2008 Woodie Awards
MSU next for slumping team
By: Tim Ottusch
Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
The club hockey team hopes to end its three-game losing streak at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Suburban Ice Arena in East Lansing.
No. 5 Central faces No. 3 Michigan State after losing back-to-back games to Miami. If CMU loses Saturday, it would go 0-3 during the third ranking period. The previous losses make this a critical game to win, given the fact it also lost to No. 2 Davenport before the second rankings came out.
"It's extremely important after coming off this weekend, those two losses," said junior Andrew Anson. "We have to win this weekend. We have to win this weekend to be considered to move up in the rankings."
Lipar said losing to a top-ranked Central Region team would hurt the team just as much as losing four straight.
"If we win this game we get a chance to perhaps move up and at least stay where we are if we win," said senior Craig Lipar.
Michigan State, last year's American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II National Champion, is one of the most challenging teams Central will face.
"I think they returned pretty much all their team from last year, maybe minus one or two kids," Lipar said. "They have one of the best goaltenders probably in the ACHA. They're always tough."
The teams are familiar with each other and CMU knows exactly what Michigan State will do and what it needs to do to win.
"They're going to try to stretch us out and spread us out as much as possible," Anson said. "We're going to have to close that gap down and make sure everything works."
The team also is looking to stay out of the penalty box after taking numerous penalties that ultimately hurt it against Miami.
"Hopefully we can just stay out of the box and play disciplined hockey," Lipar said. "If we play them five-on-five we have a chance, but once we put them on the power play it's going to be a lot tougher for us to win."
The team has a couple weeks off after Saturday before hosting Eastern Michigan on Jan. 4 and Jan. 5.
sports@cm-life.com
No. 5 Central faces No. 3 Michigan State after losing back-to-back games to Miami. If CMU loses Saturday, it would go 0-3 during the third ranking period. The previous losses make this a critical game to win, given the fact it also lost to No. 2 Davenport before the second rankings came out.
"It's extremely important after coming off this weekend, those two losses," said junior Andrew Anson. "We have to win this weekend. We have to win this weekend to be considered to move up in the rankings."
Lipar said losing to a top-ranked Central Region team would hurt the team just as much as losing four straight.
"If we win this game we get a chance to perhaps move up and at least stay where we are if we win," said senior Craig Lipar.
Michigan State, last year's American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II National Champion, is one of the most challenging teams Central will face.
"I think they returned pretty much all their team from last year, maybe minus one or two kids," Lipar said. "They have one of the best goaltenders probably in the ACHA. They're always tough."
The teams are familiar with each other and CMU knows exactly what Michigan State will do and what it needs to do to win.
"They're going to try to stretch us out and spread us out as much as possible," Anson said. "We're going to have to close that gap down and make sure everything works."
The team also is looking to stay out of the penalty box after taking numerous penalties that ultimately hurt it against Miami.
"Hopefully we can just stay out of the box and play disciplined hockey," Lipar said. "If we play them five-on-five we have a chance, but once we put them on the power play it's going to be a lot tougher for us to win."
The team has a couple weeks off after Saturday before hosting Eastern Michigan on Jan. 4 and Jan. 5.
sports@cm-life.com
