AHHHHHHH!!!!   Hockey!!  Haven't seen any live in so long that I almost
forgot what it was like.  My comments will mostly revolve around the Spartans
as I saw none of the MTU-michigan game (didn't miss much) and only half of the
consolation game.
   One trend that I've noticed in the Spartans over the last few years is their
tendency to let down in the second period.  This happened in both games this
weekend as they blew 2-goal leads in each.  I've seen many teams that play 40
minute games and then quit in the 3rd (e.g. OSU last year, Cornell this
weekend) but State is the only one that I can recall that takes a breather in
the middle.  Against Cornell they recovered well in the third, eventually
blowing the Big Red away. That third period was a good example of what the
Spartans are capable of.  They hit nearly all of their passes, made good
decisions, and played good defense.  If they had played that way at the end of
the michigan game on Friday they'd have won that game.  Unfortunately....
    I was impressed with the Spartan offense.  They passed well, got good
opportunities and held the zone fairly well.  The defense, though, does need to
correct some problems.  Spartan defenses over the past few years have struggled
to get the puck out of their zone, getting the first breakout pass.  They did
that OK this weekend, which was heartening.  However, they need to pay more
attention to the opposing players.  The first three michigan goals were on
breakaways.  On one the defender simply fell, but on the other two the
wolverine slipped behind the defense unseen and was rewarded with a good pass.
These two resulted in goals but there were at least 2 or 3 other times when the
same thing occurred with Buzak making the big stop.  I know that defense is a
6-man job but it is the defensemen who need to keep track of the cherry-pickers
to prevent these breakaways.
   michigan looked good.  Probably not as good as last year, but the run for
the CCHA title ought to be interesting.  The two teams seem to be evenly
matched. (No, I haven't forgotten BG, I just haven't seen them play)  The
biggest weakness would appear to be Turco.  He, IMO, handles the puck way too
much.  At one point, he had possession of the puck to the side of the net while
all 5 Spartans were in the zone.  Not normally a good idea.  Also, in warmups,
which were right in front of me, I don't think he stopped more than half of the
high shots taken on him.  The Spartans never tested this in the game, and I
know that I shoudn't base too much on warmups, but I would be inclined to shoot
high to his glove side.  He seemed much more comfortable when the puck was on
the ice.  OK, I'll shut up now.
                                              --Steve Moerland
                                               MSU '92, UK '95