A bad omen was cast upon Rick Comley before he even coached his first game behind the MSU bench. One day before classes began in fall 2002, Comley found out that his star player, Ryan Miller, was leaving school to sign a professional contract with the NHL's Buffalo Sabres.
Spring is about change and that is what the MSU football team will be undergoing as it enters spring practice today. A number of changes grace the depth chart, led by junior Sir Darean Adams moving from bandit to backup free safety and junior Cole Corey moving into the starting bandit position. "I'm really excited about the competition we're going to have at most of the positions," MSU head coach John L.
The MSU baseball team has its home opener starting with a doubleheader against Western Illinois at 11 a.m.
With the score 2-1 and less than six minutes left to play in Saturday's CCHA playoff-clinching victory, MSU head coach Rick Comley sent out the fourth line to kill some time off the clock and recharge his other lines. Not only did the trio of sophomore Zak McClellan, junior Chris Lawrence and freshman Nick Sucharski eat the clock and protect the lead, but they outplayed the opposing Miami line while generating a scoring chance. "Every time he can put us out there, it doesn't really matter what time of the game it is, it gives us a lot of confidence — just being able to go out there and know that he has faith in us," McClellan said. "We go out there, and we know in our heads that we can make things happen." Mixed in with redshirt freshman Dan Sturges for much of the season, the fourth line has been trusted to go out and play in critical situations when most other college coaches could have them riding the bench. "I trust them to go out there and be responsible and play how we want to play and that's not unusual.
They say the playoffs are no place for a nervous person. Maybe that's the reason for the latest pregame ritual in the Spartans locker room, which involves a garbage can and plenty of hockey sticks. Aside from growing out the facial hair — as many players do in the postseason — the Spartans have begun to place their sticks in the locker room garbage can prior to games to signify the importance of the hard-working and far from glamorous "garbage goals." "I didn't know anything about it until I walked in the locker room one day, and I saw a stick in the garbage," MSU head coach Rick Comley said.
State News sports reporters Eric Fish and Matt Bishop discuss the No. 4 MSU hockey team. On MSU's seeding… Eric Fish: They definitely got the best draw of either of the No.
Corey Potter has been a quiet force on the Spartans' blue line for the past four years and has emerged as one of the best defenders in the nation. His gritty style of mucking it up in the corners throughout his career has been far from quiet, however.
The MSU hockey team takes on New Hampshire in the first round of the 16-team NCAA Tournament 12 p.m.
Women's basketball reporter Ethan Conley offers his ramblings from Chicago, where the Spartans played the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. • Apparently every restaurant in the Chicago area serves "The best (fill in the blank) you've ever had." Sit down for a burger at Harry Caray's Restaurant, and they'll tell you it's the best burger of your life.
Junior Matt Harmon captured his first individual title by shooting a nine-under-par 207 at Georgia Southern's EZ-GO Schenkel Invitational.
Years ago, he was a small-town kid begging his dad to let him pole vault like his older brother. Now, senior Brad Gebauer has taken his family's tradition of pole vaulting to new heights after placing fourth in the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 10, earning All-America honors with his 17-foot, 10.5-inch jump. Gebauer, seeded fifth for the meet, said he was pleased with the fourth-place finish among the nation's top 16 pole vaulters. "My goal was to become All-American and place fifth or better," he said.
Big Ten — what happened? You were ranked No. 1 in conference RPI before the NCAA Tournament began and got six bids into the Big Dance. After the first four days of play, all six teams from the best conference in the land are left scratching their heads and wondering what went wrong.
The State News recently caught up with MSU women's basketball junior guard Victoria Lucas-Perry. • Her favorite movie… "I love 'Dodgeball' — it's hilarious." • Her favorite song… "'Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It' (by Dem Franchize Boyz). Me and my teammates do a dance to it." • Her favorite ice cream… "Chocolate chip cookie dough.
Detroit— The final seconds of the clock ticked down and an adrenalized team of Spartans emptied off the bench.
Men's basketball reporter Tom Keller concluded his days on the road in Dayton, Ohio. We stayed in the Dayton Marriott, which was quite a change of pace from the steady diet of Best Westerns and Days Inns we've stayed at all season.
Dayton, Ohio — The hype was everywhere in October. It was difficult to look at a college basketball publication without seeing Maurice Ager, Shannon Brown or Paul Davis.
Nick and Andy Simmons repeated as wrestling All-Americans at the 2006 NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City this past weekend, but fell short of their goals to bring home national championships. Nick Simmons earned a fourth-place finish at 125 pounds for the second straight year, and 141-pound Andy Simmons improved from sixth place in 2005 to fifth place. Two other MSU wrestlers — seniors R.J.
There's a saying that goes "You're only as good as your seniors." Well this weekend, the four regularly dressed MSU seniors were about as good as you can be on and off the ice. Defensemen Corey Potter and Jared Nightingale and forwards Colton Fretter and David Booth have been through the downs of the program and have helped return the Spartans to a status of national superiority. It took them four years, but finally each of these well-deserving seniors will leave with a sense of satisfaction.
Get the lowdown on how the players of the next men's hoops class still playing in the high school boys' playoffs fared. Isaiah Dahlman Shooting guard/small forward 6-foot-6, 175 pounds Braham Area High School (Braham, Minn.) With a 41-point effort Friday in the Section 6AA finals, Dahlman broke the all-time Minnesota boys' basketball scoring record, the Isanti County News reported.
The women's basketball team takes on Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA Tournament tonight.