There is a palpable excitement around the Michigan State hockey program for the first time in a decade. After a summer of transfer portal additions with NHL logos next to them on the depth chart, in addition to a top-10 upcoming NHL draft pick freshman commit, payoff begins this weekend at Munn Arena.

The Spartans will welcome their former Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) running mates, the Lake Superior State University Lakers, for a two-game set Saturday, Oct. 7 and and Sunday October 8. Saturday will feature the dedication of the ice surface to Ron Mason, a man who coached at both programs playing this weekend, while LSSU has two former Spartans on the bench in coaches Damon Whitten and Mike York.

On the newly dedicated ice, the Spartans will roll out a lineup that comes into the season ranked ninth in the USCHO PreSeason Poll.

There have been no exhibition games for the Spartans, so there is not much to preview in how the lines are going to look, what the play style may be (we know it will be fast, that is a Adam Nightingale requirement), and this may be the most light preview I provide you all season for that reason. With that qualifier out of the way, let's take a look at this weekend's opponent.

Lake Superior State went 9-25-2 last season with just one win outside of league play. The Lakers will remind fans new to college hockey of a typical Mid-American Conference (MAC) football program, where when you can build a roster correctly to be senior-heavy, you can make a run for the league title, but then you will revert for a few years.

Lake Superior State is not a program that grabs many guys out of the transfer portal (this year's roster features four in total — one player each from Penn State, Boston College, Wisconsin and Colorado College), and the program's best season was 2020-2021 when the Lakers finished second in their league and made the NCAA Tournament. LSSU has followed that up with a .500 season and then last year's struggle.

The Lakers' roster is built through taking mostly players who use all of their junior hockey eligibility before getting to NCAA hockey. This weekend will feature tons of 24-year-old and 25-year-old players for the Lakers, against 18-year-old freshmen for the Spartans, including starting goaltender Trey Augustine.

Some names to watch for the Lakers are BC transfer Harrison Roy, who has two years in Sault Ste. Marie, with 12 goals scored last season, and is a captain on this years squad.

A freshman I spent years scouting, Branden Piku, should be in the lineup this weekend as well. Piku played in East Lansing for a season with Team Meijer 16U AAA, and eventually went on to three seasons with the Maryland Black Bears of the NAHL scond-highest junior league in the USA) finishing his career as their all-time leading scorer. If PIku were not just 5-foot-8 and 155 pounds, it is likely he would have had higher programs calling on his services, and I think he will be a great watch for Spartan fans this weekend.

In net I would expect that Ethan Langenegger gets the start on both days. Langenegger had a .909 save percentage (quite good for a team with that record) and a goals against average under 3.0 last year. He will be leaned on heavy this weekend as I expect MSU to come out buzzing, with a ton of competition up and down the lineup for playing time and role.

Time: 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday and Sunday

Location: Munn Ice Arena East Lansing, Michigan

Streaming: Big Ten Plus ($$)

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