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Dwayne Norris MSU Athletics
 Dwayne Norris Honored as Distinguished Spartan
It's been 20 years since Dwayne Norris graduated from Michigan State - but the memories and lessons learned during his four years as a student and standout hockey player remain vivid for player known then and even now, as "Newf."

Tom Anastos MSU Athletics
 Neil's Notebook: P for Progress
For Tom Anastos, there was a lot to like about his team's effort, energy and performance on Friday night in the NCAA East Regional. Unfortunately, there was one thing not to like, one thing that really stung: The final score.

Torey Krug meets with the media at Sundays selection show MSU Athletics
 Neil's Notebook: A Second Look at the Second Season
Tradition has been restored. Michigan State is back in the NCAA Hockey Tournament. The Spartans on Sunday morning ended a frustrating three-year run of not making the national tourney when the NCAA announced the 16-team field and MSU was included as the last at-large team.

Complete Archives

04/10/2012 - Dwayne Norris Honored as Distinguished Spartan
03/24/2012 - Neil's Notebook: P for Progress
03/19/2012 - Neil's Notebook: A Second Look at the Second Season
03/15/2012 - Neil's Notebook: Spartans Await NCAA Fate
03/11/2012 - Neil's Notebook: Different Effort, Though Same Result
03/02/2012 - Neil's Notebook: Yanakeff Coming On Strong
02/26/2012 - Neil's Notebook: Operation Rebound
02/23/2012 - Neil's Notebook: Final Weekend Big for Spartans
02/19/2012 - Neil's Notebook: Senior Night Script Has Happy Ending
02/18/2012 - Neil's Notebook: OT Monkey Comes off Spartans' Back
02/16/2012 - Neil's Notebook: Seniors Writing Happy Ending to Challenging Careers
02/13/2012 - Neil's Notebook: Final Games Critical in CCHA Race
02/12/2012 - Neil's Notebook: 'That's Hockey'
02/11/2012 - Neil's Notebook: Captain Krug Rises to the Occasion
02/09/2012 - Neil's Notebook: Spartans Excel on the Kill
01/29/2012 - Neil's Notebook: Third Period Is Recent Turning Point
01/26/2012 - Neil's Notebook: Krug's Leadership, Play Impressive
01/26/2012 - Championships Built On Memberships
01/23/2012 - Neil's Notebook: More 'Very Good Teams' Await Spartans
01/22/2012 - Neil's Notebook: Spartans Settle for Four Points in LSSU Weekend
01/21/2012 - Neil's Notebook: Spartans' Poise, Resiliency Pays Off
01/19/2012 - Neil's Notebook: Merrifield A Guy Who Makes Spartans Go
01/16/2012 - Neil's Notebook: Competitive CCHA is Tight in Standings
01/14/2012 - Neil's Notebook: Spartans Have Good, Bad News From Friday
01/12/2012 - Neil's Notebook: Spartans Look to Get Scoring Touch Back
01/07/2012 - Neil's Notebook: A Second Look at a Tough OT Loss
01/05/2012 - Neil's Notebook: Spartans Stress Consistency in Second Half
01/01/2012 - Neil's Notebook: GLI Brings About Fantastic Play, Heartbreak
12/30/2011 - Neil's Notebook: A Second Look at an 'Ugly Win'
12/28/2011 - Neil's Notebook: GLI Success Important to Krug, Spartans
12/21/2011 - Neil's Notebook: Nill Strives for Impact Beyond MSU Career
12/12/2011 - Neil's Notebook: A Second Look at the First Half
12/11/2011 - Neil's Notebook: A Second Look at the Shootout Victory
12/05/2011 - Neil's Notebook: Surging Spartans Making Up Ground
12/04/2011 - Neil's Notebook: Spartans Stay on Task to Sweep
12/01/2011 - Neil's Notebook: Scoring Questions Answered Early
11/27/2011 - Neil's Notebook: A Second Look at the Tie With the Gophers
11/26/2011 - Neil's Notebook: A second look at the Friday win over the Gophers
11/24/2011 - Neil's Notebook: Re-igniting A Future Rivalry With Minnesota
11/21/2011 - Neil's Notebook: A Second Look at the NMU Series
11/17/2011 - Neil's Notebook: Shelgren Prepared For, Savoring Senior Season
11/12/2011 - Neil's Notebook: A Second Look at Yanakeff's Performance
11/10/2011 - Neil's Notebook: Changes Suit Reimer's Game
11/14/2001 - Neil's Notebook: A Second Look at the Sweep of Western Michigan
11/07/2011 - Neil's Notebook: Changes Suit Reimer's Gam
11/04/2011 - Neil's Notebook: A Second Look at the First Month of the Season
10/31/2011 - Neil's Notebook: A Second Look at the Series Sweep of Robert Morris
10/29/2011 - Neil's Notebook: A Second Look at the Win Over RMU
10/27/2011 - Neil's Notebook: Wolfe Developing Into Goal Scorer
10/24/2011 - Neil's Notebook: A Second Look at the Home Opener
10/21/2011 - Neil's Notebook: A Second Look at the Ohio State shutout
10/17/2011 - Neil's Notebook: A Second Look at the Laker Series
10/13/2011 - Neil's Notebook: Nill Needs to Think Less, 'Have More Fun' Playing Hockey
10/10/2011 - Neil's Notebook: A Second Look at Opening Weekend
10/07/2011 - Neil's Notebook: Perlini's Skill, Will Helps Lead Spartans
10/04/2011 - Neil's Notebook: A Second Look at our First Look at the Spartans
09/27/2011 - Neil's Notebook: Hockey Media Day
08/25/2001 - Neil's Notebook: News from Spartan Pro Camp
 MSU Athletics

About The Author

Neil Koepke

Neil Koepke, one of the longest-tenured and most-respected college hockey journalists in the country, joined the staff of MSUSpartans.com as a hockey writer. Koepke will provide exclusive content to the site weekly throughout the college hockey season, extending his coverage of Spartan hockey into its 26th year.

Koepke has covered college hockey for 39 seasons, which includes the last 25 as the hockey beat writer for the Spartan hockey program in the Lansing State Journal. Prior to joining the LSJ staff, he had spent 13 seasons as the University of Michigan beat reporter for the Ann Arbor News and one year as an analyst with Ken Kal, now the voice of the Red Wings, on U-M radio broadcasts on WAAM.

Koepke joined the Lansing State Journal in the fall of 1986, beginning his beat when the Spartans were coming off an NCAA title the previous spring. As he did back in that fall, Koepke switches media outlets at a pivotal turning point in the MSU hockey program, as Michigan State kicked off its 71st season of varsity hockey - and the first in the head coaching career of former Spartan playerTom Anastos - in early October.

"Neil is someone who is well-known in the hockey community, and is well versed not only in the history of our program, but also on the history of college hockey on the whole," said MSU coach Tom Anastos. "He has a passion for our sport, and a passion for this program. While his work will now appear on the web instead of a printed newspaper, I am confident that his writing will continue to provide unique insight into the Michigan State program. I am excited that we were able to bring him aboard."

Koepke has covered 34 NCAA Frozen Fours, starting in 1977 when Wisconsin defeated Michigan 6-5 in overtime to win the NCAA title at Olympia Stadium in Detroit. He has covered Michigan State in seven of its Frozen Four appearances (1986, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1999, 2001, and 2007), the last six for the Lansing State Journal. In all, he has covered more than 1,000 Spartan hockey games over his last quarter-century of coverage.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Koepke began playing hockey at age 11 and spent one season playing for the Ohio State University freshman team as a goaltender. He graduated from the University of Detroit in 1970.