Spartan Hockey Meets the Media

Oct. 2, 2007

The defending National Champion Michigan State hockey team met the media on Tuesday afternoon to kick off its 2007-08 season.

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The top preseason notes you need to know about the 2007-08 Spartan hockey team ...

Michigan State returns 20 letterwinners and welcomes six newcomers to the roster for the 2007-08 season.

Bryan Lerg has been elected captain of the 2007-08 Spartans, and served as an alternate captain as a junior. Classmate Chris Mueller is also in his second season wearing a letter, as he also served as an alternate captain a year ago. Three current juniors will also serve as alternate captains: Justin Abdelkader, Tim Kennedy, and Jeff Lerg.

Rick Comley owns a 714-548-90 career record as he begins his 35th season behind the bench. He is one of three coaches to win NCAA titles at two institutions (Northern Michigan 1991, MSU 2007). He also won an NAIA title at Lake Superior State in 1973-74. He owns a 116-73-19 record as the head coach of the Spartans.

The Spartans were selected first in the CCHA pre-season media poll, and second in the CCHA coaches' pre-season survey. The Spartans earned 25 first-place votes in the media poll and 701 total points, followed by Miami (21 and 667). In the coaches poll, the Spartans had a slight edge in first-place votes, slotted first on six ballots, but Miami (five first-place votes) finished with 114 points, one ahead of Michigan State, to earn the top spot in the poll. Defending CCHA regular-season and tournament champion Notre Dame was selected third and Michigan fourth in both polls.

Four Spartans earned spots on the CCHA pre-season All-Conference team. Jeff Lerg was one of two consensus selections, and was the first team goaltender; Tim Kennedy earned a spot on the second team as the fourth-highest vote-getter among forwards. Both Bryan Lerg and Justin Abdelkader were honorable mention picks.

MSU's roster averages: 6-0, 188 lbs., and the average age is 20 years 11 months. Michigan is the youngest team on average in the conference (20 years) while Western Michigan is the oldest (21 years, seven months). Lake Superior is the tallest (6 feet, 1/2 inch), while Nebraska-Omaha is the shortest (5-10). Miami is the heaviest (194 lbs.) while Bowling Green is the lightest (183 lbs.)

MSU is one of four CCHA teams that returns 20 letterwinners this season, the highest number in the CCHA. The Spartans return 83.9 percent of their goal scoring from a year ago (115 goals), tops in the league. MSU returns 73.9 percent (263) of its points from a year ago, which ranks second in the CCHA behind Miami (81.5%).

MSU returns five of its top six forwards: Seniors Bryan Lerg and Chris Mueller and the all-junior line of Tim Kennedy, Justin Abdelkader, and Tim Crowder.

Michigan State is seeking its first CCHA regular-season title since 2001, and last won the post-season tournament in 2006.

The Spartans will look to snap a rather inauspicious streak: both the Denver Pioneers (2005 champions) and Wisconsin Badgers (2006 titlists) failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in the year after they won the title.