Two teams headed in two completely different directions.
Last weekend, the Michigan State Spartans (3-5-0 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, 5-6-1 overall), went from bad to disheartening. After falling Friday to rival and then-No. 2 Michigan (7-1-0 CCHA, 9-2-1 overall) in East Lansing, the Spartans lost again Saturday to the Wolverines 5-4 in Ann Arbor. Michigan State dropped into a tie for ninth in the CCHA standings and disappeared from both the USCHO.com online poll and the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll.
For the No. 2 Wisconsin Badgers (7-3-0 Western Collegiate Hockey Association, 9-3-0 overall), Alaska could have doubled for paradise. Coming off a home sweep of North Dakota, the Badgers kept the momentum rolling, sweeping Alaska-Anchorage (3-5-0 WCHA, 5-6-1 overall) to take over first place in the WCHA standings. Not bad for a trip to the frozen northwest.
\Those were two big ones for us because they were our first road victories,"" junior forward Ryan MacMurchy said. ""Alaska is always kind of a tough trip; it's a little different than every other one. You leave on a Wednesday, it's far away, and there is a lot more travel. It's just got a different feel to it. Going up there and playing our game and getting two wins, it was definitely really big for our team.""
The Badgers open up the weekend against Michigan State Friday night and Michigan Saturday in the 12th annual College Hockey Showcase. Michigan moved up to a consensus No. 1 in both polls and the Badgers took over the number two spot. The Spartans are facing consecutive weekends versus top-three competition, with No. 3 Minnesota set for Saturday night.
While Head Coach Rick Comley's squad is off to a rocky start, there is plenty of talent on this Spartan squad. Junior forward Colton Fretter is the unquestioned leader of the Spartan offense. Fretter, a 5'9' senior captain, leads the team with 12 points (six goals, six assists).
Senior forwards Ash Goldie and Jim Slater help round out the offense. Slater is second on the team with 11 points (four goals, seven assists) and Goldie leads the team with four power play goals. Michigan State found it tough to keep up with high-scoring Michigan last weekend, but they certainly have the talent to hang around in a shootout, a fact not lost on UW Head Coach Mike Eaves.
""Their captain Fretter is a very good player,"" Eaves said. ""He's a senior; he's a leader. They have a couple kids that played for us in the National Program, David Booth and Corey Potter. Vicari, their goaltender, was the goalie that was with us at the World Junior [Championships]. They play very hard. Like all good teams they give themselves the chance to win because they compete every night.""
If the Spartans have a team MVP to this point in the season, Vicari would win hands down. The sophomore goaltender has been the most consistent cog in Michigan State's machine, posting one shutout and allowing an average of 2.36 goals to go with a .917 save percentage.
Michigan State's lack of production on power plays and in short-handed situations has plagued them early in the season, especially in the losses to Michigan. The Spartans have scored only 14 power play goals and have yet to net a short-handed goal. The Badgers, on the other hand, have been phenomenal on special teams. Wisconsin boasts an 89.9 penalty-kill percentage and the defense looked spectacular again last weekend, only giving up two goals. Sophomore defenseman Jeff Likens, whose power play goal in overtime beat Michigan State last year, said their defensive intensity must carry over for the Badgers to have another successful weekend.
""The biggest thing is getting up into the play, as defenseman, getting into the flow of the game,"" Likens said. ""If you don't get into the flow of the game, if don't get up in the play, then you're kind of back and you kind of maybe get a little lackadaisical. But if you get up there, then you are in the flow and hitting and doing your job.""
The simple fact that this weekend is a matchup with both Michigan schools should provide incentive enough for Wisconsin to keep the momentum rolling.
""The bottom line is that we're going to have to go out there and play hard,"" junior center Nick Licari said. ""You have to play every game the same.""
