Three quality opponents in one week. Three losses. It's exactly what the No. 6 MSU hockey team didn't want heading into a tough stretch of late-November games.
Ann Arbor — The Spartans had not lost a single matchup against the Wolverines in the past nine games they played against them leading up to Nov.
The No. 6 MSU hockey team can forget about heading home for the Thanksgiving holiday to enjoy a home-cooked meal with the family. Instead, the Spartans will be playing three road games in six days and will be spending the holiday weekend with their relatives on the ice. "We consider this our family, too," senior captain Chris Lawrence said.
MSU head coach Rick Comley announced last week the signing of National Letters of Intent by three players to accompany the two already signed and to complement the returnees for the 2007-08 hockey season. The five members who make up the class of 2011 will join the Spartans next September. Dustin Gazley Position: Forward Height: 5-foot-8 Weight: 150 pounds Hometown: Novi His numbers: Three goals and four points in 11 games with the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL. Comley: "Dustin is a very hard worker with a great intensity, and he also possesses some speed to his game.
Junior forward Bryan Lerg summed up the No. 4 Spartans' 4-1 loss at No. 5 Notre Dame on Friday night with just a few words. "They out-hustled us, out-muscled us and they played with more energy," Lerg said. Notre Dame had just won its ninth straight game and limited MSU's scoring chances with stingy defensive play and quality goaltending. So how could the Spartans beat a Fighting Irish team that only had given up an average of 1.10 goals per game coming into the series? By giving them a taste of their own medicine. In Saturday night's series-closer at Munn Ice Arena, it was the Spartans (6-3-1 overall, 4-3-1 CCHA) who laid out all the hits, played near-perfect defense and controlled the play en route to a 2-0 win. The victory secured the weekend split and gave Notre Dame (9-2-1, 4-1-1) its first conference loss of the season. "Before the game, we identified that you can't be afraid to name a game 'a big game,'" MSU head coach Rick Comley said.
Forget about the Notre Dame hockey team who was a CCHA bottom-feeder in recent years. Having started the season with an impressive 8-1-1 record and road wins against quality opponents such as Providence and Boston College, the Fighting Irish have upped their national ranking to No.
Sophomore slump? Or comeback of the year? If last week's performances were any indication of how the rest of the season will pan out for sophomore goaltender Jeff Lerg, then forget about a second-year slump. In two games against Ferris State last week, Lerg stopped 64 of 66 total shots, including all 35 pucks fired his way in a 6-0 shutout of the Bulldogs in Big Rapids in the series closer. For his performances, Lerg was awarded CCHA Goaltender of the Week honors for the first time this season. "Everyone talks about the CCHA and the goalies and how well they can perform," Lerg said.
Big Rapids — It's amazing what a few days of rest can do. Only three days after a fatigued Spartans team squandered a two-goal third-period lead to settle for a tie against Ferris State, a rejuvenated MSU squad skated into Ewigleben Ice Arena on Friday and dominated the Bulldogs, 6-0. "Tuesday, I think you could see how much fatigue was a factor," MSU head coach Rick Comley said.
Only three days removed from its most lopsided loss of the early season, the No. 6 MSU hockey team will look to get back on track when it hosts Ferris State tonight in a conference matchup at Munn Ice Arena. "We're definitely eager," sophomore forward Justin Abdelkader said.
Ann Arbor — It took the Wolverines 10 contests against the Spartans to finally beat their intrastate rival Saturday night, 6-2 — the first time in nearly two years.
Just how even have MSU and Michigan matched up on the ice lately? For starters, seven of the last eight games between the intrastate rivals have been decided by two goals or less, including five ties. The MSU media guide lists 14 former Spartans playing in the NHL.
Off a shin pad. Off a three-way deflection. Banked in off a pad from behind the net. No, it's not a parody of the popular Michael Jordan and Larry Bird basketball commercials from the mid-'90s.
When the NHL reopened its doors on Oct. 5, 2005 after a one-year lockout, it set a single-date attendance record, selling out 11 of the 15 possible arenas and filling rinks to a 98 percent capacity league-wide.
The No. 9 MSU hockey team got the warm-up it was looking for this past weekend. The Spartans (3-1 overall, 1-1 CCHA) opened with a 5-3 win against St.
After dropping its past two games, the No. 9 MSU hockey team is looking to build some momentum and get on a roll this weekend when it plays host to St.
Sophomore defenseman Brandon Gentile still cringes a bit when he remembers an incident that happened three seasons ago. At the time, he was playing for the U.S.
A.J. Sturges will have bragging rights at this year's holiday dinners. Sturges, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound defenseman and the brother of MSU sophomore forward Dan Sturges, helped the U.S.
Three seasons ago, Brandon Gentile donned a red, white and blue jersey while playing for the U.S. National Team Development Program Under-18 Team.
In the No. 8 MSU hockey team's 3-2 loss Sunday at Western Michigan, head coach Rick Comley's fears about the depth of his team proved to be accurate. "It's thin right now, "Comley said.
Kalamazoo — MSU hockey head coach Rick Comley summed up the No. 4 Spartans' 3-2 loss at Western Michigan on Sunday as a "reality check." But Comley also knows that championships are not won in October. "We're still developing," Comley said.