With eight teams within six points of one another in the CCHA standings — including the Spartans sitting just six points out of first place — Anastos said each weekend down the stretch holds increased importance in the race for home ice in the CCHA Playoffs.

“The CCHA’s teams’ performance outside of the league has been very strong, and I think the teams in the mix certainly are very competitive nationally and can compete for the national championship,” Anastos said. “From that perspective, if we’re going to have parity in the league, it’s good for your league as long as there’s something beyond your league you can compete for. We’ve had that this year.”

The Spartans are coming off a six-game homestand where they went 2-2-2 against CCHA opponents Miami (Ohio), Northern Michigan and Lake Superior State. With the remainder of the team’s 10 games to play coming against CCHA opponents, the conference standings are likely to be just as tight.

Aside from Anastos, the players are just as cognizant of the race shaping up in the conference. Every day they see a small reminder of the race on a standings board spanning the length of a wall in the team’s locker room at Munn Ice Arena — which wouldn’t be complete without an upside-down Michigan plaque.

Junior defenseman Torey Krug said a tight race in the CCHA has increased the level of competitiveness for his team and the amount of fun he personally gets out of each game.

“The league is so tight, and obviously our league has, I think, nine teams in the top 20 of the (PairWise rankings), it speaks for itself,”  Krug said. “The league is very, very tight, and it’s a lot of fun. On any gameday, one team can beat another team, and it’s a lot of fun to play in right now.”
 
Varsity Krug
Fighting for playoff position, there are few more vital to the lineup than Krug.

In his second year as team captain, Krug has accumulated six goals, 12 assists and 18 points as a defensive anchor for Anastos.

Since Krug didn’t get drafted in the past two seasons, he will be eligible at the end of the year to join NHL free agency, and he’s likely to draw some interest from teams looking for a young defenseman. Whether or not he goes is unknown of today, but the traits he has exhibited on and off the ice will not go unnoticed.
Anastos said Krug’s leadership along with the potent skills he’s developed at both ends of the ice have made the Spartans a better team this season.

“He does all the little things that help you become better every day,” Anastos said. “He is a good team player, he is a very strong leader — a very strong leader. He takes that role very seriously like he wants to be a better leader, and he works at it.”