Already decimated to some extent by losses of personnel due to the World Junior
Tournament, Michigan State has seen two more of its players go down during
practice this week, but will get a belated Christmas present with the return
of one of its most promising defenseman when the Spartans make the annual
Yuletide trek to Detroit to participate in the 31st annual Great Lakes
Invitational.
 
With forwards Mike Watt (Canada) and Mike York (USA) and defenseman Chris
Bogas (USA) participating in the WJT in Massachusetts, coach Ron Mason was
already looking at some significant line juggling for Friday's 7:30 matchup
with host Michigan Tech.  As reported locally, Spartan forward Steve Ferranti
(tied for second in the nation with 5 game winners this year) and defenseman
Jeff Kozakowski sustained injuries in practice this week and their status is
uncertain.
 
The good news for MSU comes in the form of the return of sophomore defenseman
Jon Gaskins, who will see his first action of the year in the GLI.  Gaskins
sustained a knee injury late last season and had seen no action at all this
year due to blood clots, but was taken off blood thinners recently.  One would
expect that Gaskins' timing will be off somewhat due to the long layoff, but
with the promise he showed last season, he should be back in the swing of
things fairly quickly.
 
And Michigan State will need the help.  Due to the length of the WJT, Watt,
York, and Bogas will most likely miss the Spartans' three-game series in Fair-
banks against the Nanooks beginning on January 4.  Those three games loom large
on Michigan State's schedule, considering that the Spartans unexpectedly find
themselves in second place, two points behind even-bigger-surprise Western
Michigan with one game in hand.  The Spartans finish the season with only 6 of
16 games at home (Bowling Green twice, Ferris State twice, Western Michigan,
Notre Dame) and two neutral ice games at Joe Louis Arena (Lake Superior and
Michigan, though the Spartans will be the road team both nights) to go with
the 8 road contests (Alaska-Fairbanks thrice, Illinois-Chicago twice, Notre
Dame, Western Michigan, and the season finale in Ann Arbor against the
Wolverines on 1 March).  MSU has done well against the bottom six in the CCHA
(9-0, including three-game sweeps of Miami and Ohio State) but has been
mediocre at best against the teams it is vying against for the CCHA crown
(2-3, with two losses to Lake Superior).  With seven more against the other
contenders, the 1995-6 Green and White will have to find a way to beat the
best, if they hope to play on their home ice in the NC$$ Tournament.
 
G. M. Finniss
Michigan State University 11-3-0, 14-5-0
 
PASS will telecast the two GLI semifinals live on Friday at 4:00 and 7:30 EST,
with Michigan taking on woeful Northern Michigan in the afternoon tilt and
Tech and State battling in the nightcap.  The consolation and championship
games, from what I've seen, will be tape-delayed on Saturday, due to the
Pistons.
 
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