MSU Blue Line Club
Supporting Spartan Hockey Since 1962
NEWSLETTER • VOL. 1, 2016-17
Young Spartans Gain Confidence
as Big Ten Play Begins
By Neil Koepke
MSUSpartans.com
When Michigan State opened the college hockey season in
mid-October, there were a myriad of questions to be answered
about the direction of the new-look Spartans.
How would MSU replace graduated standout goaltender
Jake Hildebrand? Where would the scoring come from? And
how would the Spartans respond with 10 freshmen on the
roster and most playing key roles?
Two months into the season, after experiencing the usual
growing pains and some low and high moments, the answers
to the prominent questions are starting to come.
For sure, it’s taken some time for Michigan State to come
together as a team and get its game in sync. But it’s apparent
that there has been steady improvement, and that the skill
level of this team is higher than in recent seasons.
The low moment of the season was the opening weekend
when the Spartans got swept at Lake Superior State, 6-1, 7-3.
Ouch! That was misery for the players, coaches and fans.
Steady improvement followed, and despite some disappointing losses, Michigan State showed it was more competitive, and several players elevated their game.
Sticking to the process and improving steadily led to the
highest moment of the season. The Spartans stunned No. 5
North Dakota over Thanksgiving weekend with a 4-3 victory
and 2-2 tie at Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, one of the most
difficult buildings to play in throughout college hockey.
MSU enters Big Ten play in December with a 4-6-1 record
and more confidence and swagger than it had after a 0-4 start.
Seven freshmen and four sophomores were in the lineup at
North Dakota, and yet six seniors were still playing major roles
and providing solid leadership.
There were plenty of bright spots to savor as the Spartans
were close to wrapping up the first third of the season.
Two of the biggest positives are the rise of junior goaltender Ed Minney, who played in only four games and started one
in his first two years in the program, and the exciting, up-tempo
play by the forward line of freshman Patrick Khodorenko at
center with sophomore Mason Appleton on right wing and
freshman Taro Hirose on left wing.
After an uneven start, Minney has looked poised and
comfortable under pressure, and you can see his confidence
growing with each game.
Khodorenko, Appleton and Hirose are highly skilled and
have developed into MSU’s most productive line. The trio is
capable of lifting fans out of their seats, and especially threatening on the power play with defenseman Zach Osburn and
forward Villiam Haag.
Minney started the season sharing the goaltending duties
with freshman John Lethemon. In the first seven games, Minney made four starts and Lethemon three.
Minney showed steady improvement and he was rewarded
with both starts against Ferris State – a home loss and crucial
road win – and played at a high level against North Dakota.
For two seasons playing behind Hildebrand, an NCAA West
All-American in 2015, Minney showed tremendous patience
and a good attitude, waiting for his turn to play.
This season, Minney was determined to make the most of
his opportunity to play regularly.
“I feel like I worked my way up to it. I’ve been chomping at
the bit the whole time trying to get ready with my chance,’’ said
Minney, one of college hockey’s tallest goaltenders at 6-foot-5
and 197 pounds. “I worked hard in the summer to get ready. I
feel like I’ve gotten better each week, and the more you play
and have some success, it helps your confidence.’’
In the win at North Dakota, Michigan State held a 4-1 lead
midway through the third period. But UND scored two goals
within 31 seconds, the lead was down to one goal, and the
Fighting Hawks applied tremendous pressure after the two
quick goals.
“It’s hard not be nervous when you’re 2-2 at North Dakota,”
Minney said with a laugh. “At the same time, as a goalie playing
back to back games, the guys are looking to me to get a feel for
the game and if they see me back there panicking, everyone is
going to be getting on their toes. But when I’m back there and
the other team is shooting from the point and I’m in control,
calm and making saves, everyone gets a confidence boost.’’
That’s what Minney is doing for his team, and his teammates appreciate his level of play and consistency.
Continued...
Blue Line Club President’s Letter
2016-17 SCHEDULE
OCTOBER
Sun.2
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO (Exhib.)
Fri.
14
at Lake Superior State
Sat. 15
at Lake Superior State
Fri.
21
No. 6/6 DENVER
Sat. 22
No. 6/6 DENVER
Fri.
28
PRINCETON
T, 2-2 (OT)
L, 1-6
L, 3-7
L, 1-2
L, 1-3
W, 6-2
NOVEMBER
Fri.
4
Sat.
5
Thur. 10
Sat. 12
Fri.
25
Sat. 26
W, 3-2 (OT)
L, 1-5
L, 1-4
W, 4-3
W, 4-3
T, 2-2 (OT)
DECEMBER
Sun.4
Fri.
9
Sat. 10
Sun. 18
MICHIGAN TECH
MICHIGAN TECH
FERRIS STATE
at Ferris State
at No. 5/5 North Dakota
at No. 5/5 North Dakota
USNTDP U-18 Team (Exhib.)
No. 11/11 MINNESOTA *
No. 11/11 MINNESOTA *
NORTHEASTERN
W, 5-1
6:30 p.m.
8 p.m.
3:05 p.m.
52nd Annual Great Lakes Invitational
Thur. 29
Western Michigan [1] 7 p.m.
Fri.
30
Michigan/Michigan Tech [1] 3:30/7 p.m.
JANUARY
Fri.
6
Sat.
7
Fri.
13
Sat. 14
Fri.
20
Sat. 21
at Wisconsin *
at Wisconsin *
at Penn State *
at Penn State *
at Michigan *
MICHIGAN *
9 p.m.
8 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
7 p.m.
FEBRUARY
Fri.
3
Sat.
4
Fri.
10
Sat. 11
Fri.
17
Sat. 18
Fri.
24
Sat. 25
WISCONSIN *
WISCONSIN *
Michigan [1] *
at Michigan *
OHIO STATE *
OHIO STATE *
PENN STATE *
PENN STATE *
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:05 p.m.
7:05 p.m.
7 p.m.
7:05 p.m.
MARCH
Fri.
3
Sat.
4
Fri.
10
Sat. 11
at Ohio State *
at Ohio State *
at Minnesota *
at Minnesota *
7 p.m.
8 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
8 p.m.
Big Ten Tournament
Thu. 16
Fri.
17
Sat. 18
As I am writing this, we are coming to a close on the non-conference
portion of the schedule. While the win-loss record isn’t exactly as good as
everyone had hoped it would be, the team is playing hard and showing
improvement while integrating 11 new players. Most definitely, the future
is bright for Spartan hockey.
Comcast 900
Comcast 900
BTN
BTN
FS Detroit
FS Detroit
BTN
BTN
BTN
BTN
BTN
I encourage all members to take a look at the luncheon and reception
schedules and attend as many as possible. These events are fun, informative and, most importantly, support Spartan hockey. We are trying different locations than usual for these events, and would really appreciate any
feedback you have.
This past summer, as everyone is aware, we lost the legendary Ron
Mason. His support of the Blue Line Club over the years was nothing short
of extraordinary, as was everything else he did. I personally appreciated his
friendship and all of the help he gave during my service to the Club, which
is why I wanted to pay tribute to him when designing the membership pin
for this year. I hope everyone wears it with pride, not only for the Club and
the Michigan State Hockey program, but for Coach Mason. The Club established the Ron Mason Endowment Fund when he retired from the Athletic
Department. I would strongly encourage all members to donate to this
Fund in his memory.
Alan Corrie
Blue Line Club President
FS Detroit
BTN
ESPNEWS
Quarterfinals [1]
Semifinals [1]
Championship [1]
* - Big Ten game | All times ET
[1] - Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Mich.
All games broadcast on BTN, FS Detroit and Comcast are available on BTN2Go.com
Rankings are USCHO.com/USA TODAY-USA Hockey
2016-17 Home Game Promotions
1-800 GO STATE or MSUSpartans.com for
Tickets
Family Four Pack - $50 for 4 tickets, 4 drinks & 4 hot
dogs, pretzels, or nachos
Available: Dec. 10 vs. Minnesota; Dec. 18 vs.
Northeastern; Feb. 4 vs. Wisconsin; Feb. 18 vs. Ohio
State; Feb. 25 vs. Penn State
4 Seats, 4 Treats - $44 for 4 tickets, 4 Udder Delights Ice
Cream Sandwiches
Available: Dec. 9 vs. Minnesota; Feb. 3 vs. Wisconsin;
Feb. 17 vs. Ohio State; Feb. 24 vs. Penn State
Koepke: Young Spartans Gain Confidence as Big Ten Play Begins
“Minney had an incredible game. He’s probably the reason we won that
game,’’ MSU senior right wing and captain Joe Cox said after the win at UND.
“He’s making the saves we need him to make and he’s making the big saves
we need to win games.’’
Said MSU coach Tom Anastos: “Ed Minney is playing very well. He had a
productive off-season and he’s in a good place mentally and physically. He
looks very comfortable, he’s in control and his confidence is growing. And
our team has confidence in him. He was ready for this and he’s responded.
Now, it’s keep improving and consistency.’’
On the offensive side of the puck, Appleton, Khodorenko and Hirose
have made a major impact and appear to have the potential to develop into
one of the best lines the Spartans have had in several seasons.
Through the first 11 games, Appleton led MSU in scoring with five goals
and six assists for 11 points. Hirose was tied for second with two goals and
five assists for seven points, while Khodorenko was in a four-way tie for
fourth with six points (2-4).
“That line has really come together and they’ve played very well. They’ll
get better as they get more experience,’’ Anastos said. “They’re highly
skilled, they play with speed and they make the players around them better.’’
Appleton, the veteran as a sophomore, said he shares different tips with
his rookie linemates but doesn’t think it’s a big deal.
“It’s a little bit of a leadership role,’’ he said. “You have to pull them along
here and there, but they’re really talented players so it’s not anything too
big. They’re freshmen but they don’t play like freshmen. They’re both playing a lot of minutes and being relied on big time.’’
“For our line, going to get pucks and recovering pucks is huge, because
once we have the puck, that’s when we can be dangerous.’’
MSU Blue Line Club • Supporting Spartan Hockey Since 1962
From the Desk of the Head Coach
Spartan Hockey All-Access
returns to Fox Sports
Detroit this season with the
premiere on Wednesday,
Dec. 14 at 6 p.m. The Emmywinning program takes you
behind the scenes of the
Spartan program with exclusive footage and features.
All seven episodes will re-air multiple times on both
Fox Sports Detroit and FSD Plus.
Show Premiere Schedule
Wednesday, Dec. 14 6 p.m. (FSD)
Thursday, Dec. 29
3 p.m. (FSD)
Friday, Jan. 20
6 p.m. (FSD)
Friday, Feb. 3
6:30 p.m. (FSD Plus)
Friday, Feb. 17
6:30 p.m. (FSD)
Friday, March 3
8 p.m. (FSD
Tuesday, March 14 6 p.m. (FSD)
THE TOM ANASTOS RADIO SHOW
The Tom Anastos Radio Show takes place at Reno’s East
(1310 Abbot Rd., East Lansing). The show can be heard
locally on WJIM 1240 AM as well as at
SpartanSportsNetwork.com and the SSN
24/7 mobile app.
2016-17 Show Dates
Wednesday, Dec. 7
Tuesday, Dec. 13
Tuesday, Jan. 3
Tuesday, Jan. 10
Tuesday, Jan. 17
Wednesday, Jan. 25
Tuesday, Jan. 31
Monday, Feb. 6
Wednesday, Feb. 15
Tuesday, Feb. 21
Tuesday, Feb. 28
Tuesday, Mar. 7
Tuesday, Mar. 14
Get To Know...
#17 Taro Hirose
Turn Back The Clock
What’s your nickname?
T: The guys call me ‘Tars’ or
‘Tarzy.’
What’s your biggest fear?
T: Getting locked in bathrooms. I got locked in an
airplane bathroom when
I was little and they had
to stop the plane to get someone to come
and get me out.
My other fear - a bowl of cereal with no
milk
Who would be your cartoon sidekick?
T: Phineas from Phineas and Ferb.
What’s your favorite movie?
T: I’m a big fan or Will Ferrell, but I loved
Matt Damon in The Martian.
Ovechkin or Crosby?
T: Crosby - he’s a good Canadian guy.
Steve Colp takes the puck to the net during a game at Munn in the 1974-75 season. The Spartans went 22-17-1, including 11-8-1, in their first season playing at
the brand new Munn Ice Arena.
What makes your hometown (Calgary) so
special?
T: It’s in Canada.
MSU Blue Line Club • Supporting Spartan Hockey Since 1962
Blue Line Club
Membership Application
2016/2017
(form also available on-line)
www.msublueline.org
(Please Print)
Name:
Address:
City:
Zip Code:
Email Address:*
Telephone #:
MEMBERSHIP: Renewal _____ New _____
STUDENT - K-12, secondary or post-secondary ($10.00)
__________
SINGLE – individual person ($30.00)
__________
TWO PERSON – Married couple or 1 adult/1 child under the age of 18 ($35.00)
__________
FAMILY – Parent/Parents w/ children under the age of 18 ($40.00)
__________
Additional pins: #__________ x $5.00 =
__________
Names of Family Members:
________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Membership
Includes:
•
•
•
Membership Card
Membership Pin
Decal (new members)
Membership’s will receive
Student
Single
Two Person
Family
# Membership
Card
1
1
2
1 per member
listed above
•
•
$2.00 off coupons for concessions at Munn (limited supply)
10% at area restaurants. Good from 10/2/2016 through
3/18/2017. Back of card will identify participants & any
exceptions.
# $2.00
Concession
Coupons
2
2
4
6
# Pin(s)
Add’l pins available –
see above
1
1
2
3
# Decals – new members,
(renewing members upon
request)
1
1
2
3
Membership packet will be available for pick up at the first and subsequent games.
*Email address will be used to provide club updates throughout the year.
Make checks payable to:
MSU Blue Line Club
Mail to:
MSU Blue Line Club
P.O. Box 804
East Lansing, MI 48826-0804
’66 Champs Honored
The Spartan hockey program celebrated the
50th anniversary of its first National Championship by honoring the 1966 team on Nov. 10
vs. Ferris State. Nearly 20 members of the team
were on hand for the between-periods recognition, including: Richard Bois, Bob Brawley,
Gaye Cooley, Mike Coppo, Nino Cristofoli, Tom
Crowley, Bob Fallat, Willie Faunt, Jerry Fisher,
Doug French, Don Heaphy, Mike Jacobson,
Brian McAndrew, Tom Mikkola, Matt Mulcahy,
Larry Roche, John Schuster and Dainis Vedejs.
The son of late head coach Amo Bessone, John
Bessone, also attended.
The ‘66 Spartans won 12 of their last 16 games,
including wins over Michigan (3-2) and Michigan Tech (4-3) in the WCHA Playoffs to reach the
NCAA Tournament in Minneapolis. MSU beat
Boston University, 2-1, in the semifinals and
then crushed Clarkson, 6-1, for the national title.