After a two-week break for exams and Christmas, No. 1 ranked Michigan State hockey is back. This weekend the Spartans will be taking part in the Great Lakes Invitational. The tournament features some of the best hockey talent in the state of Michigan. The Spartans will face Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, and No. 6 Western Michigan in this tournament.
Tournament history
This year will mark the 58th edition of the Great Lakes Invitational. The tournament started back in 1965 and has been held annually outside of 2020 and 2021. From its inception until 2022, the tournament was located in Detroit at Olympia Stadium, Joe Louis Arena, and Little Caesars Arena, all homes of the NHL Detroit Red Wings. Following the Covid cancellations, the tournament moved to Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Van Andel Arena is the home of the Red Wings’ AHL affiliate the Grand Rapids Griffins.
The Spartans have the third most appearances in the tournament, only behind Michigan and Michigan Tech. The Spartans are tied with the Michigan Tech Huskies for second all-time in tournament wins. Both schools have won the tournament 12 times. The Spartans are looking to win the tournament for the 1st time since 2009. The team came very close last year losing to Michigan Tech in the championship game in a shootout. This season though, the Spartans are the clear favorites to win the tournament, even with missing players due to the IIHF World Junior Championships happening in Ottawa. The Spartans are currently missing two players, Trey Augustine and Maxim Strbak. While losing those players will even the playing field, it should provide for a great tournament.
Day 1 Matchup: Northern Michigan
Michigan State hockey will begin its fight to win the Great Lakes Invitational on Sunday night against the Northern Michigan Wildcats. The Wildcats (1-16-1) have had an abysmal season to say the least. Their only wins of the season so far have been against the University of Alaska Anchorage and a surprise win against No. 11 ranked Minnesota State in a shootout. It is important to remember that hockey is a very random sport, and anything can happen. That being said, the Spartans should be able to take care of business against the Wildcats.
The biggest issue for the Wildcats this season is the offense. The Wildcats only average 1.2 goals per game and are ranked near the bottom of the NCAA. The team has three players tied for 1st in goalscoring at only 3 goals. The team is also struggling defensively. A great stat to assess the defensive play for the team is looking at the +/- rating. There is only 1 player who has a positive rating at +1. That is a sign that your team is not going to be the most competitive.
The biggest focus for the Spartans for this game on Sunday needs to be to not overlook this team. The Wildcats have already beaten a ranked team this season. The task is more difficult considering that the Spartans do not have their starting goaltender and a good defenseman. The fact of the matter though is that this Spartan team has a level of depth that Northern Michigan does not have. Spartan fans should look for a very strong game offensively from the Spartans that will set them up for a trip to the GLI Championship game. The championship game will take place on Monday night where the winner of MSU and NMU will take on the winner of Michigan Tech and Western Michigan.
Where to watch/listen
The tournament will begin this Sunday with the Western Michigan and Michigan Tech game at 3:30 p.m. ET. The Spartans and Wildcats will follow at 7 p.m. from Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids. All GLI games will be available for streaming on BTN+. The Spartan games will also be available on select TV stations around the state. There will also be audio available for the games on the Spartan Media Network.
Stay tuned in to Spartan Shadows for updates on the GLI and all things Spartan hockey.
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