Sports: Icers Seek to Defend NCAA Title

            The MSU ice hockey team proved it can be as good as, if not better than, the nation’s top-ranked team.

            The 2007-2008 icers are defending national champions. A tougher challenge is to play like NCAA champions every night.

            The Spartans, ranked in the top 10 most of the season, clearly belong atop college hockey.  In their four games against No. 1-ranked Michigan, they won 1-0 in Ann Arbor and 5-2 in East Lansing, tied 2-2 at Munn Ice Arena on a late self-goal, and lost at Joe Louis Arena.  Although the Spartans suffered some setbacks, such as losses to Northern Michigan, they proved they could beat any team, any where, any time.

            Junior goaltender Jeff Lerg won many accolades, including “Michigan’s Best” sports figure for 2007 by the Detroit Free Press and CCHA Goaltender of the Week for three straight weeks.  He is a candidate for the Hobey Baker award and also one of 11 finalists for the prestigious James E Sullivan Memorial Award, given to the nation’s top amateur athlete.

            Leading MSU in points were senior Bryan Lerg and juniors Tim Kennedy, Justin Abdelkader, MVP of last year’s Frozen Four, and Tim Crowder.  On defense, contributors came from every class—senior Daniel Vukovic, junior Brandon Gentile, sophomore Michael Ratchuk and freshman Jeff Petry.

            At season’s end, MSU clinched third place in the CCHA and Rick Comley was poised to lead the icers toward another run at a banner.