It's a new season, and starting the year off with double digit freshmen, you can probably expect a lot of highs and lows this season. The good news for Spartan fans is that they have nowhere to go but up right now. The Spartans were blitzed at Minnesota this weekend losing 5-1 and 7-1. On Friday, Michigan State looked like they got stronger as the game went along, despite what the score might tell you. Saturday was a different story though as Minnesota kept pouring it on. The Gophers jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Friday, and they managed to top themselves with a 4-0 opening period the second night. The second didn't start out much better for MSU as the Gophers tallied the 5th goal of the night just 30 seconds into the period. Brent Darnell broke up the shutout early on in the third period, but MSU was simply out classed in this one. Will Yanakeff had 18 saves (6 GA) in two periods of play. Jake Hildebrand saw his first action of his college career playing the final frame giving up 1 goal on 9 shots.
Michigan State returns home next weekend to take on Niagara in another non-conference series. Right now MSU has a lot to work on, so it will be interesting to see the level of improvement from week to week.
Around the CCHA
Only three CCHA teams got through the weekend undefeated. Miami swept Colgate (3-0, 5-1), Northern Michigan swept Wisconsin (2-1, 4-2), and Notre Dame beat Maine (1-0) and UNO (3-2) at the Icebreaker tournament.
Alaska, BGSU, and Ferris State went winless this weekend. Alaska lost to Canisius (3-1), and tied Air Force (3-3). BGSU was swept by Union (5-3, 4-1), and Ferris State lost and tied at Rensselaer (3-1, 2-2).
LSSU, Michigan, Ohio State, and Western Michigan all split. LSSU beat Michigan Tech at home 4-2, but lost at Tech 8-4. Michigan split a home series with RIT losing the opener in OT (5-4) before winning the next night 7-2. Ohio State split at UMD losing 6-2 the first night and winning 3-2 the second night. Western lost the opener at home against St. Lawrence in OT (4-3), but won 3-2 the next night.
CCHA Power Rankings:
1. Notre Dame (2-0-0, LW: 3). The two teams in front losing moves them up, but the Irish played well this weekend. A Thursday-Friday home series against UMD awaits the Irish this upcoming weekend.
2. Miami (2-0-0, LW: 5). A good home series to start off the season in Oxford, and Miami looks to continue the home dominance with a series against Providence coming up.
3. Western Michigan (1-1-0, LW: 1). A little surprised the Broncos lost at home to St. Lawrence. They'll get another chance to win a pair as Canisius comes back to the lower 48.
4. Michigan (1-1-0, LW: 2). It wasn't a good start at Yost, but Michigan's offense really overwhelmed RIT the next night. Michigan hosts Bentley in a single game on Friday.
5. Northern Michigan (2-0-0, LW: 7). A good series against Wisconsin at home, but let's see if Northern can do it on the road as they go to UNO this week.
6. Ferris State (0-1-1, LW: 6). Not the greatest weekend for the Bulldogs as many question marks remain.. They host Mercyhurst this week.
7. LSSU (1-1-0, LW: 8). A split against Michigan Tech is no longer considered a bad weekend. They move on to Bemidji State this week.
8. Ohio State (1-1-0, LW: 9) The Buckeyes won a game at UMD, which could come in handy come March. They continue on the road this week at Quinnipiac.
9. Alaska (0-1-1, LW: 10) Although they didn't win, they showed some positive signs against Air Force. They get Merrimack & North Dakota at home this week.
10. Michigan State (0-2-0, LW: 4). A tough start in year two for Coach Anastos', but there is still a lot of season left to be played. MSU hosts Niagara this week.
11. Bowling Green (0-2-1, LW: 11). It's looking like another long year in Bowling Green. Let's see if a road series at Colgate could fix things.
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (2-0-0, LW: 1). The NCAA has been put on notice.
2. Michigan (1-1-0, LW: 2). Can't move Michigan down because of what happened behind them.
3. Ohio State (1-1-0, LW: 5). The Buckeyes won a road game.
4. Wisconsin (0-2-0, LW: 4). Losing a pair at Northern isn't the worst thing in the world.
5. Michigan State (0-2-0, LW: 3). They did lose to the #1 team in the country.
6. Penn State (1-1-0, LW: 6). They did win - and congrats on that victory, but they lost & won in OT to a team that went 8-26-3 last year, 8-24-1 the year before, 8-24-1 the year before that (see a pattern?).
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
#1/2 Minnesota 5 Michigan State 1
The 2012-2013 season is underway, as Michigan State visited #1/#2 Minnesota for a weekend series.
Things didn't get off to the greatest start as Minnesota built a 3-0 lead in the first 13:38 of the opening period. The Gophers out-shot MSU 13-5 in the first period. The Spartans went 0 for 1 with the extra man in the period.
The Spartans seemed to find their legs in the middle period, but Minnesota expanded the lead to 4-0 with 2:14 remaining in the period. The Gophers out-shot the Spartans 13-10 for the period. In the final frame, Michigan State got a few more chances early on, but they could not convert nor could they convert a couple more power play chances. Minnesota made it 5-0 on a two man advantage that they put six shots on goal. Will Yanakeff kept Minnesota off the board as long as possible, but they finally got one past him with a scrum in front.
Tanner Sorenson tallied the first goal for Michigan State with 4:01 to go in the game, and David Bondra got credited with the lone assist. Minnesota out-shot MSU 16-11 in the final period for a 42-26 edge in the game. The Spartans actually held a 32-30 edge in draws, and Yanakeff did play well in net despite giving up five goals. MSU finished 0 for 3 on the power play, and Minnesota was 1 for 2.
The two teams meet again tomorrow night at 9 pm Eastern.
Things didn't get off to the greatest start as Minnesota built a 3-0 lead in the first 13:38 of the opening period. The Gophers out-shot MSU 13-5 in the first period. The Spartans went 0 for 1 with the extra man in the period.
The Spartans seemed to find their legs in the middle period, but Minnesota expanded the lead to 4-0 with 2:14 remaining in the period. The Gophers out-shot the Spartans 13-10 for the period. In the final frame, Michigan State got a few more chances early on, but they could not convert nor could they convert a couple more power play chances. Minnesota made it 5-0 on a two man advantage that they put six shots on goal. Will Yanakeff kept Minnesota off the board as long as possible, but they finally got one past him with a scrum in front.
Tanner Sorenson tallied the first goal for Michigan State with 4:01 to go in the game, and David Bondra got credited with the lone assist. Minnesota out-shot MSU 16-11 in the final period for a 42-26 edge in the game. The Spartans actually held a 32-30 edge in draws, and Yanakeff did play well in net despite giving up five goals. MSU finished 0 for 3 on the power play, and Minnesota was 1 for 2.
The two teams meet again tomorrow night at 9 pm Eastern.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Junior Greg Wolfe Named Captain
Coach Tom Anastos announced that junior forward Greg Wolfe was named Captain for the 2012 - 2013 season. Seniors Anthony Hayes, Chris Forfar, and Matt Grassi were named alternate captains.
With so many incoming freshman, Coach Anastos decided to wait until the first week of the regular season to officially name a captain, so all the players could have their input. Leadership on this team will be key this season, as the Spartans are breaking in so many new players.
Michigan State gets their season underway on Friday at #2 Minnesota.
With so many incoming freshman, Coach Anastos decided to wait until the first week of the regular season to officially name a captain, so all the players could have their input. Leadership on this team will be key this season, as the Spartans are breaking in so many new players.
Michigan State gets their season underway on Friday at #2 Minnesota.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Reader E-mail
A new feature for the 2012 - 2013 season: do you have a question that you would like to ask? Feel free to e-mail me on our new reader e-mail page. We will provide our thoughts and opinions on MSU and college hockey throughout the 2012 - 2013 season. The more e-mails, the more often we'll answer.
Go to the Reader E-mail page or Click here to e-mail me
Go to the Reader E-mail page or Click here to e-mail me
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
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.
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.
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