hope to cling onto the 2-1 lead. When the puck trickled by a Notre Dame defenseman and into neutral territory, everybody knew it — with their 2-1 victory over the No.
Grand Rapids — Sophomore goaltender Jeff Lerg was supposed to let Hobey Baker goaltending candidates Notre Dame's David Brown and Boston's John Curry control the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional at Van Andel Arena. Instead, it was Lerg who looked like he was vying for college hockey's top honor, as he stopped 46-of-48 shots in two games.
Grand Rapids — They weren't supposed to beat Boston on Friday night, and God forbid if they did, there was no way they were going to beat the top-seeded Fighting Irish on Saturday to punch a ticket to the Frozen Four in St.
THEY HAVE: Rhett the Terrier WE HAVE: Sparty the … Spartan? THEY HAVE: Campus located parallel to the Charles River in Boston, Mass. WE HAVE: Campus along the Red Cedar River in East Lansing, Mich.
Grand Rapids — It shouldn't surprise many people that Boston and MSU have similar hockey teams.
The MSU hockey team prepares to play Boston tonight in Grand Rapids in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Athletes probably get used to being overlooked when they're 5-foot-6. But not sophomore goaltender Jeff Lerg. Lerg, who was named the team's Most Valuable Player on Monday, may be forgotten among Hobey Baker candidates such as Notre Dame goaltender David Brown and Boston goaltender John Curry.
What started out as a joke has now taken on a sort of truth for junior defenseman Daniel Vukovic. When Vukovic scored his first goal of the season to lift MSU in a come-from-behind victory over Miami (Ohio) on Jan.
Eleven MSU players earned team honors at the annual hockey banquet on Monday. Sophomore goaltender Jeff Lerg earned the 2007 Spartan Hockey Most Valuable Player Award.
Finally, the pressure to get in is gone. MSU is in the NCAA Tournament, and one could only imagine the metaphorical sigh of relief the entire team released when it found out. After weeks of struggling, there is indeed a silver lining. There's a postseason. But still, the team has a longing to play as it did in its run that spanned more than two months.
MSU won't have to travel far for its first-round NCAA Tournament matchup, but at least it won't be sitting at home watching. After a lackluster end to the regular season and a CCHA Tournament semifinal loss to Michigan, the Spartans earned a No.
Detroit — After Friday's 5-2 loss to Michigan in the CCHA semifinals, MSU knew its NCAA Tournament hopes rested on its performance in Saturday's third-place consolation game against Lake Superior. "We have to put this disappointment behind us," MSU head coach Rick Comley said after Friday's game.
Tonight's matchup between MSU and Michigan is something that happens in movies, not real life. Playoff game.
The green 2006 CCHA Championship banner that hangs from the rafters at Joe Louis Arena bears great significance to the MSU hockey team.
Lake Superior State Relies on goaltender Jeff Jakaitis, who posted a 2.17 goals-against average and .935 save percentage on the season.
The State News caught up with the hockey team's resident funny man, junior forward Zak McClellan.