Sports: MSU Favored to Win The CCHA Title

Because of its experience, MSU is the pre-season favorite to win the CCHA conference.

Last season, the Michigan State hockey team turned in a strong 23-13-4 record, a third-place CCHA finish and its 14th NCAA tournament appearancein the last 16 years, all without the benefit of a returning All-CCHA player. Entering this season the Spartans boast at least one player at every position who earned all-league honors and have the depth to back up that top-level talent. With only six letterwinners from last year's team departed, 16 returning and a solid seven-member freshman class, head coach Ron Mason hopes to lead the 1997-98 Spartans to their first CCHA title since 1990. 'It's exciting to get started every year,' Mason says. 'But some years you see a brighter future than others, and I think this is one of those years.'

Michigan State's trademark in 1996-97 was its defense, and with every defenseman and the top two goaltenders returning, that copyright should remain stamped on Munn Arena. The Spartans allowed the fewest goals per game last year (2.95) in 12 seasons and had the best penalty killing (87.3%) in school history. 'We've got experienced defense and experienced goaltending, and that's an area that should be in place and should be solid throughout the year,' Mason says. 'We feel that our penalty killing and our defensive awareness really should be very good.' All eight defensemen return, as well as the top two goalies. 'You've got to rely on your experience, and our experience lies more on defense than it does up front,' Mason says. 'We want to make sure that we have the same balance on offense as we do on defense. That's something we're going to have to work on and something you really can't predict.'

Chad Alban is the backbone of the defense in goal, and among his impressive numbers is a gaudy 2.88 career goals-against average,second-best all-time at MSU. In addition, Alban's exceptional ability to handle the puck gives Michigan State a dimension other teams don't have. The group of defensemen is just as strong, led by senior captain Tyler Harlton. Harlton's most impressive numbers are in the classroom--he has a 3.69 grade-point average in James Madison College--but his value on the ice cannot be measured in numbers. Named last season's Best Defensive Defenseman in the CCHA, he gives MSU a steady, tough defenseman as well as a great leader. He enters his third year as a team captain.

Up front, junior Mike York and senior Sean Berens return, making MSU the nation's only team with two returning all-league centers. Both have a potent mix of speed and stick handling ability and see the ice well. York and Berens rank third and sixth, respectively, among returning players in CCHA league scoring last year. Last season York became the first MSU sophomore to lead the team in scoring since Craig Simpson in 1984-85. York's 18-29-47 totals helped earn him honorable mention All-CCHA honors after finishing the season 10th in CCHA scoring. Berens, a second-team all-league honoree, followed closely behind in the team scoring race (20-24-44) and is the only player on the team with 100 career points. The best two-way player on the team, Berens finished third in the voting for CCHA Best Defensive Forward and was a keymember of MSU's best-ever penalty killing unit last year.

Mason believes that his 1-2 punch at center may be even deeper when you add sophomore center Shawn Horcoff. Horcoff, an honorable mention CCHA All-Rookie Team choice, had 10-13-23 totals in his rookie campaign, sixth on the team. His scoring potential was visible in his three two-goal games.