Coming off a split weekend with Michigan, the MSU hockey team (4-5-1 overall, 3-3-0 CCHA) now must lace up its skates to take on CCHA opponent and nationally ranked Miami (Ohio) (6-2-1 overall, 3-2-1-1 CCHA) in Oxford, Ohio, this weekend.
When Jake Hildebrand was looking at different college hockey programs, he wanted to know if he would have the opportunity to play. The MSU hockey freshman goaltender said he asked head coach Tom Anastos if he would be given that chance as a Spartan, and Anastos said he responded by telling him if he earned ice time, he would be given it.
Tom Anastos said he felt like he was back in the old days Saturday night at Munn Ice Arena.
After guiding the Spartans to a 7-2 win over Michigan, MSU hockey (4-5-1 overall, 3-3-0 CCHA) sophomore forward Matt Berry was awarded with CCHA Offensive Player of the Week.
A rough loss Friday translated into the sweetest of victories on Saturday for the MSU men’s hockey team (4-5-1 overall, 3-3-0 CCHA), as the Spartans split their third consecutive weekend.
After falling 5-1 to U-M Friday night, Kevin Walrod said the loss was going to provide motivation for the Spartans the following night. Turns out, it provided motivation and then some, as MSU hockey (4-5-1 overall, 3-3-0 CCHA) dominated its cross state rival by a score of 7-2.
The first half of a home-and-home rivalry series against U-M found the Spartans playing at a deficit for the majority of the game, losing 6-1, with three of U-M’s goals coming in the final period of play.
Growing up in Michigan, the MSU-U-M rivalry simply is a part of life. It’s the line dividing households, cities and the entire Mitten state. It’s the source of those two color combinations that residents display with pride on their clothing, bumper stickers and flags. It’s the matchups that bring out the best and the worst in people, and most of all, it’s not just a game.
Filled with nerves and sitting in a seat unfamiliar to him, Michael Ferrantino sat ready to begin his first press conference as an MSU hockey (3-4-1 overall, 2-2-0 CCHA) player.
Growing up in Metro Detroit, Brent Darnell spent his winters with his backyard turned into an ice sheet. Like many young hockey players, the sophomore forward said he would wait for the pond to finally freeze so he could lace up his skates and head outside for the rare outdoor hockey play.
For the second consecutive weekend, the MSU hockey team (3-4-1 overall, 2-2-0 CCHA) split its weekend, walking away with a loss Friday night and a win Saturday.
It’s no secret that the problem plaguing the MSU hockey team for most of the season has been an inability to score in the first two periods. But not being able to score at all, as was the case on Friday against Bowling Green, is another problem altogether.
As the MSU hockey team returns home this weekend for the first of a home-and-home tilt against Bowling Green, finding a quick start on offense is on a lot of minds. And with the stagnant presence of the Spartans’ offense in the first two periods of games this season, it probably should be.
On June 16, 1998, the Stanley Cup entered Washington, D.C., as game four of the final round of the NHL playoffs stood ready.
Tom Anastos understands the MSU hockey team is on a learning curve. After losing nearly half the roster from his inaugural season, including star defenseman Torey Krug, that much is to be expected. But what Anastos won’t tolerate is lacking mental preparedness to compete, which he said plagued his team in Friday’s 3-2 loss to Lake Superior State in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
The MSU hockey team (2-3-1 overall, 1-1-0 CCHA) returns home from the opening weekend of CCHA play with a weekend split to Lake Superior State, or LSSU.
When the Spartans men’s hockey team (1-2-1) kicked off CCHA play last season, Lake Superior State (2-2-0) handed them a winless series.
Lately, Tom Anastos has been taking a line-shuffling note from Scotty Bowman’s book. Anastos, the MSU men’s hockey (1-2-1) head coach, has been mixing and matching linemates this season to see which players can click together. With 12 new players this year, it’s going to take a couple of tries until the MSU coaching staff can get it right.
It was far from perfect, but it was progress. That’s the view MSU hockey (1-2-1) head coach Tom Anastos had of his team’s series against Niagara last weekend, in which it came out with a win and a tie.
Slow and steady might win some races, but the Spartans will have to up the tempo if they wish to get upcoming games under their belt as wins.