EAST LANSING- The Michigan State hockey team will begin the second half of its season on December 28 at Joe Louis Arena against Michigan Tech in the first round of the Great Lakes Invitational.
The Spartans come into the GLI on a six game unbeaten streak and are looking to defend last years GLI title.
Michigan State is off to their best start under Rick Comley at 12-3-2 and took advantage of 11 games on home ice in the first half to earn a top five national ranking.
The Spartans were led in the first half by the play of junior forward Tim Kennedy who has 12 goals and eight assists and the steady play on the blue line but Senior Dan Vukovic who has also contributed 14 points. They also continue to receive stellar goaltending from Jeff Lerg.
The Spartans came into the season as one of the top five teams in the country in large part because they returned the vast majority of last years National Championship team, but the season did not start the way they wanted when they were beaten soundly 6-0 by top ranked North Dakota in the season opener.
They rebounded by winning their next eight games including a sweep of Alaska in Fairbanks. The Spartans go winless in their next four games all of which were against ranked opponents, before finishing the first half with four consecutive wins.
Well the Spartans beat everyone they were supposed to in the first half it was more about missed opportunities then anything else for this Spartan team who went 0-3-2 against ranked opponents.
Two of those losses were to top ranked Miami at Munn and put the Spartans with an uphill battle for the CCHA title.
The second half of the season should provide some answers as to whether this team is the legitimate title contender it was thought to be at the beginning of the year or if they are just a very good CCHA team.
The Spartans have more then enough opportunities to prove themselves in the second half with a pair of games against #6 Notre Dame and four games against #2 Michigan.
The Green-and-White have a lot to prove in the second half of the season and it all begins Friday night at Joe Louis Arena with the first round of the GLI tonight against Michigan Tech.