Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Welcome Miami For Key CCHA Battle
11/12/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 12, 2001
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THIS WEEK
The Michigan State hockey team hosts a key Central Collegiate Hockey Association series as the second-place Spartans (6-2-1 overall, 5-2-1 CCHA) welcome the third-place Miami RedHawks (6-3-1 overall, 4-1-1 CCHA) to East Lansing Friday-Saturday, Nov. 16-17. Faceoff at Munn Ice Arena is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. EST both nights.
RADIO
This weekend's games, and all MSU home and road games, can be heard live on WVFN-AM 730 "The Fan." Play-by-play man Scott Moore, in his fifth season as the radio voice of MSU hockey, will call the action. Former Spartan All-American goaltender Joe Blackburn provides color commentary.
Spartan fans can also hear live play-by-play action of MSU hockey via the Internet. Broadcasts can be accessed by logging on to www.msuspartans.com, the official website of Spartan athletics, or www.espn.com.
TELEVISION
Neither game of this weekend's Michigan State-Miami series will be televised in the greater Lansing area.
MSU INJURY UPDATE (as of Nov. 12)
The Spartans report no injuries heading into the Miami series.
TICKET UPDATE
Only standing-room tickets, priced at $9 each, remain for the weekend series vs. Miami. Reserved seating is still available for five upcoming MSU games - Nov. 23 vs. Wisconsin, Nov. 25 vs. Minnesota , Jan. 4-5 vs. Quinnipiac and March 2 vs. Ferris State. Price is $18 for the general public and $8 for MSU students with a valid ID.
A five-game ticket plan can also be purchased for the 2001-02 hockey season. The plan includes games vs. Wisconsin (Nov. 23), Minnesota (Nov. 25), Quinnipiac (Jan. 4-5) and Ferris State (March 2). Cost is $90 for the general public and $40 for MSU students with a valid ID.
For more information on Spartan hockey tickets, contact the MSU ticket office at (517) 355-1610 or 1-800-GO STATE.
THE SPARTANS... Have posted seven straight series sweep at home. It's the most consecutive series sweeps for the Spartans at Munn Ice Arena since Oct. 25, 1985-Oct. 24, 1986, when State won nine straight home series (vs. Miami, Ohio State, Northern Arizona, Illinois-Chicago, Lake Superior State, Michigan, Boston College, Ohio State and Miami). Enter the weekend series with a seven-game home unbeaten streak vs. the RedHawks. MSU is 6-0-1 against Miami at Munn Ice Arena since dropping a 2-1 decision in East Lansing on Feb. 14, 1997. Will own a regular-season sellout streak of 275 games should 6,470 fans file through the Munn Ice Arena turnstiles for Friday's game against the RedHawks. The sellout streak started against Northern Michigan Dec. 19, 1985. Play their first traditional Friday-Saturday series at home this week vs. the RedHawks despite being more than five weeks into the season. MSU has played three single games and hosted two Thursday-Friday series. Don't welcome another CCHA foe to East Lansing following the Miami series until Jan. 11, when Western Michigan invades Munn Ice Arena. MSU plays host to Wisconsin and Minnesota during Thanksgiving weekend, then travels to Alaska Fairbanks and Northern Michigan prior to a three-week holiday break. The Spartans resume play Dec. 28-29 at the 37th annual Great Lakes Invitational at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit before coming back to East Lansing to entertain Quinnipiac in a two-game, non-conference series Jan. 4-5. Are in the midst of a seven-game home stand. It's MSU's longest stretch of games at Munn Ice Arena since they hosted seven straight from Feb. 8-March 1, 1986.
THE REDHAWKS... Enter the week in third place in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association standings, two points behind the second-place Spartans and four points behind front-running Northern Michigan. Miami is 4-1-1 in conference play so far this season. Moved into the top 15 in both the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine and U.S. College Hockey Online polls last week. Miami was ranked 15th by USA Today and 14th by USCHO. Are the last team to post a series sweep against the Spartans in Munn Ice Arena. Miami took a pair from MSU on Feb. 10-11, 1995, winning both ends of a league set by 3-2 and 1-0 scores. Boast the CCHA's third-best offense, scoring an average of 3.90 goals per game but are also owners of the league's third-worst defense, allowing an average of 3.90 goals per game. Hold a 1-3-1 record this season in the first game of a two-game series while being outscored 30-17. In five series finales this season, Miami is 5-0-0 while outscoring its opponents 21-10. Are paced offensively by senior forward and Warren, Mich. native Jason Deskins. A 2001 all-CCHA second-team selection, he ranks tied for second in the CCHA in scoring with 3-13--16 in 10 games.
THE MSU HEAD COACH
Ron Mason (St. Lawrence '64) is in his 23rd season with the Spartans and 36th year as a college coach. The winningest mentor in college hockey history, Mason has piloted the Spartans to a 614-263-65 (.686) mark since taking over for the legendary Amo Bessone in 1979. His overall record currently stands at 903-373-79 (.696), with win no. 900 coming Oct. 20 vs. Ferris State at Munn Ice Arena.
Mason guided MSU to its second NCAA hockey championship in 1986 and his 21 NCAA Tournament appearances are an all-time record. He also has taken eight teams to the NCAA Frozen Four, including seven Spartan squads.
Mason has more victories at one school than all but two coaches in NCAA hockey history. He's surpassed by only Bob Peters of Bemidji State (703 wins), who retired at the end of the 2000-01 season, and Jack Parker of Boston University (635). His number of wins with the Green and White are more than all but five coaches have during their collegiate careers.
The seven-time Central Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year led the Spartans to league regular-season titles in 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1998, 1999 and 2001. He's also guided MSU to CCHA playoff crowns in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2000 and 2001. The league honored Mason by renaming the CCHA playoff trophy in his honor last year.
Mason, who won the Spencer Penrose Award as national coach of the year in 1992, has coached 20 Spartans to All-American honors and seen 44 of his former MSU skaters move on to the NHL.
