Know Thy Enemy - Western Michigan & The End of an Era

Well, the end has finally come. This weekend Michigan State will celebrate the careers of five Spartans: Kevin Walrod, Matt Grassi, Chris Forfar, Anthony Hayes, and Zach Golembiewski. In addition, this marks the end of an era for Michigan State, Western Michigan, and college hockey. It's the final regular season weekend in the history of the CCHA. Michigan State will join the Big Ten conference next season, and Western Michigan will be joining the National Collegiate Hockey Conference with fellow CCHA member Miami.

In the meantime, the Spartans are looking to end the regular season on a high note, potentially move up the CCHA standings, and prevent Western Michigan from clinching the CCHA championship. Though, Western will need a lot of help as Miami only needs two points for an outright championship. Miami takes on Ohio State this weekend.

Western Michigan is 18-8-8 overall with a 14-6-6-3 CCHA mark (2nd place). They sit one point ahead of Notre Dame for second place, and the Broncos cannot finish worse than third in the CCHA standings. Michigan State comes into the weekend with three straight splits posting a 10-21-3 overall record and an 8-17-1-0 CCHA mark (11th place). The Spartans could finish as high as ninth place with a lot of help. Right now MSU would be heading to Alaska for the first round of the playoffs. The Spartans need Bowling Green to sweep a road series at Notre Dame to bump Alaska from sixth place, or MSU needs to earn four more points than Northern Michigan or sweep Western and have Ferris sweep Michigan in order to move up the CCHA standings.

Western is actually on a five game winless streak right now. Their last win came on February 8th against Miami, a 2-0 victory. Western is 0-2-3 since that point. Speaking of streaks, Michigan State is unbeaten in three games against the Broncos (2-0-1). The Spartans swept Western last year in Kalamazoo, and the two teams battled to a 1-1 draw in the GLI semi-final round earlier this year. Matt Berry tied that game with only 16 seconds remaining. The Spartans hold a 63-29-9 all-time record against Western and that includes a 33-5-6 mark at Munn Ice Arena. The last time the two teams met in East Lansing was on October 30, 2009.

Both games are scheduled to start at 7:05 pm and can be seen on Comcast (Channel 900) or heard on 1240 am or the Spartan Sports Network. For those attending on Saturday, senior night festivities are scheduled to begin at 6:45 pm.

Broncos Leading Scorers

Dane Walters   12 goals, 23 points
Chase Balisy    9 goals, 22 points
Kenney Morrison  7 goals, 18 points
Shane Berschbach  3 goals, 17 points
Mike Leone  6 goals, 16 points
Mike Cichy  4 goals, 16 points
Dennis Brown 3 goals, 16 points

Goaltenders

Frank Slubowski  18-8-8, 1.87 GAA, .922 save %

Western is 5-5-4 on the road this season.

Western's best period is the 3rd where they hold a +11 goal advantage.

Western's offense is ranked 11th in the CCHA (2.29 GPG), but their defense is ranked 2nd (1.94 GPG). Despite the lack of offensive firepower 5 on 5, Western's power play ranks 2nd in the CCHA at 18.1%, and their PK ranks 3rd at 86.4%. By comparison, MSU ranks 12th in offense (2.12 GPG), 9th on defense (2.76 GPG), 9th on the power play (12.3%), and 8th on the PK (83.2%).

Series Thoughts

Northern plays LSSU at home, so you would think they would manage three points on the weekend. Michigan plays at home against Ferris, so you think they would earn at least one point. BGSU probably isn't going to sweep Notre Dame in South Bend. The point of all this is, the odds are Michigan State is going to be heading back to Alaska - even if MSU manages to sweep Western, which most people won't believe they can do. However, the Spartans did hang around Western at the GLI, and the Broncos aren't exactly lighting the world on fire on offense. If the Spartans can manage to put together six periods this weekend, they'll be in position to take points, and that could lead to some momentum heading into the playoffs. 

That is all that really matters at this point. Putting together two games on a weekend to add some much needed confidence that the Spartans could be a dangerous team in the post season. Yanakeff played very well last weekend, and Hildebrand has played well most of the season, so the Spartans have a pair of goaltenders capable of stealing a game in the playoffs. 

Let's see if they can get something going this weekend, and who knows what could happen.....

 

Know Thy Enemy: Ohio State University

The Michigan State Spartans are looking to get things rolling after a weekend off over the Thanksgiving holiday. The Spartans currently sit in 9th place in the CCHA with a 3-4-1 league and 4-6-2 overall mark. The 10 points is only 6 points behind first place Miami in a league that continues to be tight from top to bottom. Michigan State hosts Big 10 rival Ohio State this weekend at Munn Ice Arena.

The Buckeyes come into the weekend sitting in a tie for second place with 15 points (4-2-2-1 CCHA, 5-4-3 overall). Ohio State is on a bit of a roll going 4-2-2 in their last eight games. Last weekend, they split with LSSU winning 4-1 on Friday and dropping a 3-2 game on Saturday.

TV Notes

Both games are on TV this weekend. Friday's game is on the BTN at 8:05 pm. Saturday's game is at 6:05 pm on Comcast (Channel 900). Both games are on 1240 AM on your radio dial.

All-Time Series

The Spartans hold a slim 84-26-8 edge in the series. This includes a much slimmer 40-8-3 mark at Munn Ice Arena. The Spartans won three of the four games last season, but the two teams actually split in East Lansing. Ohio State actually hasn't been swept in East Lansing since 2002. 

The teams actually have played six series in East Lansing since that 2002 sweep, and Ohio State is 7-4-1 in those (one of the series MSU won & tied the second game - so it wasn't a clean sweep).

After this season, you'll see the Buckeyes four times a year - twice in East Lansing, twice in C-Bus - yay! (Yes, I can't wait for B1G hockey).

Buckeyes Leading Scorers

Tanner Fritz      2 goals, 11 points
Ryan Dzingel   5 goals, 10 points
Max McCormick   4 goals, 8 points
Matt Johnson      4 goals, 5 points
Chris Crane       3 goals, 5 points

In Goal:

Brady Hjelle  3-2-2,  1.45 GAA, .950 save %
Collin Olson  2-2-1,  2.68 GAA, .914 save %

OSU Power Play:  10.5%  (6 for 57)
OSU Penalty Kill:  83.0%  (44 for 53)

Ohio State has scored and given up 25 goals this year (7-8, 8-8, 10-9). It doesn't get much more even than this. Ohio State is 4-1 when leading after 1. They are 1-3-3 when tied or losing after 1. By comparison MSU is 3-0 when leading after 1, and they are 1-6-2 when tied or losing after 1. MSU has tallied 30 goals and given up 35 (7-15, 9-11, 14-9).

Final Thoughts:

So, the rumor is Ohio State is actually bringing their entire student section to this series (approx. 75 students). I chuckled when I heard this, because I've gone to games in Columbus before, and it's tough to really see much of a student section in the giant basketball stadium they use for a hockey rink. 75 actually sounded about right. So beware Spartan fans - bring your shouting voice to shutdown the Buckeye travelers.

The end of the video includes Ohio State's Regional Win Over MSU at Yost sending them to the Frozen Four (yes, those are Michigan fans cheering for Ohio State)

Ohio State has always been the "little engine that couldn't" in the CCHA. The University obviously has the money to support the program. That "large basketball stadium of a hockey rink" actually is a nice arena to watch a game - the only bad part is that it's usually half filled (which still means about 6-7k in the stadium, though it feels very empty) unless Michigan or MSU roll into town (I imagine Miami might draw a good crowd too). Yet, they've never been able to find any consistency. A lot people refer (or used to) to Michigan State football as the 'sleeping giant' of the Big 10. Ohio State is a lot like that in the CCHA - only the history isn't quite as rich. They just have one Frozen Four appearance (Ohio State defeated Michigan State at Yost - if you ever wanted to see Michigan fans cheering for Ohio State - you just needed to be at Yost that day). They only have one conference championship (1971-72), two tournament titles (1972, 2004), and only six NCAA appearances (last in 2009). With that said, I've always thought the Buckeyes were a 'sleeping giant'. If they ever get it going - they could be one of the best programs in the country. Maybe the switch to the Big 10 conference will be the final boost they need.

Also, what a lot of people don't remember is Ohio State was actually in first place in the CCHA on January 1, 2012. They were 15-4-1. After back to back ties against Bowling Green that pushed their record to 15-4-3, the wheels not only fell off - but exploded. They finished the 2012 portion of their season 1-11-4 (which includes the two ties to BGSU). The lone win was February 11th at Western Michigan. Heck, they even lost all four shoot-outs they played in. This resulted in a first round loss at Notre Dame - and a team that was 15-4-1 failed to make the NCAA tournament.

Ouch.

But that was last year, and this season the young Buckeyes are looking to improve and make the tournament. They seem to be somewhat starting to put it together. They've played well lately (despite the set back last weekend). They are in second place in the CCHA, and they are gaining confidence through a difficult stretch of their schedule.

Bottom line: The Spartans need to come to play 60 minutes both nights. They will also need to come with the emotion that they had in the Michigan game. The crowd usually is larger when Ohio State is in town, because even the casual MSU fans know the "Ohio State" name. It'll be tough to top the last home crowd though, so the Spartans need to play with some fire from the get go.

This should be two hard hitting, tightly contest games.

Know Thy Enemy: Bowling Green State University

Michigan State (1-1-0-0 CCHA, 2-3-1 overall) plays a home and home with the Falcons from Bowling Green State University (0-1-1-1 CCHA, 1-4-2 overall). Friday night the game will get underway at 5:05 pm at Munn Ice Arena, and the teams make the two hour trek down to Ohio for a 7:05 pm puck drop. Friday's game is on Comcast Local. Friday's game is on 1240 AM on your radio dial, and 730 am on Saturday.

Bowling Green is coming into the weekend winless in three games. They did manage to get the extra point against Ohio State in the shoot-out last Saturday though. Their last actual win came back on October 19th at Colgate. In fact, that stands as their only win in this young season so far.

Don't sleep on the Falcons though, they will make you work for everything on the ice.

Bowling Green is looking to start an unbeaten streak this weekend, and MSU is looking to start a winning streak.

Series History

This might be one of those historic series that MSU fans may be sad to see come off the schedule (if it actually does next year). Michigan State and Bowling Green's rivalry might have peaked in the 1980s, but for MSU fans and BGSU fans alike, they always enjoy this series when it comes up.

 MSU holds a 71-29-8 all-time record against Bowling Green

MSU is 40-9-3 in East Lansing against BGSU, and 24-18-5 at Bowling Green.

Michigan State has won four straight in the series, and they are unbeaten in the last eight games in this series.

Bowling Green last won a game in this series on February 21, 2009 - a 4-0 decision at Bowling Green. February 24, 2007 was the last time Bowling Green won in East Lansing - a 2-1 game. All MSU did that year was win the national title. No pressure.

MSU is 1-0 in shoot-outs against BGSU

Top Scorers:

Dajon Mingo              2 goals, 5 points

Ryan Carpenter           2 goals, 5 points

Adam Berkle              1 goal,  5 points

Dan DeSalvo              0 goals, 5 points

Mark Cooper              3 goals, 3 points

In Goal:

Tommy Burke              1-2-1, 2.22 GAA, .913 save %

Andrew Hammond      0-2-1, 3.60  GAA, .869 save %

Special Teams:

Power Play - 9.1%  (3 for 33)

Penalty Kill - 80.0% (20 for 25)

Final Thoughts:

Bowling Green's power play actually got off to a decent start, as they scored a goal in each of their first three games. However, the last four games the power play is 0 for 16. It's going to be tough to win anywhere with a power play that cannot convert. The good news for Bowling Green is the PK has been very strong in the last four games going a perfect 13 for 13. Really, the PK only had one bad weekend against Union in which it went 4 for 9.

Getting off to a strong start is obviously important for both teams. Michigan State did a better job against LSSU (especially Saturday), and it should be key once again. Bowling Green has been outscored 8-4 in the first period, but only 12-10 in the last two periods. BGSU is 1-0-1 when leading after the first period, but 0-4-1 when trailing or tied. The Falcons are a very young team - their lone senior in the top 10 of scoring on the team is defenseman Robert Shea. I only see four seniors on the roster, so it will be a very interesting match-up of two young teams simply trying to go out and get points in the CCHA standings.

This weekend stands to be big for Michigan State, as the Spartans have to take on Michigan and Miami in back to back weekends starting next week. If the Spartans get off to a good start, then maybe they can get on a roll and sweep the series. A three game winning streak would be nice going into the Michigan series. Also, anytime you can sweep anyone in this league, you'll take it.  

Spartans Split Series at Lake Superior

As a young squad goes on the road this season, any points they pick up could be seen as a positive. The CCHA expects to be a very competitive league, so road points won't be easy to come by this year. The Spartans managed to earn three of six possible points this weekend by splitting the series with LSSU.

Friday Night

Special teams ruled the night as three of the five goals scored were with the extra attacker. LSSU jumped out to a 2-0 second period lead on goals by Ben Power and Nick McParland just 3:39 apart. Tanner Sorenson brought MSU back to within 1 with a power play tally late in the second period. However, LSSU scored just as the period was about to end to take a two goal lead into the final period.

Sorenson's goal was pretty big considering it was the first goal Michigan State has scored this season before the third period. The final frame continued to be a bright spot for MSU, as the Spartans played hard and Anthony Hayes brought Michigan State back to within one with 4:26 remaining in regulation, but LSSU managed to hang on for the 3-2 victory.

LSSU out-shot Michigan State 29-24 for the game. The Lakers went 2-4 on the power play, and MSU went 1-5. Yanakeff made 26 saves in a losing effort.

Saturday Night

Michigan State had never lost four straight games at the Soo, and the Spartans were trying to avoid this by picking up the win on Saturday. John Draeger got the game going with a power play marker in the first period to put Michigan State up 1-0. This was the first goal MSU has scored in the opening period this season. Tanner Sorenson made it 2-0 on the power play in the second period. Chris Ciotti pulled the Lakers to within 1 with a late 2nd period goal. However, Michigan State controlled the play in the final period as Matt Berry and Anthony Hayes put Michigan State up 4-1. The Lakers added an extra attacker goal late in the final period to make the final 4-2 MSU. Jake Hildebrand earned his first collegiate victory making 28 saves in his first career start.

The Spartans power play was clicking going 3-6 on the night to wrap up a pretty good 4-11 weekend. LSSU was 0-4 with the extra man.

The Spartans have a home & home with Bowling Green next weekend. LSSU vists Alaska.

Final Thoughts: The Spartans are going to need to get every point they can. They almost pulled off a comeback on Friday to potentially steal a point away from the Lakers. However, they regrouped and came back the next night to win and get the split.  The schedule is going to get a little tougher. A home and home against Bowling Green is followed up by another one with Michigan and a road trip to Miami.

Around the CCHA
 
Miami at Michigan: The Wolverines won 4-2 on Friday, before Miami comeback to earn the split with a 4-3 win on Saturday.

Notre Dame at Northern: The lone clean sweep of the weekend saw the Irish go up north and defeat Northern Michigan 5-2, 3-2.

Alaska at Ferris State: The Nanooks managed to earn a split with a 3-2 win on Saturday. The Bulldogs dominated Friday night in a 6-3 victory.

Ohio State at BGSU: The Buckeyes earned four out of a possible six points shutting out Bowling Green 1-0 on Friday before dropping a shoot-out on Saturday.  


CCHA Standings:

	GP	W	L	T	SOW	Points	Total Points Possible
Notre Dame	2	2	0	0	0	6	168
Ohio State	2	1	1	1	0	4	166
Alaska	2	1	1	0	0	3	165
Ferris State	2	1	1	0	0	3	165
Lake Superior State	2	1	1	0	0	3	165
Miami	2	1	1	0	0	3	165
Michigan	2	1	1	0	0	3	165
Michigan State	2	1	1	0	0	3	165
Bowling Green	2	0	1	1	1	2	164
Western Michigan	0	0	0	0	0	0	168
Northern Michigan	2	0	2	0	0	0	162

Games Next Weekend:

Friday:

Miami at Ferris State
Bowling Green at Michigan State  (Comcast)
Western Michigan at Notre Dame
Michigan at Northern Michigan
LSSU at Alaska

Saturday:

Michigan State at Bowling Green
Miami at Ferris State
Michigan at Northern Michigan
LSSU at Alaska

Sunday:

Western Michigan at Notre Dame



CCHA Power Rankings

1. Notre Dame (5-1-0, LW: 2). The Irish rise back to the top after sweeping a road series at Northern.

2. Miami (4-1-1, LW: 1). Miami falls from ranks of the unbeaten teams, but they earn a big road split in Ann Arbor.

3. Western Michigan (3-1-0, LW: 3). The Broncos have a big road series coming up.

4. Michigan (3-2-0, LW: 4). The Wolverines are looking to put together back to back nights in the same weekend, but a road trip to Marquette won't be easy.

5. Alaska (3-2-1, LW: 6). The Nanooks earned a split in the lower 48, and now they return how where they are difficult to beat.

6. Ferris State (2-2-2, LW: 7). If Ferris State wants to be a player in the top half of the league, this weekend coming up will go a long ways to showing they can do it.

7. LSSU (3-3-0, LW: 8). The Lakers make the long trek west.

8. Michigan State (2-3-1, LW: 9). The Spartans earn a road split in a tough league.

9. Northern Michigan (3-3-0, LW: 5). Getting swept at home never is a good thing.

10. Ohio State (2-2-2, LW: 10).  .500 seems to be a running theme in the CCHA.

11. Bowling Green (1-4-2, LW: 11). Not a terrible weekend getting two points, but losing more points than winning at home won't help in what is going to be a tight conference race.

Big Ten Power Rankings

1. Minnesota (3-1-0, LW: 1). The Gophers play a non-conference game against Canisius today, but a tie against the USA Development team certainly is going to raise an eyebrow.

2. Michigan (3-2-0, LW: 2). Michigan earned a tough split against a good Miami team.

3. Penn State (4-2-0, LW: 5). Some people might say they haven't beaten anyone, but they have won three straight which constitutes being on a roll right now. Plus, they now have the second highest winning percentage among Big 10 teams.

4. Michigan State (2-3-1, LW: 3). The Spartans look to get on a roll of their own next weekend.

5. Wisconsin (1-2-1, LW: 4). The Badgers won and tied at UMD.

6. Ohio State (2-2-2, LW: 6). The Buckeyes went unbeaten this weekend, and now have a weekend off before back to back home series - could a winning streak be coming?

Weekend Recap: Around The CCHA

The season got underway for college hockey this weekend. While most of the teams were playing exhibition games, there was one regular season game as Bowling Green kicked things off visiting Niagara University.

The Falcons are looking to improve on last season's 14-25-5 campaign, in which they actually started off unbeaten in their first five games (4-0-1). Niagara got things going late in the second period by tallying the first goal of the college hockey season. It didn't take long for Bowling Green to respond tallying a power play marked by Camden Wojtala just 1:43 later. The Falcons looked like they would get out of town with a 2-1 victory when Robert Shea put Bowling Green up with just 3:41 remaining in regulation, but Niagara's Chris Lochner tied the game up with 50 seconds to go. Neither team scored in overtime, though Bowling Green did out-shoot Niagara 5-0 in the extra session, and 36-30 for the game. Andrew Hammond made 28 saves for Bowling Green.

Bowling Green is back in action today against Ontario IT. Their next regular season game is this Friday versus 2012 Frozen Four participant Union.

The other CCHA teams where in exhibition action:

Alaska 6 Regina 0
LSSU 2 Ryerson 1
Western 2 Western Ontario 2 (OT)

 Today six more CCHA teams play exhibition contests:

Bowling Green vs. Ontario IT
Ferris State vs. Ryerson
Miami vs. Western Ontario
Notre Dame vs. US U-18 Team
Northern Michigan vs. Brock
Ohio State vs. Waterloo

Michigan State is in action tomorrow versus Windsor at 7:05 pm. Michigan takes on Windsor on Tuesday. Both of those games can be seen on Comcast.

Regular Season Action

The regular season for everyone gets under way this upcoming week/weekend with the following schedule:

Thursday:

Michigan Tech at LSSU
RIT at Michigan

Friday:

Union at BGSU
Colgate at Miami
Ferris State at Rensselaer
RIT at Michigan
Ohio State at Minnesota-Duluth
Michigan State at Minnesota  (Fox Sports North)
Northern Michigan at Wisconsin
St. Lawrence at Western Michigan
Notre Dame vs. Maine  (Kansas City, MO   -  NBCSN)
Air Force vs. Alaska  (Anchorage, AK)

Saturday:

Union at BGSU
LSSU at Michigan Tech
Colgate at Miami
Ferris State at Rensselaer
Ohio State at Minnesota-Duluth
Michigan State at Minnesota  (Fox Sports North Plus)
Northern Michigan at Wisconsin
St. Lawrence at Western Michigan
Army or UNO vs. Notre Dame  (Kansas City, MO)
Canisius vs. Alaska  (Anchorage, AK)


Preseason CCHA Power Ranking:

Call it gut instinct......

1. Western Michigan (0-0-0). Although the exhibition tie raises an eyebrow, the Broncos figure to be a major factor in the CCHA race this year.

2. Michigan (0-0-0). Returning some of the best talent in the league, the question remains can Michigan put it together for an entire season and live up to the lofty expectations.

3. Notre Dame (0-0-0). Jeff Jackson will have his guys contending once again this season.

4. Michigan State (0-0-0). My first "surprise pick" of the season. Obviously this will depend on how the freshman contribute, but the Spartans will be a tough victory for anyone in the CCHA this year.

5. Miami (0-0-0). The dynasty will be a factor in the CCHA race once again, as the top half of the league looks to be very, very tough.

6. Ferris State (0-0-0). A Frozen Four team a year ago, the Bulldogs may take a step back a little bit this year, but they are still going to be in the mix. This just goes to show you the depth of the CCHA this season.

7. Northern Michigan (0-0-0). The Wildcats always seem to find a way to be in the mix for the top 5.

8.  LSSU (0-0-0). The Lakers are looking to build upon a solid 18-17-5 campaign last season.

9. Ohio State (0-0-0). This might be too low for the Buckeyes, but this is always a team you look for them to take two steps forward without taking three steps backt before you jump on the bandwagon.

10. Alaska (0-0-0). The Nanooks might be in the bottom half of the league, but the long trip out west is never easy. If they improve their lower 48 performance, they will be a surprise team this season.

11. Bowling Green (0-0-1). Bowling Green should be better this season, but with the depth and talent in the CCHA this year, it might be tough for them to move up that much.

Preseason Big 10 Power Ranking:

Call it gut instinct part II:

1. Minnesota (WCHA, 0-0-0). The Golden Gophers believe they could be the team to beat this year.

2. Michigan (CCHA, 0-0-0). The Wolverines have the talent to contend for the big prize this year.

3. Michigan State (CCHA, 0-0-0). The Spartans are flying under the radar right now.

4. Wisconsin (WCHA, 0-0-0). Will the Badgers take a positive step forward this year?

5. Ohio State (CCHA, 0-0-0). I still believe Ohio State is a sleeping giant in hockey.

6. Penn State (Ind., 0-0-0). Welcome to the big stage Penn State, up first, American Int'l.
 

Media & Coaches Split Conference Picks - MSU Middle of Pack

The Media and Coaches Polls were released this morning by the CCHA, and they split on their respective champion picks.


The coaches gave a narrow edge to Notre Dame over Michigan and Western Michigan, while the Media picked the Wolverines over the Broncos and Irish. The Spartans were picked in the middle of the pack as the coaches put the Spartans in seventh place, and the Media was slightly kinder moving MSU up to sixth.

If either were to happen, Michigan State would host a first round CCHA playoff series and if they won the series, they would go on the road in the quarterfinals for the second straight year.

Obviously people are going to have questions when you lose a player like Torey Krug and bring in so many freshman, but one thing is certain under Coach Anastos - the Spartans are going to be working hard in all aspects of their game, and they will make you earn every point in the series. And with seniors like Dean Chelios, Chris Forfar, Matt Grassi, Kevin Walrod, and Anthony Hayes - expect this team to carry the lunch pail attitude throughout the season.

Michigan State's first game of the year is this coming Monday at home against Windsor (Ontario) at 7:05 pm. The regular season kicks off on October 12th at #2 Minnesota, and the team has their first home series October 19th and 20th against Niagara.

Preseason Information - The time is here!

The first poll of the 2012 - 2013 season is out and Michigan State came in ranked #16.

The CCHA is well represented in its final season as a league, as Michigan (#3), Miami (#9), Western Michigan (#10), Ferris State (#11), and Notre Dame (#14) all came in ranked in the Top 20. Beyond that, Ohio State, Northern Michigan, and LSSU all received votes as well.

The Top 20 in the USCHO Preseason Poll:

1. Boston College
2. Minnesota
3. Michigan
4. North Dakota
5. Union
6. Cornell
7. Mass.-Lowell
8. Denver
9. Miami
10. Western Michigan
11. Ferris State
12. Minnesota-Duluth
13. Boston University
14. Notre Dame
15. Maine
16. Michigan State
17. Harvard
18. Wisconsin
19. Air Force
20. Colorado College

So does this really matter?  In some sense, yes. As that link  discusses, the worst preseason ranked team to win a national title is #13 in the USCHO poll (#12 in the USA Today). If that pattern holds true, then your 2012 - 2013 champion will be Boston College, Minnesota, Michigan, North Dakota, Union, Cornell, Mass.-Lowell, Denver, Miami, Western Michigan, Ferris State, Minnesota-Duluth, or Boston University. In addition, only once has a preseason #1 team since 1998 won the national title, but the good news for BC fans is that team was the 2003 Minnesota Golden Gophers, and they were defending national champions. Seven of the past fifteen champions were ranked in the Top 5, so that gives a higher hope to BC, Minnesota, Michigan, North Dakota, and Union. If BC's chances are down simply because they won last year, then Minnesota, Michigan, North Dakota, or Union look to be safe bets. The average preseason rank of the last 15 national champions is 6.6.

As far as runner-ups go, up until Ferris State last year, the runner-up had been ranked in both polls. Ferris was ranked in the USCHO.com poll, but they weren't in the USA Today poll. At least half were ranked in the Top 10, and the most common ranks were #1 and #8 (more good news for BC fans?).

The other Frozen Four participants generally were ranked pretty high in the preseason poll as well. 19 of the 30 semi-finalists were ranked in the Top 10, and only one team in the last 15 years made the Frozen Four without being ranked in either poll (this means not receiving a vote).

None of this should be shocking though, because you are only going to get votes now if people expect you to be good, and in the world of college hockey, it's not hard to pick the old traditional programs, then in the end, most of these programs end up back in the Frozen Four with maybe only one surprise team - sometimes two.


Preseason All-CCHA Teams:

Spartan Goaltender Will Yanakeff was named to the second team preseason all-CCHA team.  He was the only Spartan named to either team. This isn't too surprising since most people believe MSU is in rebuilding mode this year, but as we saw last season, the Spartans are going to be a tough beat each and every night. If Yanakeff continues to be a great cornerstone in goal, Michigan State will surprise some people this year.

Tune In to Spartan Hockey:

MSU will be on TV 25 times this regular season. Michigan State's first four games are on TV, including next Monday's exhibition game against Windsor. The Spartans open the year October 12th - 13th at Minnesota, and both of those games can be seen on Fox Sports North. MSU's home opener against Niagara on October 19th will be on Comcast.

In addition, all four contests against Michigan will be on TV, Michigan State's first game in South Bend will be on National TV (NBC Sports Network), both games with Ohio State, and one game with new Division 1 program Penn State will be on TV.  Michigan State will be featured on the BTN numerous times throughout the year, so there will be plenty of time for hockey fans to get their Spartan Icers on TV - who needs the NHL!

Meet the Spartans

The Spartans held their annual 'Meet the Spartans' event tonight. It was a chance for fans to meet the 2012 - 2013 team, get some autographs, and wish them luck this season. 

Charges Come In Assault Claim

A Michigan State student that alleged he was attacked by the hockey team has been charged with five counts. 

In his original interview with police, he believed the people that assaulted him were members of the MSU Hockey team. Original Article

Currently, no one else is being charged with anything in connection to the crime.

Lansing State Journal Article

We'll post more details as they develop, but one of his charges include filing a false police report.

A Look Back: Tom Anastos Hired

Nearly 17 months ago (on March 23, 2011 to be exact), Michigan State University hired Tom Anastos as the head coach of the hockey team. The question over his tenure will be - was it a good hire. Obviously this question cannot be answered fairly in such a short period of time. However, we can look at the initial media and public reaction, along with the current reaction.


Then......

To say the initial public reaction was mixed probably would be an understatement.

The United States of Hockey Blog examined the hire in great detail. They wondered if the decision was rushed, if he was leaving just because the Big 10 was coming and changing the entire landscape of college hockey, and there were still a lot of question marks if he could recruit and prove he was a good bench coach. At the same time, at no point does the article state he was a bad hire.

Even the College Hockey News Q&A with Coach Anastos raised some eyebrows:

CHN: So this all came down at the last minute?

Anastos: Yeah. He called and said, "What's up? I'd like to talk to you about our coaching position." I said, "What do you need to know?" He said, "No, I'd like to talk to you, I'd like to see if you'd be interested in it." I don't remember my exact words, but I said, "C'mon!" He says, "No, I'm serious," and he asked me if I'd consider it. I said sure, why not listen. So I went up there the next day, met with the selection committee, met with them for a while, and returned back to my office. Later that evening I got a call from (Hollis) and (associate AD Shelley) Applebaum, and they said, "We'd like you to be our hockey coach. We're at the end of our process and we need to get a decision because we made a commitment they'd have a coach by the end of the week."
So I got together wife my wife — my head was spinning — and talked to my kids, and made a decision. And I told him, "I'm interested, let's do it."
He had a list of reasons for why he wanted me. He has a pretty specific profile that he uses in hiring, and he said I hit, in his view, every one of them. It started that way, we talked about expectations and philosophy.

 Thoughts from the Ann Arbor camp were (not surprisingly) mocking Michigan State for the hire.... MGoBlog.com dedicating an entire article to laughing at MSU for making this hire.  I know, I know, linking an article from MGoBlog should probably require that I'm not allowed on the internet for awhile, but you don't have to click the link. In some circles, the hire was seen as disastrous at worst and risky at best.

But it was never questioned that Anastos was a good leader with a lot of power in the college hockey world. I know I was personally shocked, and I wondered where Mark Hollis was going with this one, but as a Spartan, I believe everyone (myself included) was willing to give him a chance. Plus, why question Mark Hollis at this point, since he has hit a home run on every coaching hire to date.

Now.....

Michigan State may have only gone 19-16-4, a four win improvement from the 2010-2011 season, but the Spartans managed a first round bye in the CCHA tournament, and a bid to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008. On top of that, recruiting seems to have picked up, as the Spartans are landing some talented players. The question remains if all of these players will end up East Lansing, or if the OHL will come in and run interference, but the fact of the matter is these guys weren't always thinking 'Michigan State' under Rick Comley.

I doubt all of the skeptics are sold on Anastos, but the press does seem to be cautiously optimistic.

Dillion Davis from The State News talks about the hope of the program.....

College Hockey News even appeared to be on board with Anastos and the future of MSU hockey

It's tough to compare Coach Anastos with the start of Kobs & Paulsen (they went a combined 14-43-1 from 1925 - 1951, when MSU only played hockey for 8 seasons). Coach Bessone struggled early as MSU had losing records in his first six seasons at Michigan State. The rest is history though as Coach Bessone really put MSU hockey on the national power map. Ron Mason didn't have a winning season until his 3rd year in East Lansing. The rest is history there as well. Rick Comley had much more success early on, earning at least 20 wins in his first six seasons at MSU. However, he was only 23-14-2 in his first year, when MSU had won at least 25 games in each of its previous five seasons (33-29-27-33-27), so it'd be easy to point out that Comley was taking over a very good program.

So on that note, you could be impressed with how Anastos won in his first season behind the bench. The questions now will be to see if he can build upon that success and show improvement, despite losing some key players (including Torey Krug). This is where his recruiting will be put under the microscope - though it may take a few years before this impact is really realized. In the meantime, if the team continues to compete hard, you have to figure things are looking up, and Mark Hollis did it again with this hire.

And most of you would agree - as the earlier poll results suggest that the vast majority of voters gave his first season an 'A' grade.

But history will ultimately be the judge of his hire.

A look at the 2012 - 2013 Schedule

Ah long summers.

After a week of temperatures near 100 degrees and a weekend ahead that will see highs back in the 90s, it's the perfect time to cool off with a little puck talk.

Michigan State's 2012 - 2013 Schedule

Looking ahead to the 2012-13 campaign, the Spartan Icers are looking to build on momentum from last season's NCAA appearance and top 5 CCHA finish. While the year didn't end on the high note that everyone was hoping for, the team clearly made strides in Coach Anastos' initial season at the helm. The Spartans recruiting has picked up as more Spartans were picked in the NHL draft this year than has been in the last few years.

Things are looking up.

So now, let's take a look at the 2012 - 2013 schedule to see which games/series really peak our interest. Here's a look at my top 10:

#10 Alaska Series: February 22-23, 2013

This is the last CCHA road series in Michigan State history. It might also mark the last time MSU goes out to Alaska for a regular season game, since the Nanooks will be joining the WCHA. Will this be good-bye to flying polar bears forever?

Is this the last we'll see of these intros?

#9 at Michigan: November 9, 2012

This game marks the start of a very difficult stretch (Michigan, Miami, OSU, Notre Dame, Ferris State) to close out the 2012 CCHA schedule. It's the first trip to Yost of the season, and of course it's simply Michigan.

#8 Miami Series:  November 16-17, 2012

The Spartans travel to Oxford once again this year. Miami knocked Michigan State out of the CCHA playoffs last year, and this is always a good test to see where you stand in the CCHA. Even though MSU opens the CCHA schedule on the road at LSSU, this series figures to be a little tougher.

#7 CCHA Quarterfinal Series:  March 15-17, 2013

Granted, MSU needs to get here first, but if they do, this could be the biggest series in Anastos' young tenure here in East Lansing. The Spartans have not made it to Joe Louis Arena for the CCHA playoffs since 2007. Home ice would be key to help break that streak, but it'll be a tall task for a team that is looking to replace quite a bit on the blue line. This would require a top four finish in the CCHA standings, it's certainly doable given the work ethic and young talent that this squad has. A trip to the Joe would potentially assure MSU of a second straight NCAA bid (assuming they finish top four in the CCHA).


#6 Notre Dame Home Series: January 11-12, 2013

Notre Dame comes to East Lansing for the first time since January 16, 2010. The Irish figure to have a strong team this year, and this marks the start of a very key stretch of games in which MSU plays five of six at home (ending with the Penn State series). the two teams split the season finale series last year. That split sent MSU on the road to Oxford for the playoffs in the CCHA Quarterfinals.


#5 Season Opener at Minnesota:  October 12-13, 2012

The 2012 - 2013 Spartans will be thrown into the fire right out of the gate as they travel to Minneapolis for a pair against Big 10 rival Minnesota. The Spartans stunned #3 Minnesota last year with a 4-3 victory and 4-4 tie at Munn Ice Arena to win the Bessone-Mariucci trophy. This series really sent a message to the rest of college hockey that maybe the Spartans were for real. The 2011-12 season ended in the program's first NCAA bid since 2008. Another strong showing this weekend could signal another strong year ahead for Michigan State hockey. This series will be big as well for the PairWise rankings, as Minnesota figures to be the best quality non-conference opponent the Spartans see all year.



#4 Western Michigan Series: March 1-2, 2013

A bittersweet day in the history of Michigan State Ice Hockey. It's the final CCHA series in Spartan history. The Spartans have been part of the CCHA since the 1981-1982 season , they've won 7 CCHA regular season titles (2nd most) and 11 tournament titles (most in the league). Despite the history, MSU hasn't won a CCHA regular season title since 2001 or a tournament title since 2006, so here's hoping this series there is some celebrating going on, and it leads into a great March.

#3  Penn State Series:  January 25-26, 2013

The Land Grant Trophy will be on the line in January as Penn State and Michigan State will face-off for the first time ever in a division 1 hockey game. Hey, the football teams aren't scheduled to face each other, so why not put the trophy on the ice (and have someone take a slapshot to it). In all seriousness, it will be great to see the sixth Big 10 school at Munn Icea Arena as we move towards the hockey conference for the 2013-2014 season.


#2  vs. Michigan: November 10, 2012

It goes without saying that the MSU-UM hockey rivalry is one of the best in the country. Michigan makes their only trip up to Munn Ice Arena on November 10th on a back end of a home and home series with Michigan. The two teams meet up again in early February for the Yost/JLA portion of the series.

#1  2012 Great Lakes Invitational @ Comerica Park (vs. WMU, UM/Tech): December 28-29, 2012

The 2012 hockey calendar comes to a close (assuming the Mayans are incorrect) with a return to hockey roots - outdoor hockey at Comerica Park. Yes, the outdoor thing has been done before, but it never ceases to amaze people as it continues to be a big draw. While this might be the undercard of the week (with Toronto at Detroit in Ann Arbor being the main event on New  Year's Day), the 2012 GLI looks to be a good one as it features four Michigan schools for the first time since 1999 (MSU, UM, LSSU, Tech). Western Michigan and Michigan State will face-off in the first semi-final, with Michigan and Michigan Tech being the other.



GLI Dates Officially Announced

The GLI has officially been set as December 27th & 28th.

This is part of the Winter Festival in Detroit next season. The games will be played at Comerica Park and will feature four Michigan teams: Michigan State, Michigan, Michigan Tech, and Western Michigan.

2012 - 2013 Tentative Schedule

Here is a look at Michigan State's 2012 - 2013 full tentative schedule

All games Fri-Sat unless otherwise noted:


OCTOBER

Mon. 8th -  vs. Windsor (ex.)
12th - at Minnesota
13th - at Minnesota
19th - vs. Niagara
20th - vs. Niagara
26th - at LSSU
27th - at LSSU

NOVEMBER

2nd - vs. Bowling Green
3rd - at Bowling Green
9th - at Michigan
10th - vs. Michigan
16th - at Miami
17th - at Miami
30th - vs. Ohio State

DECEMBER

1st - vs. Ohio State
7th - at Notre Dame
8th - at Notre Dame
14th - at Ferris State
15th - vs. Ferris State

28th - GLI (Western)  @ Comerica Park
29th - GLI (Tech/Michigan)  @ Comerica Park

JANUARY

11th vs. Notre Dame
12th vs. Notre Dame
18th vs. Ferris State
19th at Ferris State
Tues. 22nd - vs. USA Development Program (ex.)
25th - vs. Penn State
26th - vs. Penn State


FEBRUARY

1st - at Michigan
2nd - vs. Michigan @ Joe Louis Arena
8th - at Bowling Green
9th - vs. Bowling Green
15th - vs. Northern Michigan
16th - vs. Northern Michigan
22nd - at Alaska
23rd - at Alaska

MARCH

1st - vs. Western Michigan
2nd - vs. Western Michigan

8th - 11th - CCHA First Round (at Campus Sites)
15th - 18th - CCHA Quarterfinal Round (at Campus Sites)
22nd - 23rd - CCHA Championships (at Joe Louis Arena)
29th - 31st - NCAA Regionals

APRIL

11th & 13th - NCAA Frozen Four (Pittsburgh, PA)


Quick Thoughts:

MSU is in a "cluster" this season with Notre Dame, Bowling Green, Michigan, and Ferris State. I'm a little surprised Notre Dame doesn't look like they want to do a home and home, since it seems like in the past that has always happened when they were in the same cluster. The final year in the CCHA certainly has a Big 10 flavor as MSU will face everyone but Wisconsin.

The two things that really jump out is - the first half of the schedule looks brutal on paper, and once again there are a ton of home games in January. Starting in Minnesota won't be easy, and Niagara's prgoram has been solid over the years (which includes some NCAA appearances). Plus with road games to LSSU, Notre Dame, Miami, and Michigan - MSU will be thrown into the fire pretty quickly.

Also, someone may need to correct me here, but I don't recall MSU ever playing games as late as December 15th prior to the winter break. It seems like in recent years, MSU is done the first weekend of December. I haven't seen a CCHA composite schedule yet though, so this could be a league thing. This certainly could help for the GLI - which will showcase nothing but Michigan teams as Western is the fourth team this season.

MSU also finishes with five of its last seven at home. That should provide the opportunity to really build momentum into the post season. The only thing that sort of stinks is they'll be making that long trip out to Alaska pretty late this year.

Lastly, when was the last time MSU didn't play over Thanksgiving? I'm sure that will be a great break for the team after facing Michigan & Miami in back to back weekends, as well as give the team a chance to go back home for the holiday.

Ferris State, Union Adavance To Tampa, Cornell Trolls UM, Krug to NHL

Ferris State and Union became the first two teams to advance to the 2012 Frozen Four in Tampa Bay, Florida. Union defeated UMass-Lowell 4-2 in the East Regional Final. Ferris State defeated Cornell 2-1 in the Midwest Regional Final. For both programs, it is the first ever trip to the Frozen Four.

Ferris State is lead by former Spartan Bob Daniels behind the bench.

Props to Cornell

Cornell is often credited for inventing all those cheers you hear at college hockey rinks today, especially at Yost Ice Arena. I don't know if Cornell was trying to punish UofM for this, but the pep band decided to play the MSU Fight Song during the game - perhaps to get in the minds of the Wolverines. It sure looks like Hunwick noticed.

Cornell Band Trolls Michigan Hockey Team - Amazing videos are here

One has to wonder if it worked though, because Michigan tied the game just minutes later, though Cornell won in overtime.

Krug to the NHL

There is a noon press conference at Munn Ice Arena today where it is expected that Torey Krug will officially announce that he has signed with the Boston Bruins and will forego his senior season at MSU. Torey was a great player and leader on the blue line for Michigan State, and we wish him the best in his professional career.

What this does do is leave a big hole on the team that someone will need to step in and help replace. Michigan State does have a pair of transfers R.J. Boyd and Nick Gatt who should help settle down what would otherwise be a very young blue line. Jake Chelios may have to take the biggest jump next year.

NCAA Preview: Union

The Michigan State Spartans might have just squeaked into the tournament as the final at-large team, but come puck-drop on Friday afternoon, everyone is on even terms. The Spartans take on #1 seeded Union (3rd seed overall) in Bridgeport, CT.

Friday's game will mark the first ever meeting between Michigan State and Union. The Spartans are 4-2-1 all-time against the ECAC in the NCAA tournament.  This includes two national championship victories (1986 - Harvard, 1966 - Clarkson), so maybe that's a sign.

Union finished the year strong going 15-2-2 since the calendar flipped to 2012. Union is 24-7-7 on the season. They tied Western twice this year, and won a game at Yost. Union hasn't lost since a February 24th defeat at Cornell.

Union Leading Scorers:

Kelly Zajac    8 goals, 41 points
Jeremy Welsh  25 goals, 40 points
Daniel Carr     19 goals, 38 points
Wayne Simpson   17 goals, 30 points
Mat Bodie     8 goals, 28 points
Kyle Bodie    5 goals, 28 points

The Goaltender:

Troy Grosenick    20-5-3,  1.65 GAA, .936 save %

Union Special Teams:

PP:  44 for 183, 24.0 %
PK:  122 for 144, 84.7 %

At quick glance:

Union, this season, has gotten off to some terrific starts. Union has outscored teams 59-20 in the first period. They've also finished strongly outscoring teams 43-23 in the final period. The middle frame they've only held a 33-25 edge in goals. Union averages 3.55 goals per a game this year, and they've only allowed 1.82 goals per a game. Union gets 35.1 shots on goal, and they only allow 26.2 per a game. Finally, they aren't penalized too often either only giving up 10 penalty minutes a game.

Union's defense is ranked #1 in the country, and they are tied for 3rd in offense. Michigan State is ranked in a tie for 19th on defense (2.63 goals per a game), and 24th on offense (2.89 goals scored per a game).

Union is a very balanced & strong team all around. They have the 4th best power play in the country as well. The good news is MSU's penalty kill is 4th in the country killing off 87.3% of the power plays they face.

Scoring Drought:

Michigan State has had some scoring issues. In the Miami series, MSU only managed one goal the entire series. This was after splitting in South Bend - the loss was a shutout. Miami outscored the Spartans 10-1.

Keys:

It's pretty clear that Michigan State will need to get off to a strong start. Union isn't the biggest team in this region, so that could help MSU who tend to struggle against much bigger squads. Union looks to be the type of team that if they build an early lead, it will be very hard to comeback.  In fact, Union is 19-2-4 when leading after the first period and 12-0-3 when leading after 2. If you include tied games, Union is 24-4-6 when leading or tied after one. Likewise, thy are 22-2-4 when leading or tied after two.

On the flip side, MSU is 11-1-3 when leading after one, and 12-3 when leading ofter two.

The first goal is going to be huge.

It'd be great if the power play got going too, but Union won't give MSU many chances, so State will need to take advantage of what they can.

This could come down to Torey Krug simply making plays, as he has all season long. The Spartans certainly are going to be well rested, but that could lead to some rust and an iffy opening period. Yanakeff (or Palmisano) will need to be sharp early on to help keep the game scoreless. If they play strong, Michigan State will be in this game till the end. The Spartans have battled hard all season long, and if they play hard for the full 60 minutes, they will have a chance to pull off the victory.

All you need is a chance, and Michigan State has that chance to really put a footprint in the sand this weekend.

TV:

This game will be on TV on ESPNU at 3 pm. The game can be heard on 1240 AM and the Spartan Sports Network (use links to the left). The winner of this game will face the winner of Miami & Mass.-Lowell on Saturday at 6:30 pm.

You can also follow us on twitter @The MunnMinute for game updates or follow @MSU_Hockey on Twitter for game updates.



 

Spartans CCHA Season Ends

The Spartans hung tough tonight, but once again the second period doomed Michigan State as Miami exploded for three more goals in the middle period to break open a 1-1 tie and earn the two game sweep over Michigan State. The defeat was Michigan State's 10th straight in the CCHA playoffs.

The loss also puts Michigan State's NCAA hopes on life support. Michigan State currently sits in a tie for 14th in the Pairwise with Western Michigan (who beat LSSU tonight to advance to Joe Louis Arena). The Spartans hold a slim .0011 edge in the RPI, and it's that edge that might help get MSU into the NCAA tournament.

Michigan State needs to remain no worse than 15th in the Pairwise to have a shot. Only the Atlantic Hockey Champion will be guaranteed to be outside the top 16 in the PWR, so that will eliminate the team that sits in 16th for an at-large bid (currently Northern Michigan). Should another upset happen, and someone outside the top 16 of the PWR win their conference tournament, that will move the elimination line up to 15th - which right now is Western Michigan. Western, with one win next week, probably will pass Michigan State. If Ferris State beats Bowling Green tomorrow, Western will face Michigan next Friday in the semi-final. If BGSU pulls off the upset, Western will face Miami.

Torey Krug ended the scoring drought tonight against Knapp with a power play goal in the first period. That stopped the streak at 175:28 which dated back to the first period of the first game between the two teams this season.

In the end, Miami was just too much for Michigan State. The RedHawks are very talented, well coached, and they are playing their best hockey of the season right now. This all means they will be a tough out next weekend at the Joe and in the NCAA tournament (they might be a #1 seed).

If Michigan State doesn't make the NCAA tournament, all eyes will turn to Krug to see if he will remain in East Lansing for another season. No one could blame him for testing the NHL waters right now, as his stock has grown quite a bit over the last two years. If he adds the POY award this week, then it might never be higher. While it would be great to see him back in East Lansing for his final season, it's tough to say 'no' to what could be coming his way.

In the end, I think most MSU fans will be satisfied with the positive step forward the program took this season. Most people thought MSU would be fighting to get home ice in the first round of the CCHA tournament, yet they managed to get a first round bye. With Coach Anastos, Miller, and Newton behind the bench, the program has regained focus, and things appear to be looking up here in East Lansing.

In the meantime, we'll be looking up at the scoreboards for the remainder of this weekend and next. We'll break down what needs to happen from here on out for MSU to potentially get one of the last at-largeg NCAA bids. And that would be a great reward for a team that has worked so hard to get things right this season.

Monday Musings.....

Don't pay any attention to the elephant in the room.

Even though the INCH.com power rankings bring it up

How long has it been since the Spartans have won a CCHA playoff series? Long enough that the team they beat in the league quarterfinals back in 2007 (Nebraska-Omaha) is no longer part of the conference.

Think about that statement. MSU hasn't won a CCHA playoff series since 2007. I guess that means if MSU wins this weekend, we can start planning a parade in April! No? Oh, ok....

That factoid has made an apperance on this blog before, because I just can't get enough of it. I didn't believe it at first, but I got to thinking, and it really is true.

In 2008, Michigan State hosted Northern Michigan but lost in three games. I don't remember much from this game, but the late goal by Sucharski to send it into OT does ring a bell. The fact that Northern won on a power play in overtime in the third game of the series makes me chuckle. Gotta love the CCHA stripes. Michigan State still made the NCAA tournament this year, the last time they did. In fact, MSU was tied 1-1 with Notre Dame in the West Regional Final with 6 minutes to go in regulation, before the Irish tallied two goals 74 seconds apart.

In 2009, Northern Michigan swept MSU out of the CCHA First Round in Marquette. The most amazing thing about this series is that Jeff Lerg gave up 13 goals in two games to end his Spartan career, including 8 in the final game. That wasn't the way anyone expected the Lerg era to end at MSU. Though, I still remember Ryan Miller giving up a goal from center ice once during his career at MSU.

In 2010, the Spartans improved to a second place finish in the CCHA, but faced a red-hot rival from Ann Arbor that swept MSU at Munn. The losses knocked MSU far enough down in the PairWise to keep MSU out of the tournament.

In 2011, MSU was faced with the tough task of travelling out to Fairbanks. The Spartans battled hard but lost a pair of heart breaking overtime games to the Nanooks. The second one came in double overtime at what was about 2:30 am in East Lansing.

And now in 2012, MSU is faced with another tough task heading down to Oxford, a team that was 11-5-2 at home this season. They are 12-4 in 2012, and they swept MSU back in January. Miami finished 1 point ahead of MSU for home ice. In fact, had MSU survived the overtime in the first meeting this year, MSU would have earned home ice over Miami even if Miami won the shoot-out. Had that happened, MSU would have had 48 points to Miami's 47.

The second game Miami won 4-0 in large part to out-shooting MSU 35-12 over the final two periods, including a 20-5 margin in the final period. Despite all that, the game was only 1-0, and that one goal was on a two man advantage.

The good news is Miami is on its spring break this weekend, so there are still quite a few tickets available for the weekend series - should any Spartan fans fancy a trip down to Oxford. It is a nice place to watch a game, and who knows what any green & white crowd support could do to lift MSU. The Spartans aren't afraid to play on the road though, and as long as they battle hard, this should be a tight series.

I haven't seen any TV listed yet for this series. My guess is Comcast & FSD will be focused on Ann Arbor since it is closer to Detroit with Notre Dame travelling to Ann Arbor. In the meantime the games will be on the radio this weekend, and I don't think there will be any conflicts with the Big 10 basketball tournament since MSU should be playing during the day there.

In the meantime, we'll continue to bring you coverage as Michigan State looks to address that elephant in the room.

Spartans Win, Will Face Miami In CCHA Quarters

The Spartans finally got one monkey off their back this weekend, and for the next two weeks they will look to work towards getting another one off their backs. Michigan State fought back tonight from two different one goal deficits to beat the Irish for the first time since 2008 and in South Bend for the first time since 2006. MSU went 0-7-4 over the last 11 meetings with Notre Dame.

This one didn't start out any different as Notre Dame tallied a power play goal just 4:37 into the opening period to give ND a 1-0 lead. Michigan State battled through it though eventually netting a goal with 2:58 to go in the period as Walrod scored his ninth goal of the season. The second period saw both teams tally short handed goals. Notre Dame scored the first one 10:57 into the period as T.J. Tynan netted his 13th goal of the season. Then with 2:59 to go in the period, Chris Forfar tied the game up with a shorthanded tally of his own. The Spartans weren't done yet as Captain Torey Krug scored his 11th goal of the season with 42 seconds to go in the period. That goal proved to be huge on multiple levels as it tied Krug with Tynan for the CCHA scoring title.

Shots through the second period were 23-12 in favor of Notre Dame. In fact, Michigan State only mustered three shots on goal in the second period, but two found the back of the net.

In the final period Dean Chelios iced the game 9:13 into the final frame with his eighth goal of the season. Michigan State out-shot the Irish 7-6 in the final frame, though the Irish held the 29-19 edge for the game. Yanakeff made 27 saves in the win.

The victory gave Michigan State a nice little boost in the CCHA standings, but it wasn't enough to move out of the fifth seed as Miami defeated Ohio State 5-1 tonight, and Western Michigan shutout Ferris State 3-0. Northern swept LSSU this weekend with a 5-3 win tonight, and Michigan broke through in Bowling Green with three third period goals to win 3-0.

As a result, the CCHA playoffs will look like this:

First Round Match-Ups  (March 2nd - 4th):

#11 Bowling Green (22 pts) at #6 Northern Michigan (42 pts)
#10 Alaska (30 pts) at #7 LSSU (41 pts)
#9 Ohio State (39 pts) at #8 Notre Dame (39 pts)

How about Ohio State? They were first in the CCHA at the start of 2012, but they finished ninth.

CCHA Quarterfinals (March 9th - 11th):

#5 Michigan State (47 pts) at #4 Miami (48 pts)
Top Seed of First Round Winners at #3 Western Michigan (50 pts)
Second Best Seed of First Round Winners at #2 Michigan (50 pts)
Worst Seed of First Round Winners at #1 Ferris State (54 pts)

Ferris State #1 overall is much of a surprise as Michigan State in the top five. Finishing 5th might be a little bit of a disappointment for MSU fans, but the win tonight was still big for the NCAA picture. It still stands to reason that MSU might have to reach Joe Louis to solidify a NCAA bid, as Michigan State still sits in 12th in the PairWise.

Also, I sort of skimmed over it, but I shouldn't. Congratulations are in order to junior Captain & All-America Candidate Torey Krug who shared the CCHA scoring title. He becomes the first d-man in the CCHA to do this  since the 1986-1987 season when WMU's Wayne Gagne did it.

Let the Second Season Begin

It's a new season now, and the team needs to focus on getting that other monkey of their back. Michigan State hasn't been to Joe Louis Arena for the CCHA tournament since 2007. Michigan State lost to Northern in 2008 in three games in the quarterfinals. In 2009, Northern swept Michigan State in the CCHA first round. In 2010, Michigan State finished second in the CCHA only to see a red hot Michigan team come into Munn and upset the Spartans in two games in the CCHA quarters. In 2011, Michigan State lost a pair of overtime games in the CCHA first round in Alaska. So it's been awhile.

Check back here throughout the next couple weeks as we prepare for the upcoming series against Miami(NTM). We will also take a look at the NCAA picture once again tomorrow, as well as start to break down some of the other CCHA playoff series.

Spartans Lose to Irish, Control of Home Ice

Michigan State came into this weekend winners in five of their last six games. Notre Dame came into this weekend on a five game losing streak. Both teams were in desperate need of a win, but it was the Irish that came away with the hard fought 2-0 victory - sending Michigan State away to their 11th straight game without a victory over Notre Dame.

The good news for MSU fans is despite this loss, Michigan State clinched a first round bye thanks to Ohio State and LSSU losing. The bad news is Miami beat Ohio State, which bumps MSU to fifth place, and on the road in the CCHA quarterfinals.

Michigan State is three points behind Michigan, and two points behind Western and Miami. MSU cannot pass Michigan in the standings, since Michigan owns the head to head tiebreaker, so the best MSU could do is third place if the Spartans win (3 points) and both Western & Miami lose (Miami would have to lose in regulation/OT, Western could still earn a point in a SO Loss).

Jeff Costello put the Irish ahead in the second period with a power play goal just 2:31 into the middle period. Peter Schneider put the game away with a goal 9:54 into the final period giving the Irish a 2-0 lead. The stats all point to an Irish victory, out-shooting Michigan State for the game, and dominating the face-off circle (nearly doubling the win total in the face-off category).

Home Sweet Home

How does MSU get home ice?


MSU cannot pass Michigan. Michigan owns the head to head tiebreaker with their 2-1-1 season series win in the CCHA. So we focus on the following:

3. Western 47 points (13 wins)
4. Miami  45 points (14 wins)
5. MSU   44 points  (13 wins)

Situation One (the easiest one):

Michigan State wins in regulation or OT

AND

Miami loses (any type) OR Western loses in regulation/OT

Western goes to Ferris tomorrow night, and Ferris is still playing for a #1  NCAA tournament seed, so the game means something to them. Miami plays at Ohio State, and that won't be easy, but man Ohio State is really falling apart right now.

What if all four teams (UM, WMU, M(NTM), MSU) all finish with 47 points?

Things get a little sticker. The first tiebreaker is conference wins. Michigan, Miami, and Michigan State would have 14 wins. Western would have 13. This would eliminate Western, put them in 5th place. The next tiebreaker would be head to head winning percentage. Michigan State went 1-4-1 against Michigan and Miami. Miami went 2-2 in head to head meetings (.500), and Michigan went 4-1-1. Michigan would be #2, Miami would be #3, and Michigan State would be #4 hosting #5 Western Michigan in 2 weeks.

What if three of the teams tie with 47 points?

It'll depend on which teams MSU are tied with. If it's Michigan and Miami, that would mean Western would have more than 47 points and be the #2 seed. Michigan would be the #3, Miami #4, and MSU #5. Ouch.

If it's Western and Miami, that means Michigan earned at least a point and is the #2 seed. Conference wins would be the next tiebreaker which puts Western at #5. Miami and MSU would still be tied with 14 conference wins, so the head to head tiebreaker is used, which Miami has and would be the #3 seed, which makes MSU #4.

If it's Michigan and Western - and Miami ends up with 48 points, Miami would be the #2 seed. At that point it comes down to conference wins which Michigan and MSU would have 14. That would make Western #5 again. MSU would be #4 since Michigan won the season series.

If it's Michigan and Western - and Miami ends up with 46 or 45 points, Michigan is the #2 seed by virtue of their season series win over MSU. MSU would be the #3 seed by virtue of having 14 conference wins to Western's 13. Miami would be the #5 seed, and Western would be the #4 seed.

What happens if it's a two way tie at 47 points?

Again, it'll depend.

Michigan-MSU & Miami has 48 points:  MSU would be the #5 seed since Western & Miami would be ahead of both MSU & UM. UM wins the tiebreaker based on head to head.

Michigan-MSU & Miami has 45 or 46 points:  Western would be ahead of both still, so they are #2. Michigan would be #3, and MSU would be #4 playing host to #5 Miami.

MSU-Western & Miami has 48 points:  Michigan would be #2, Miami #3, MSU #4, WMU #5

MSU-Western & Miami has 46-45 points: Michigan would be #2, MSU #3, Western #4, Miami #5

MSU-Miami -  MSU would be #5 since UM and Western would have at least 48 points. Miami wins the head to head tiebreaker.

What happens if it's a two way tie at 46 or 45 points with Miami?

Miami would host MSU in the CCHA quarterfinals 4-5 match-up, based on the head to head tiebreaker.

So who do we root for?

 A plea from MSU Hockey Fans Everywhere Coach Daniels: Help your Alma mater out - beat Western!!!

Answer: Ferris State & Ohio State. In any situation, if Michigan State ends up tied with Western Michigan, Michigan State would host in the CCHA quarterfinals. So - go Bulldogs! If Miami were to lose, and Michigan State were to win, the Spartans would host assuming that MSU's win was at least 2 more points than Miami's loss (so if Miami lost in a shoot-out, MSU would have to win in OT or regulation).

What could make this even more fun is if MSU finds themselves in OT. Michigan State plays at 7:35 pm tomorrow. Miami & Western play at 7:05 pm. Those games should be over before MSU's. If Miami earns 1 point in a shoot-out loss, and Michigan State finds themselves in OT - Coach Anastos might be forced to pull the goalie to try to break the tie in OT. At that point a shoot-out win does nothing. Though, you have to keep in mind NCAA hopes as well. If Miami lost in regulation or OT, then MSU would just need to win in a shoot-out, so the goalie can stay in the net in OT. 

But, this doesn't mean a thing if MSU doesn't at least win tomorrow.

 

 

Weekend Preview: Luck of The Irish

How does that saying go - If it wasn't for bad luck, we'd have no luck at all.

The 2011 - 2012 season hasn't exactly played out like the Irish expected. They came into the season ranked #1 in the polls, but it took all of one game to lose that ranking when they lost to defending national champion Minnesota-Duluth in their opening game. Like any good team though, they rebounded the next night and proceeded to jump out to a nice 10-2-3 start in their first 15 games.

I googled "Brian Kelly Smiles" - and this was about the best photo that came up

That's when things started to turn the other direction as Notre Dame is only 6-13-0 since that point. Coming into this weekend, Notre Dame is riding a five game losing streak, and you can point directly to their offensive production. The Irish have only scored four goals in their last five games. They've been shutout twice. Their last win was a 2-1 squeaker over last place Bowling Green.

 

Now all of a sudden things aren't as rosy for the Irish Hockey Team

 

This weekend is huge though for both teams. Notre Dame cannot actually catch Michigan State, but they certainly could knock the Spartans down a few spots. Both teams are fighting for home ice. Notre Dame currently sits in a tie for eighth place (11-12-3 CCHA, 16-15-3 overall) with Northern (Notre Dame has the tiebreaker). That is important since it is the last home ice spot in the first round. Michigan State holds the all-important fourth and final home ice spot for the CCHA quarterfinals coming into this weekend posting wins in five of their last six games (13-10-3-2 CCHA, 18-12-4 overall). All that stands between home ice and these two teams is each other. Win - and they are playing at home. Lose - and they'll need help (though MSU could still play at home - just in the first round). 

It should be noted that MSU is guaranteed a home ice series in the first round, should they fall into sixth place. MSU cannot fall further than sixth based on who plays this weekend. Notre Dame, Northern Michigan, Alaska, and Bowling Green are guaranteed to finish behind MSU. Miami or Ohio State is also guaranteed to finish behind MSU, because they play each other and both teams cannot earn enough points this weekend to pass MSU (though - each team has a chance to pass MSU, just both won't be able to). This means five teams (11th, 10th, 9th, 8th, and 7th) will finish behind MSU. This means MSU cannot finish lower than sixth. The issue will be finishing in fifth place - that will be good enough for a bye, but they'll be on the road. MSU could finish in second with a lot of help - but don't expect it. Michigan travels to last place Bowling Green. MSU would have to earn one more point than Western, four more than Michigan, and no fewer than one less point than what Miami earns to get second place. Got it?

 Oh man, I think my head hurts - why can't ND be independent in hockey too?

Did you catch all that coach?

What makes this even better, is Notre Dame could finish as high as a tie for fifth or as bad as ninth.  It gets even better when you throw the NCAA picture into this mess. Michigan State sits in 10th place in the PairWise and Notre Dame has fallen all the way to 22nd. Basically, both teams really need to win this weekend. The Irish need to win it to avoid us calling a code blue on the Irish NCAA at-large hopes, and Michigan State needs to avoid a bad weekend to fall back on the bubble - or worse - right past the bubble. 

Behind Enemy Lines:

Top Scorers:

T.J. Tynan    12 goals, 27 points  (tied w/ Krug for the lead in conference points)

Andres Lee   14 goals, 30 points

Riley Sheahan   9 goals, 24 points  (Red Wings draft pick)

Billy Maday     9 goals, 21 points

Austin Wuthrich  7 goals, 16 points

I should point out that four of these guys are not seniors. Tynan and Lee are sophomores, Wuthrich is just a freshman, and Sheahan is a junior. That makes for a bright future for the Irish, if they all come back. It'll be interesting to see who comes out on top after the weekend in conference scoring. Torey Krug has a chance, and for MSU to be successful this weekend, it'll help to see a lot of this:

All-American Candidate Torey Krug needs to show the Irish what Touchdown Jesus is really doing

In goal:

Mike Johnson   9-9-3,    2.63 GAA, .886 save %

Steven Summerhays    7-6-0, 2.93 GAA,  .887 save %

Not exactly gaudy goaltender numbers there considering ND and Jeff Jackson usually pride themselves on defense, defense, defense.

The Team Comparison:

 Offense:

Michigan State  3.09 Goals/Game (2nd CCHA)

Notre Dame  2.62 Goals/Game  (8th CCHA)

Defense:

Michigan State 2.53 Goals/Game (7th CCHA)

Notre Dame 2.82 Goals/Game (T-10th CCHA)

Power Play:

Michigan State 17.7%  (23 for 130, 7th CCHA)

Notre Dame  18.8 %  (31 for 165, 3rd CCHA)

Penalty Kill:

Michigan State 89.2 %  (116 for 130, 1st CCHA - and it's not even close)

Notre Dame   80.6%   (104 for 129, T-10th CCHA)

The second best PK in the CCHA has only killed off 85.3% of the power plays they've faced. That's a pretty large gap between first and second.

Notre Dame appears to give off to slow starts, as they have been outscored 37-22 in opening periods. They do comeback strong though holding a 36-29 edge in the second stanza. The third period is close as ND has been outscored by a 30-29 margin. Michigan State generally gets off to decent starts outscoring teams 35-29 in the opening frame, 34-26 in the middle frame, and 34-28 in the final period.

Michigan State holds a 59-38-4 all-time edge in this series, but Notre Dame holds a 24-21-7 edge in South Bend. What might be scary for MSU fans is MSU is on a 10 game winless streak against Notre Dame (0-7-3). Michigan State hasn't won in South Bend since 2006. 

Which I guess that means Michigan State is due to win in South Bend.

Both games are on TV (yay!). 8:35 pm face-off time on Friday (CBSCS) and Comcast has the 7:35 pm tilt on Saturday. 1240 AM on your radio dial Friday, 730 AM on Saturday due to the basketball game

Coach Jackson hasn't had a lot to smile about lately - all he needs is a little puck luck.

Final Thoughts:

This series is an absolute must have for both teams. That means we will probably see some great hockey this weekend. Michigan State is riding a nice little winning wave, and Notre Dame isn't. However, don't expect the Irish to simply roll over. The Irish will have the size advantage (no surprise there), and they haven't been a good match-up for Michigan State lately (thus the winless streak), but this year's Michigan State team has been a little different. Anything less than an all out effort this weekend will probably result in needing help to finish in the top four. The hockey team needs to take a page out of the basketball team's book - go into a tough environment - and pull out a pair of good wins. MSU leads Miami by two points, so State needs five to guarantee home ice (Miami would hold the head to head tiebreaker). That's a win and a shoot-out win. The only thing they can control is what they do, so there is no sense in looking up at the scoreboard.

Win, and then you won't need to worry about having any luck at all.