MSUSpartans.com   WEB
Hockey Faces In-State Rival Michigan This Weekend
 
  • print
  • email
  • font +
  • font -
  • rss

 
Defenseman Corey Potter and the Spartans face Michigan in a Thursday-Saturday match-up.
 
Defenseman Corey Potter and the Spartans face Michigan in a Thursday-Saturday match-up.
 
 

Nov. 16, 2004

EAST LANSING, Mich. -

Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

THIS WEEK'S ACTION
Michigan State (5-4-1 overall, 3-3-0 CCHA) returns to conference action with a pair of games against in-state rival Michigan (7-2-1 overall, 5-1-0 CCHA) this week. On Thursday, Nov. 18, the two teams meet in East Lansing for an 8:05 p.m. face-off as the game will be televised live by CSTV. On Saturday, Nov. 20, the series moves to Ann Arbor as the puck will drop at 7:35 p.m. Saturday's contest will be televised by Comcast Local Detroit.

MSU is coming off a three-point weekend against Cornell. On Friday, the teams skated to a 1-1 OT tie, while on Sunday, MSU posted a 2-0 blanking. Meanwhile, the Wolverines enjoyed a bye week after sweeping Miami (5-2 and 5-3) Nov. 5-6.

LAST TIME OUT
Friday, Nov. 12 -- at Michigan State 1, Cornell 1 (OT)
In a hard-fought game at Munn Ice Arena, Michigan State and No. 8 Cornell skated to a 1-1 overtime tie in game one. MSU, who outshot the Big Red 12-to-3 in the opening stanza, got on the board first with a power-play goal by Ash Goldie at the 5:54 mark. Cornell responded with a goal by Doug Krantz at the 4:11 mark of the second period to even the score at one. MSU had several great chances in the second stanza, but couldn't get the puck past Cornell netminder David McKee as State once again outshot the Big Red, 15-to-5. All told, MSU outshot the Big Red 37-to-21 for the game, including a 4-to-1 advantage in the extra session. McKee finished with 36 stops, while Dominic Vicari recorded 20 saves. State was 1-for-8 with the man advantage, while Cornell was 0-for-3 with the extra skater.
Sunday, Nov. 14 -- at Michigan State 2, Cornell 0
Behind a 32-save performance by Dominic Vicari, MSU blanked Cornell by a 2-0 count. Bryan Lerg started the scoring for the Spartans with a goal at the 15:43 mark of the opening stanza. Chris Mueller scored an insurance goal, just 5:13 into the final stanza to give the Spartans a two-goal cushion. Cornell netminder David McKee finished with 20 stops for the Big Red. MSU finished 0-for-3 with the man advantage, while Cornell was 0-for-4.

HE'S BAAAAAAAACK
JR D Corey Potter made his regular-season debut Friday after missing the first eight games with a shoulder injury. The Mason, Mich., native paired with SO Ethan Graham (Xenia, Ohio) to form MSU's No. 2 defensive pairing. Potter finished Friday's game with two penalty minutes, while on Sunday, he recorded four penalty minutes, a +1 rating and two shots on goal.

Overall, he has appeared in 75 career contests, posting four goals and 12 assists for 16 points. In addition, he has 40 penalties for 99 minutes.

FOR STARTERS
• Twenty-three of the last 24 meetings between Michigan State and Michigan have been decided by two goals or less, including five ties.
• State has killed off 13 straight opponent power-play attempts heading into Thursday's game with Michigan. Cornell, who entered last weekend with the nation's top power play, was held 0-for-7 with the man advantage in the two-game set.
• MSU's four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1) ranks tied for sixth in the nation. Alabama-Huntsville (5-0-1) and Vermont (4-0-2) are tied for the nation's longest unbeaten streak at six games.
• SR F Jim Slater, who led the team in plus/minus one year ago at +27, is at the bottom of the stat sheet at -6 this season.
• MSU is 4-2-1 at Munn Ice Arena this season and 1-2 in games played on the road.
• Last year, Spartan blueliners accounted for nearly 12 percent of the team's goals. This season, State rearguards have scored just one goal (Ethan Graham) in 10 games, accounting for just 3.5 percent of the team's goal production.
• The Spartans are 5-2-1 when they score the first goal of the game.
• FR F Chris Mueller scored his first collegiate goal in Sunday's 2-0 win over Cornell.
• Three of SR F Ash Goldie's five goals have been scored via the power play.

MICHIGAN STATE QUICK HITS
• MSU brings a 5-4-1 overall, 3-3-0 CCHA slate into this weekend's match-up with Michigan. The Spartans are coming off a tie (1-1 OT) and win (2-0) over Cornell last weekend.
• JR F Colton Fretter (6-5--11) continues to pace the Spartans in scoring with 11 points. SR F Jim Slater (2-6--8) is second with eight points, while SR F Ash Goldie (5-2--7) and SO D A.J. Thelen (0-7--7) are tied for third with seven points.
• In goal, SO Dominic Vicari is 4-3-1 with a 1.77 goals-against average and a .938 saves percentage, while SR Matt Migliaccio is 1-1 with a 2.59 GAA and a .901 saves percentage.
• State has converted on 11-of-77 (.143) of its power-play attempts, while killing off 45-of-53 (.849) of its opponents' power-play chances.
• MSU is second in the CCHA in shots on goal, averaging 36.3 shots per game. However, when it comes to netting goals, State ranks 10th in the CCHA and tied for 39th in the nation, averaging 2.80 goals per game.
• Defensively, the Spartans are allowing 2.20 goals per game to pace the CCHA and rank tied for fourth in the nation.

MICHIGAN QUICK HITS
• Michigan carries a 7-2-1 overall, 5-1-0 CCHA mark into this weekend's series. The Wolverines have been off since sweeping Miami (5-2 and 5-3) in Ann Arbor Nov. 5-6.
• Michigan is a perfect 4-0-1 at Yost Ice Arena this season.
• U-M head coach Red Berenson is in his 21st season behind the bench where he has compiled a 540-257-56 (.666) mark. His 504 victories rank 10th on the NCAA all-time coaching wins' list.
• JR F Jeff Tambellini (6-7--13) paces U-M in scoring with 13 points. SO F T.J. Hensick (3-9-12) and SR F Milan Gajic (5-5--10) are second and third with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
• In goal, JR Al Montoya is 7-2-1 with a 2.28 GAA and a .903 saves percentage.
• Michigan is averaging 4.00 goals per game to lead the CCHA and rank tied for second in the nation. U-M's opponents are averaging 2.30 goals per game to rank tied for seventh in the nation in scoring defense.
• Michigan's power play is connecting at 18.3 percent (13-of-71) while its penalty kill has stopped 57-of-65 attempts (.877). U-M's power play is fifth in the CCHA and 21st in the nation.

SERIES INFORMATION
According to MSU records, Michigan leads the all-time series, 126-112-11, which began with a 5-1 Wolverine victory on Jan. 11, 1922. However, in the last 12 meetings, the Spartans hold a slim 5-4-3 advantage.

MSU posted a 2-1-1 mark in the 2003-04 season series. The teams split the first two meetings of the season as U-M won game one, 2-0 in Ann Arbor (Dec. 5), before MSU responded with a 2-0 blanking in game two in East Lansing (Dec. 6). The teams skated to a 4-4 overtime tie in East Lansing (March 5), before State posted a 1-0 shutout at Joe Louis Arena (March 6).

LAST TIME OUT VS. MICHIGAN
Friday, March 5, 2004 -- at Michigan State 4, Michigan 4 (OT)
Michigan State and Michigan skated to a 4-4 overtime draw at Munn Ice Arena. Jeff Tambellini and David Booth each registered goals for their respective teams in the second period, before a pair of Wolverine goals 25 seconds apart gave U-M a 3-1 lead with 1:05 left in the period. However, Brock Radunske would pull State to within one (3-2) with 54 seconds remaining in the middle stanza. In the third period, back-to-back goals by A.J. Thelen and Mike Lalonde put the Spartans up 4-3 with 9:10 to play. Michigan's Jason Ryznar would tie the game at four right off the face-off with 1:18 remaining. Both teams had opportunities in the extra session, including MSU's Lee Falardeau who had a goal waved off due to a high stick. Dominic Vicari finished with 27 stops, while Al Montoya recorded 31 saves.
Saturday, March 6 -- Michigan State 1, Michigan 0 (at Joe Louis Arena)
Mike Lalonde redirected a Tommy Goebel shot with 5:36 to play to lift Michigan State to a 1-0 victory over Michigan in front of a packed-house of 20,066 fans at Joe Louis Arena. Dominic Vicari, who earned No. 1 star of the game honors, stopped 34 shots en route to his seventh shutout of the season. Al Montoya finished with 25 stops.

IT COULD BE A SHOOT OUT
MSU ranks second in the CCHA in shots on goal, averaging 36.3 per game. This week's opponent, Michigan is the No. 1 team in the CCHA, averaging 37.2 per game.

SPARTAN-WOLVERINE TIES
• MSU's Bryan Lerg is a freshman on the Spartan hockey team, while his dad, Dan, played hockey at Michigan from 1977-80.
• Munn Ice Arena manager Tom Campbell is the uncle of U-M SR F and East Lansing native Charlie Henderson.

WEEKLY HONORS
SO G Dominic Vicari earned CCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors after stopping 52-of-53 shots (.981) in a weekend tie and shutout over No. 8 Cornell. It marked the second time in his career that he has earned CCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors.

BLANKING THE OPPONENT
Dominic Vicari posted his first shutout of the season and the eighth of his career as he stopped 32 shots in Sunday's 2-0 win. With the shutout, Vicari moved into third place on MSU's career blankings list, surpassing Bob Essensa (1983-87) who had seven. Ryan Miller (1999-2002) is State's career leader with 26, while Chad Alban (1994-98) is second with 12.

BETWEEN THE PIPES
Dominic Vicari continues to shine for MSU between the pipes. Over the course of the last four games, the Clinton Township, Mich., native is 3-0-1 with a 0.98 GAA and a .963 saves percentage.

To further breakdown his marks, take note: he earned No. 1 star of the game honors after stopping 32 shots and holding Cornell 0-of-4 with the man advantage in Sunday's 2-0 win. On Friday, he stopped 20-of-21 shots in MSU's 1-1 OT tie with Cornell en route to No. 2 star of the game honors.

In addition, he put together solid back-to-back efforts in State's sweep of Ferris State (Nov. 5-6). In Friday's 4-2 win, Vicari stopped 27 shots, including 12 in the middle stanza en route to No. 2 star of the game honors. In Saturday's 5-1 road win, Vicari stopped 26 shots, including 12 in the opening stanza and helped stop all five FSU power-play attempts as he earned No. 3 star of the game honors.

AND MORE ON THAT GOALIE
For the season, Dominic Vicari is 4-3-1 with a 1.77 GAA and a .938 saves percentage. He ranks second in the CCHA and eighth in the nation in GAA, and second in the CCHA and ninth in the nation in saves percentage.

SPREADING THE WEALTH
Of the 23 forwards and defensemen who have suited up for MSU this season, 19 of those 23 players have at least one point. Among the group, 12 of the 23 have at least one goal through the first 10 games.

Of MSU's top-nine point producers: two are seniors (Jim Slater and Ash Goldie); two are juniors (Colton Fretter and David Booth); three are sophomores (A.J. Thelen, Drew Miller and Tommy Goebel); and two are freshmen (Chris Mueller and Jim McKenzie).

A TELLING TALE
As might be expected, it has been a tale of two teams this season for Michigan State. For example:
• In its four victories, MSU is averaging 4.2 goals per game. On the other hand, State has scored a combined six goals (1.5 gpg) in its four losses.
• Defensively, it's almost the exact same story. The Spartans have allowed just six goals (1.2 gpg) in their five wins, while State has given up 15 goals (3.8 gpg) in its four losses.
• MSU is connecting at a 27.6 percent clip (8-of-29) on the power play when it wins and just 5.0 percent (2-of-40) when it loses.
• The first period has been MSU's strong suit in victories as the team has nine first-period tallies and are 5-0 when leading after one stanza.
• In its four losses, the first two periods have been State's down fall as opponents have outscored the Spartans by a combined margin of 10-to-2. The Spartans are 0-4 this season when trailing after 40 minutes.

SPARTAN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
SO G Dominic Vicari is this week's Spartan Player of the Week after his performance in MSU's tie and win over No. 8 Cornell last weekend. In Friday's 1-1 OT tie, the Clinton Township, Mich., native stopped 20-of-21 shots. In Sunday's 2-0 blanking, he finished with 32 saves for his eighth career blanking. All told, he stopped 52-of-53 shots (.981) on the weekend.

The Spartan coaching staff will select a Spartan Player of the Week each Monday.

TOUGH STRETCH FOR THE SPARTANS
MSU's next three opponents (Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota) will be a challenge for the Spartans as they have a combined mark of 21-7-1 and all three schools are ranked in the top 10 in the nation in this week's USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll and the USCHO.com/CSTV Hockey poll. Michigan (7-2-1 overall) is ranked No. 2 in both polls and will meet the Spartans Nov. 18 in East Lansing and Nov. 20 in Ann Arbor. Wisconsin (7-3-0 overall) is No. 4 and Minnesota (7-2-0 overall) comes in at No. 3. The Spartans will head to Madison, Wis., and Minneapolis, Minn., over the Thanksgiving weekend.

SPEAKING OF RANKINGS
MSU is 2-0-1 against ranked teams this season. The Spartans beat then-No.7/8 New Hampshire, 5-1 on Oct. 17. Last weekend (Nov. 12 & 14), MSU posted a 1-1 OT tie and a 2-0 blanking of then-No. 8/8 Cornell.

ONE LAST LOOK - MSU VS. COR NOTEBOOK
Notes from Friday's 1-1 OT tie:
• SR F Ash Goldie extended his scoring streak to three games as he scored State's lone goal.
• JR F David Booth remains on a points roll with an assist on the Spartans' first goal and has had at least one point in the last three games.
• JR D Corey Potter suited up for the first time this season after sitting out eight consecutive games with a shoulder injury sustained in the exhibition against Toronto Oct. 10.
• Michigan State is 4-0-1 when leading after the first period.
• Cornell, who entered the game with the nation's No. 1 power-play unit at 30.8 percent, was held 0-for-3 with the man advantage.
• Michigan State is 6-2-0 all-time in games played on Nov. 12.
• MSU was whistled for just three penalties (six minutes) while Cornell was called for nine (29 minutes).
• The three stars of the night were No. 1 - David McKee, Cornell goaltender (36 saves); No. 2 - Dominic Vicari (20 saves); and No. 3 - Ash Goldie (one goal).
Notes from Saturday's 2-0 win:
• After being held without a point in Friday night's contest, FR F Chris Mueller scored his first goal of the season and career at 5:13 of the third period.
• FR F Bryan Lerg collected his first goal in eight games and his first game winner when he scored at 15:44 of the first period.
• The Spartans lead the overall series against Cornell, 3-1-1.
• The Spartans handed the Big Red their first loss of the season on Sunday. Cornell had entered the game as the nation's only unbeaten team.
• The Spartans stopped the Big Red on the power play over the weekend. Cornell, who led the nation on the power play coming into this weekend's series, was held 0-for-7 with the man advantage.
• SO G Dominic Vicari posted his first shutout of the season and the eighth of his career as he stopped 32 shots. With the shutout, Vicari moved into third place on MSU's career blankings list, surpassing Bob Essensa (1983-87) who had seven. Ryan Miller (1999-2002) is State's career leader with 26.
• The three stars of the night, all from MSU, were No. 1 - Dominic Vicari (shutout - 32 saves); No. 2 - Chris Mueller (first collegiate goal); and No. 3 - Bryan Lerg (game-winning goal).

THE ROOKIES HAVE IT
Both of MSU's goals in Sunday's 2-0 were scored by Spartan rookies. F Bryan Lerg scored the game-winning tally at the 15:43 mark of the opening stanza, while F Chris Mueller tallied his first collegiate marker, just 5:13 into the third period.

DEFENSE IS GETTING IT DONE
Over the course of the last four games, MSU is allowing just 1.00 goals per game en route to a 3-0-1 mark. The Spartans recorded their first shutout of the season, a 2-0 win over Cornell on Sunday.

In addition, State has stopped 17-of-18 (.944) of opponent's power-play attempts during this stretch.

DEFENSE IS GETTING IT DONE PART II
For the season, MSU leads the CCHA and ranks tied for fourth in scoring defense at 2.20 goals per game. Cornell, MSU's last opponent, sits atop the national leaders, allowing just 1.17 goals per game. MSU's Nov. 27 opponent, Minnesota, is second in scoring defense at 1.89 goals allowed per game.

STAYING OUT OF THE PENALTY BOX
The Spartans are the least penalized squad in both the CCHA and nation, averaging 12.8 penalty minutes per game. In their two-game set with Cornell, State was called for a total of nine penalties - an average of 4.5 per game.

For comparison purposes, the top penalized team (Ohio State) is averaging 29.4 penalty minutes per game.

INCONSISTENCIES WITH MAN ADVANTAGE
It has been a struggle at times for the Spartans with the man advantage. In their five wins, the Spartans are connecting at a 27.6 percent clip (8-of-29) with the man advantage. State has at least two power-play tallies in three of the five victories.

However, it has been a different story in the team's four losses as MSU is just 2-for-40 (.050) with the extra skater. The Spartans have had plenty of opportunities in those games as State had 11 power-play attempts vs. St. Lawrence (0 goals); 12 and 10 vs. Northern Michigan (1 goal each night); and seven vs. Nebraska-Omaha (0 goals).

POWER PLAY MUST BE KEY TO SUCCESS
One of the keys to Michigan State's success over the past few seasons has been the Spartans' power play. In 2003-04, MSU's power play ranked 25th in the nation and fourth in the CCHA at 17.8 percent (31-of-174).

To further illustrate MSU's success, take note: MSU led the CCHA and ranked third in the nation with the man advantage at 27.5 percent (50-of-182) in 2002-03. MSU led the CCHA and finished ninth in the nation on the power play in 2001-02 at 22.5 percent (45-of-200). The Spartans also led the CCHA and ranked seventh in the nation at 22.7 percent (52-of-229) in 2000-01, while in 1999-2000, State once again led the CCHA and ranked sixth in the nation at 22.9 percent (56-of-245).

YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT
MSU's top line of Jim Slater, Mike Lalonde and Tommy Goebel, who spent the majority of last season atop the line chart, have combined for just 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) this season. One year ago (through the first 10 games), the trio had accounted for 44 points (22 goals, 22 assists).

Lalonde, who led the Spartans with 22 goals last year, has just one marker this season. At this point last year, Lalonde already had 13 points (six goals, seven assists) while he has just three this season (one goal, two assists).

THE THREE "ER" LINE
One of MSU's top lines to date has been the three "ers" or the line of Drew Miller, Chris Mueller and Colton Fretter. The trio not only has been the grinders on the team, but they have been lighting up the scoreboard. The line, which began playing together for the Oct. 17 New Hampshire game, has accumulated 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) in the nine games they have played as a line -- an average of 2.56 points per game.

All told, they have been responsible for 29.9 percent of the team's offensive production, including 35.7 percent (10-of-28) of the team's goal scoring.

BREAKING DOWN THE THREE "ER" LINE
Fretter, a junior, paces the team in points with 11 (six goals, five assists). Fretter, who had entered Friday's Cornell series with a point in seven-straight contests, was held scoreless for the first time this season.

Miller, a sophomore, has six points (three goals, three assists) in 10 games after scoring just 10 (four goals, six assists) all of last season. In addition, he ranks as one of the team's top defensive forwards with 20 blocked shots to his credit.

Mueller, only a freshman, has six points (one goal, five assists) in 10 games. He tallied his first career marker in State's 2-0 blanking of Cornell Sunday. The interesting note on Mueller is the fact he has only played high school hockey (Nichols School - Buffalo, N.Y.) and midget AAA hockey prior to arriving at MSU.

"SKATE WITH SPARTANS" SET FOR MONDAY, NOV. 22
The annual "Skate with the Spartans," sponsored by the MSU Blue Line Club, will be held at Munn Ice Arena on Monday, Nov. 22, from 6 to 7 p.m. The event features an opportunity for fans to "skate with the team" while getting autographs from MSU hockey players and coaches alike. It is a great chance for Spartan enthusiasts to get pictures taken with their favorite players and enjoy some fun at the arena.

"This is a great opportunity for our fans to come out and meet this year's team," said head coach Rick Comley. "Our players really look forward to the interaction with the young Spartan fans."

THE NATIONAL POLLS
Michigan State has moved into the top 15 in the Nov. 15 USCHO.com/CSTV poll, coming in at No. 14. In this week's USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, the Spartans received 28 votes and would be "unofficially" 16th.

This week's opponent Michigan is No. 2 in both polls, right behind No. 1 Boston College. All told, four CCHA teams are ranked in the USCHO.com/CSTV poll. In addition to U-M and MSU, Ohio State came in at No. 7 and Northern Michigan at No. 13.

DID YOU KNOW?
Eight current Spartans (Tyler Howells, Chris Lawrence, Bryan Lerg, Drew Miller, Adam and Jared Nightingale, Jim Slater and Dominic Vicari) have fathers who played college or professional sports. However, of those eight, only Howells', Lerg's and Miller's dads played college hockey. Howells' dad, Robert, played at Bemidji State; Lerg's father, Dan, played at Michigan; while Miller's dad, Dean, was a Spartan.

ON THIS DATE
On games played on Nov. 18, MSU is 5-2-1:
• In 1995, MSU had a 2-1 lead late in the third period against Miami, propelled by Anson Carter's two first-period goals. Miami pulled its goalie and with the man advantage tied the game at two, sending it to overtime. Mike York and Carter combined to feed Mike Watt a pass, who netted the game-winning goal for the Spartans. Carter's three points marked his 149th, 150th and 151st of his MSU career.
• In 1983, MSU traveled to Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor to face the Wolverines. The Spartans downed the Wolverines, 6-3, powered by two goals from current CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos. Mike Donnelly and Newell Brown added two points each for State.
• And, on a side note ... MSU is 2-0-1 in overtime games on Nov. 18.
On games played on Nov. 20, MSU is 2-8-1:
• In 1981, Michigan defeated MSU, 4-3. The Spartans took a 2-0 first period lead, then U-M scored two of its own in the second stanza to even the contest. Michigan scored two quick goals in the third, which proved to seal the game. Several game-misconduct fighting penalties were given in the hard-fought U-M win.
• In 1992, Illinois-Chicago jumped out to a two-goal lead and held the Spartans scoreless until 19:59 in the third period when Rem Murray scored a power play-goal to narrow the lead to 2-1. Bryan Smolinski evened the game in the third period, and Murray netted the game-winning goal with less than five minutes to go in the game. Kelly Harper had three assists as MSU took the win 3-2.

MSU HEAD COACH Rick Comley
In his third season behind the Michigan State bench is Rick Comley. Comley, who was named head coach on March 25, 2002, became just the fifth head coach in MSU hockey history.

He carries a 648-510-76 (.556) career record in 31 seasons and ranks seventh all-time on the NCAA hockey coaches wins list. In addition, his 648 career victories ranks third among active NCAA coaches, behind Boston College's Jerry York (701 wins) and Boston University's Jack Parker (697 wins).

The 2003-04 Spartan squad finished the season with a 23-17-2 overall slate en route to advancing to the NCAA Tournament. State came within three points of winning the league's regular-season crown as the Spartans finished with a third-place 17-9-2 CCHA mark. State, which made its 23rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2004, finished the season ranked 14th in the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine poll and 12th in the USCHO.com poll.

The accolades continued to pile up for MSU players as forward Jim Slater and defenseman A.J. Thelen both earned All-America Second-Team honors for the first time in their careers. Slater also was a Hobey Baker Finalist, marking the seventh straight year that the Spartans have had a Hobey Baker finalist. In addition, Thelen and goaltender Dominic Vicari were selected to the CCHA All-Rookie Team. Thelen became the third Spartan blueliner to receive the CCHA's Best Offensive Defenseman award, while Vicari picked up the CCHA's Best Goaltender after leading the conference with six blankings.

In his first season at MSU, he led the Spartans to a 23-14-2 (.615) overall mark. He became one of just seven coaches to reach the 600-win plateau, a feat he accomplished on Oct. 24, 2002, when the Spartans beat Lake Superior State, 7-0. In addition, he coached a pair of All-Americans in senior defensemen John-Michael Liles and Brad Fast. Liles led the team in scoring en route to earning the CCHA Best Offensive Defenseman award, while Fast finished second in scoring and was the recipient of the CCHA's Best Defensive Defenseman award.

Comley brings 31 years of head coaching experience and a proven record of success at the conference and national levels. During his career, he's coached nine Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalists, including 2003 finalist John-Michael Liles and 2004 finalist Jim Slater; 14 All-Americans; four league players of the year; 25 first-team all-league selections, including 2004 honorees Jim Slater and A.J. Thelen; and 80 academic all-league selections.

SPARTAN HOCKEY TICKET INFORMATION
Single-game tickets are available for all games. Single-game tickets are $20 each, $8 for MSU students with one per ID.

There is also the "Hat Trick" Plan where fans can pick any three games (except the Nov. 18 Michigan game).

Group tickets are available for all games except the Nov. 18 Michigan game. Tickets are $8 each for groups of 30 or more.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the MSU Athletics Ticket Office in Jenison Field House, by phone (1.800.GO STATE or 517.355.1610) or online (msuspartans.com). The ticket office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

If you need more information or have additional questions, please contact the MSU Athletics Ticket Office.

THE Rick Comley RADIO SHOW
The Rick Comley Radio Show will run throughout the season, on Wednesdays at 6 p.m., on WVFN-AM 730. The hour-long show originates from Reno's East Sports Bar in East Lansing. Jerry Marshall serves as the host of the program.

UP NEXT
The Spartans head to the College Hockey Showcase over the Thanksgiving weekend. MSU faces Wisconsin in Madison, Wis., on Nov. 26, before heading to Minneapolis, Minn., to face Minnesota on Nov. 27.