Kurt Kivisto Class: Senior Hometown: Brighton, Mich. Height / Weight: 5-8 / 175 Position: Forward Birthdate: 03/08/1985 Previous Team: Cleveland Barons (NAHL)

Smart player with a great approach to the game ... Role player with a terrific attitude and work ethic ... Is strong on the penalty kill and should challenge for more game action as a senior.

2007-08 (Junior): Played in a career-high 28 games, earning a regular spot on the fourth line with Zak McClellan.

2006-07 (Sophomore): Continued to make impressive strides in his second varsity season after making the squad as a walk-on in 2005-06 ... Appeared in 14 games after making the lineup just twice as a freshman ... Tallied his first collegiate goal (10/28) against Sacred Heart. It stood as the game winner ... Had his first career assist in the next game he dressed, a 7-4 victory over Michigan (11/3) ... One of four Spartans who has won greater than half the faceoffs he has taken (minimum 75 draws), with a .523 success rate.

2005-06 (Freshman): Appeared in his first game in the Spartan uniform against Northern Michigan (11/4).

PRIOR TO MSU: Spent two seasons (2003-05) with the Cleveland Barons of the North American Hockey League ... Tallied 13 goals and 21 assists for 34 points in 55 games in 2004-05 ... Recorded four goals and 11 assists for 15 points in 55 contests in 2003-04 ... Teammate of junior goaltender Bobby Jarosz at Cleveland ... Prior to playing with the Barons, was a three-year letterwinner (2000-03) in hockey at Brighton High School ... Was a member of the All-State Dream Team in 2002-03 along with being selected the KVC Player of the Year and County Player of the Year.

PERSONAL: Born March 8, 1985 ... Civil engineering major who is beginning work on a Masters Degree in geotechnical/geoenvironmental engineering in the spring of 2009 ... Enjoys basketball, football and water skiing ... Graduated from Brighton High School ... Favorite NHL team: Detroit Red Wings ... Favorite NHL player: Henrik Zetterberg... Son of Phil and Karen Kivisto ... Has two brothers, Mark and John, who attend Michigan Tech; John plays hockey for the Huskies ... Also has a sister, Kristine (17) and a brother Tommy (14) ... Cousins, Dwight and Lars Helminen, both play pro hockey; Dwight played collegiately at Michigan and recently signed with Carolina, while Lars graduated from Michigan Tech in 2007 and will play this season in Austria... Completed a co-op with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) in Brighton in the summers of 2007 and 2008.