Michigan State Hockey: Spartans Prepare for Weekend Battle with Minnesota

The Boys are Back in Town! After a sweep of the Wisconsin Badgers last weekend in Madison. Michigan State hockey is heading home to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The No. 2 ranked Spartans (17-5-0) will come into this weekend looking to take two from a struggling Gopher team(8-14-1). Munn looks to be packed this weekend to keep the energy going for this teams as we inch closer and closer to the end of the season.

Honoring Dan Sturges

The Spartans will also be carrying a lot on their hearts this weekend as this will be the first time that the team has played since the unexpected death of Director of Hockey Operations Dan Sturges on Monday. Coach Adam Nightingale said in his weekly presser that Surges was “the glue for our whole team.” Sturges not only helped in the back office for the Spartan hockey program, but also was a former Spartan player. He played for the Spartans from 2005-2009 and was a member of the 2007 national championship team. The team did report that they will be wearing patches on their jerseys for the remainder of the season to honor Sturges and his contributions to Spartan hockey. Additionally, there is a scheduled moment of silence before the game.

Keys to the Weekend

Despite the emotional week for the program, there is a lot that the team has going for it into this weekend. The team received three nominees for the Hobey Baker award (Augustine, Martone, and Stramel) and moved up to No. 2 in the rankings. The Spartans will look to carry over the momentum they gained in Madison and continue to fire on all cylinders.

Despite their record, the Gophers are always have talented rosters. Thirteen of their players are drafted prospects for NHL teams and they are always reliable when it comes to producing high quality offense. Another interesting key in this matchup will be the goaltending matchup. The starter for the Gophers is former Spartan goalie Luca Di Pasquo. Di Pasquo spent most of his time with the Spartans as a backup, but his knowledge of the way that the Spartans play should not be overlooked. Even considering his 5-7 record as a starter this season, it should be a great matchup between the former roommates.

The Spartans defense will also be another key in this matchup. The Spartans are the top ranked scoring offense in all of college hockey. The dangerous first line pairing of Colin Ralph and Matt Basgall have been a problem for opposing defenses all season. The two have a combined scoring line of 3-20-23. Look for them to not only make their impact felt defensively but on the scoring sheet as well.

How to Watch

The Spartans and Gophers will have a Friday and Saturday series both at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing. Friday night, the puck will drop at 7pm and air on BTN+. Friday’s game will be free on BTN+. The Saturday night game will also be on BTN and will start at 6pm. Also listen to the game live on the Spartan Media Network.

Make sure to follow me @ikerss98 on X for updates throughout the weekend for Spartan Shadows.