Michigan State received a verbal commitment from North American Hockey League Rookie of the Year Mike Merrifield, giving them their first 2009 verbal.
A native of Beverly Hills, MI, Merrifield selected MSU over some of the top teams in the nation and will bring scoring punch and smarts to a MSU team that saw the early defection of three top players.
The 5-foot-9, 165-pound forward scored 57 points for the St. Louis Bandits and had a plus minus rating of +33 making him one of the most efficient players on the ice for St. Louis.
"Playing hockey for Michigan State has been a dream of mine since I was 7 years old,” said Merrifield. “I can't be happier. I want to thank the Bandits organization for helping this become a reality.”