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HOCKEY: 2007 CCHA Tournament Preview (MSU - Michigan - Notre Dame - Lake Superior) by Mike Caples
College hockey’s elite will collide at Joe Louis Arena on the weekend of Saint Patrick’s Day (March 16-17), to fight for bragging rights, a trip to the NCAA Tournament and the prestigious Mason Cup on Michigan hockey’s brightest stage. Michigan State, the University of Michigan, Notre Dame, and Lake Superior all won their best-of-three quarterfinal matches to come flying into the Joe for the semi finals on Friday. The Spartans (15-10-3) hold the third seed going into Friday’s semi-final round and will face none other than their in-state rivals, the U of M Wolverines. MSU is 4-0-3 in the last seven battles for state supremacy with the Wolverines, when at Joe Louis Arena. Head coach Rick Comley will have his Spartans ready to defend their 2006 CCHA Tournament Championship when the puck drops Friday afternoon. MSU goaltender Jeff Lerg, last year’s tournament MVP, will be called upon to turn away the Wolverines skilled forwards such as Kevin Porter and T.J. Hensick, much like he did in a 54 save performance at the Joe on February 10. The other semi-final slot will be filled by first seed Notre Dame and fourth seed Lake Superior, which features a duel of the coaches worth noting. Jeff Jackson, the coach of the Fighting Irish, will be taking on his former employer; he was at the helm of the Lake Superior hockey program for six years, with four CCHA titles and two national championships. He’ll be looking down the benches towards a friendly face; the current Lake Superior coach, Jim Roque, served as Jackson’s assistant coach during his time at LSSU. Have no clue what you are watching on Friday and Saturday, provided you have Fox Sports Net on and there is a black rubber thing sliding across a big block of ice? Here are some names to pay attention to: Michigan State: Jeff Lerg, goalie – If you didn’t read above, then you didn’t know that he was last year’s MVP of the tournament. He’s capable of standing on his head (hockey slang for making incredible saves) and coming up strong in big games. University of Michigan: T.J. Hensick, forward – He’s a popular pick for the CCHA award of player of the year. He plays for Michigan though, so I’m not going to say anything else. Notre Dame: David Brown, goalie – Brown has been leading the Fighting Irish since he was a freshman, and in his senior year he’s leaving his mark. He’s got Hobey Baker credentials (that’s college hockey’s Heisman Trophy) and has his eyes on a CCHA title. Lake Superior: Trent Campbell, forward – Though he’s hidden in a school far away, Campbell’s leading an explosive Lakers offense in scoring with 29 points. The goalies I’ve been talking kindly about better not lose sight of him on the ice. Lake Superior and Notre Dame open the tournament finals at 4:35 pm on Friday. The MSU-UM game follows at 8 pm. Tune in next week when my buddy James Andersen and I give you all the stories, photos, and videos you need to make you feel like you had front row seats at the Joe all weekend long. |
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