After playing in nearly every game last season, sophomores Dustin Gazeley and Corey Tropp should find a more consistent scoring touch. Gazeley showed flashes of brilliance last season with some pretty goals and great speed. Andrew Rowe played well when given a chance to play and should get more playing time as well.
Among the 10 members of the icers’ incoming class, three players might make immediate offensive impact if given a chance to play. Mike Merrifield and Ben Warda of the NAHL’s St. Louis Bandits will join the Spartans in the fall and recently led the Bandits to the NAHL’s Robertson Cup.
Merrifield posted 57 points on the season while Warda led the team with 74. If these guys can put up numbers at MSU like they have in juniors, it’ll mean lots of goals for the Spartans, who at times have seemed to rely on two or three goals and Lerg’s brick-wall goaltending to get by.
Andrew Conboy could potentially help fill Abdelkader’s void. At 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, he has the size to be a physical forward and can score too. He scored 35 points in 52 games this past season for the USHL’s Omaha Lancers; the former team of Lerg, Turek, and forward Matt Schepke.
Coaching
Replacing coaching legend Ron Mason was not an easy task, but perhaps after five seasons and a national title, head coach Rick Comley is being accepted more by the fans.
Despite the team's inconsistent play and injuries, Comley has led the Spartans to three NCAA tournament bids in five seasons, which culminated in 2007’s championship. Add to this a CCHA tournament championship, two Great Lakes Invitational titles, plus earning his 700th win, and Comley has put together an impressive pedigree in East Lansing. If nothing else, he’s helped MSU keep its reputation as a consistent hockey program.
With the better part of his scorers from last season gone as well as a few veteran defensemen, this could be a bit of a rebuilding and learning year for Comley and the Spartans. That said, given the experience of players like Lerg and Crowder, the Spartans should be in the thick of things the entire season, though there’ll be some hurdles in CCHA play for sure.
Under Comley, the Spartans have usually always been good enough for NCAA bids, but the question is whether or not they can find a way to be consistent and play at their best when it counts. The seniors will be hungry for another shot at a championship, and an extended NCAA tournament run would give the younger guys some good playoff experience.
During their 2007 tournament run, the Spartans relied on some timely goals and Lerg’s skills to win games. There’s no questioning Lerg’s ability in net; he’s at his best in high-pressure tournament games. But the Spartans haven’t always found ways to back him up with goals. They’ll need to if they want to get back to the Frozen Four and beyond.
0 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete