Spartans aim for 4 more wins, CCHA 1st-round bye

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It still is uncertain how many wins would lock up a top-four finish in the CCHA for the No. 12 MSU hockey team, a valuable position that guarantees a first-round bye and home-ice advantage in the second round of the CCHA Tournament.

With four games left, there’s only one certainty for the Spartans — if they close out the regular season with four straight wins, they will finish in second place in the conference.

That mentality has kept the team from crunching numbers or exploring possible scenarios.

The Spartans just want to focus on themselves, which means focusing on winning.

“We have the challenge to go for it,” MSU head coach Rick Comley said. “I think we are capable of running the board, but we are in danger of not winning a game we play. There’s no reason to go in and say, ‘2-of-4 would be great’ or ‘3-of-4 would be great.’ Our goal is to win the last four games. They can’t be afraid to do that.”

The Spartans had a bye last weekend to recover from a disappointing weekend series in Alaska, where MSU took only two-of-six points from the Nanooks.

Although Comley said he expects the bye to be beneficial, he said there is a danger of the team returning to action out of sync.

“Weeks off can be good for you or they can cause you some headaches,” Comley said. “As a coach, you have to give them a couple days to get their legs back under them. The best thing about it is the mental break. Now they know what’s in store for them and where they stand and how important these last four games are.”

This weekend’s home-and-home series against No. 14 Ferris State is hands down the biggest series to date for the Spartans.

Both teams are tied for second place in the CCHA and are battling to solidify a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s a really big weekend for us,” sophomore goaltender Drew Palmisano said. “Ferris is right up there and we are up there. We are competing for an NCAA playoff spot. But we can’t let one weekend make it or break it.”

Moving Tropp

For only the second time this season, Comley juggled lines in MSU’s series in Alaska.

Although Comley said he wasn’t sure if these new lines will stick this weekend, he said junior forward Corey Tropp will move to center from his usual spot at right wing.

Tropp leads the CCHA with 20 goals and 39 points.

“He’s had a tremendous year, but defensemen have begun to understand what exactly he is going to do entering the zone,” Comley said. “At center, he has freedom to attack from different angles on the ice.”

Tropp said he’s open to the challenge of playing a new position.

“I picked up a couple things Saturday that hopefully I can carry into this weekend,” Tropp said. “Whatever (Comley) thinks can help the team by me playing there, I’m all for it.”

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