Injuries are tallying up for the MSU hockey team as senior forward Tim Crowder suffered a shoulder injury in Saturday night’s 6-1 loss to then-No. 9 Miami (Ohio).
Head coach Rick Comley is unsure if Crowder will return this season.
Despite the injuries, the Spartans have been able to split the last three series against ranked opponents.
MSU will head to Joe Louis Arena and Yost Ice Arena to face off against No. 8 Michigan this weekend.
MSU head coach Rick Comley said a shoulder injury might keep senior forward Tim Crowder out the rest of the season.
“If he gets back, it’s probably going to be a while,” Comley said. “Injuries are always a big loss, but when they happen to the wrong people they really hurt you.”
The injury occurred during Saturday’s 6-1 loss to Miami (Ohio) when Crowder was checked awkwardly and fell into the linesman on his way into the boards.
In his four seasons with the Spartans, Crowder leads all current Spartans with 50 goals and 56 assists.
While Crowder has only four goals and nine assists this season, his veteran experience is what the Spartans will miss most down the stretch of the season.
“He plays in all situations,” Comley said. “He’s one of the few experienced guys that we have that has a history of productivity.”
Comley had just inserted Crowder into a line with freshman forward Daultan Leveille and sophomore forward Andrew Rowe — a line combination he said “was just starting to play well.”
Crowder’s loss will also be felt on the power play, where he was playing the point to try and springboard his offensive production.
“Sometimes when you struggle as a team you get hurt more,” Comley said. “They seem to go hand in hand. It’s not equipment, it’s not treatment, it’s not care, it’s not lack of strength — it’s just bad luck.”
With Crowder’s injury, five players will have missed games due to shoulder injuries.
Senior forward Nick Sucharski (out for season) and freshman defenseman Matt Crandell (doubtful for this weekend) are both currently nursing shoulder injuries and Comley is running out of bodies to put on the ice.
“I don’t have a lot of options,” Comley said. “We will tweak the lineup and adjust it. ?But the one thing about injury is that it creates opportunities for kids and if they step into it, they can take off from ?there.”
Reassessing goals
If the CCHA playoffs started today, the Spartans would be the ninth seed and would face the eight-seeded Lake Superior State in Sault Ste. Marie.
MSU senior goaltender Jeff Lerg said the goal for the rest of the season is to jump at least one spot and finish in eighth place or higher in the conference to secure home ice in the first round.
“With this team right now you have to take smaller steps,” Lerg said. “In the position we are in right now, it’s important to take that first step and get home ice. Then obviously when the playoffs come around, we will take it one week at a time. At that point your season will be on the line and the other goals will take care of themselves.”
Although the objectives of the team have shifted from finishing in the top four in the CCHA to secure a first-round bye, to finishing in the top eight, Comley said he is witnessing progress.
“Like we’ve said many times, you can’t salvage the year in terms of being happy with it,” Comley said. “But right now we have a lot of young guys that are gaining valuable experience and we are trying to build for the future while winning as many as we can.”
A good cause
During Friday’s game against No. 8 Michigan at Joe Louis Arena, the team’s “Shoot for a Cure” initiative will be raising money for children’s cancer through a silent auction.
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The auction will feature more than 20 items — including autographed jerseys, sticks and pucks from both former Spartans and current NHL stars.
Senior forward Daniel Sturges has played a large part in the “Shoot for a Cure” initiative and he said the effects of the program have a had a positive impact on both him and his teammates.
“It’s something I’m really proud to be a part of,” Sturges said. “I hope to continue it through the younger guys on the team. It’s becoming the MSU hockey staple.”
