Spartans still taking steps in the process of rebuilding hockey program
By Alyssa Girardi –
EAST LANSING — It wasn’t close to being a season to remember, but this year was another step in the process for Tom Anastos.
MSU finished the season 11-18-7 for fifth in the inaugural season of the Big Ten, and was bumped out of the first round of the Big Ten Tournament in a 2-1 overtime loss to Ohio State. The Spartans currently aren’t the powerhouse status they once were, but head coach Anastos believes the team is on the return path.
“I think the timeline is very much what I talked to (director of athletics) Mark Hollis about when I was offered the position,” said Anastos, who just completed his third season at the helm. “I thought it would take four to five years to become nationally competitive, and I think we’re very much on that path.”
One point Anastos touched on was the decision to focus on long-term program success and culture changes rather than immediate fixes. In a sport where recruiting takes place years before some athletes of other sports even get on a college radar, looking years ahead is essential.
And for the changes Anastos wants to make, he said it isn’t a one-year process like some people want to see.
When he accepted the coaching position, his philosophy was confirmed by 19-year MSU basketball coach Tom Izzo, who told him not to “comprise long-term for short-term; don’t take shortcuts.”
“An easy thing to say is ‘Well, it’s been three years,’” Anastos said. “But what does that really mean? Really, all the dynamics that go into reestablishing what we want here with our program, you gotta look at the complexities of what we’re dealing with. Just because it’s three years, that doesn’t mean anything. At least, not in my opinion.”
The Spartans took 11 games into overtime this season for four shootout wins, three shootout losses, three overtime losses and one overtime win, some of which were against top teams in the country.
MSU tied No. 1 Minnesota twice and lost to the Golden Gophers by one-goal margins in their other two meetings. Four out of five meetings between MSU and Ohio State also required extra minutes, with MSU only leaving victorious once, a shootout win on Jan. 11.
Pushing a few of those ties to wins could have been the difference-maker record-wise for the season.
Last season, MSU only took four games to overtime, and had fewer close losses. Though the 2013-14 season might not be deemed a success, it was still a step up from last year when MSU posted a 14-26-3 record.
“I can sit here and tell you, unequivocally, that our team way better today than it was today a year ago,” Anastos said. “And I think we’ll take a big step next year.”
For that big step to take place, however, MSU will need to find a way to score more goals. Last season, the Spartans scored an average of 2.07 goals a game, which was slightly improved to 2.20 goals per game this year.
Anastos said if the average goals per game had been a little closer to three, he would’ve expected six to ten more wins. Scoring — or lack of — has been a talking point the past two seasons and is part of the long-term changes he spoke of.
“The truth is, you recruit those skills,” he said. “But, given that recruiting takes time and that plays out over a period of time, you’re not going to turn somebody who’s never scored in their life into a scorer. We’ll look at our team, knowing that some of the guys are more inclined to be better offensive players than they were this year just by virtue of gaining experience, getting more opportunity.”
MSU has lost its top three team leaders in points to graduation, captain and Canton native Greg Wolfe (13-18—31), Lee Reimer (9-13—22) and Bloomfield Hills native Jake Chelios (2-19—21).
Next year, the Spartans will look for strong senior seasons from Matt Berry (Canton), Brent Darnell (Canton) and Tanner Sorenson, who accounted for more than a third of goals (38) last season. This year, they only combined for 14 markers, though Berry missed a chunk of time with an injury and Sorenson was suspended early in the season for a violation of team rules.
MSU will also see the return of forward freshman class members Villiam Haag, Mackenzie MacEachern (Troy), Thomas Ebbing (Troy) and Joe Cox (Chelsea), each of whom produced solid numbers in their first season.
Anastos said the offseason will be critical for returning players, and each player will have an individualized training program customized to their strengths and weaknesses to prepare them for the 2014-15 campaign.
Following the conclusion of the season, he told his MSU players the returning core of players needs to make a big commitment this summer and take a big step starting next fall to establish a solid base.
“That was the message; we’re not good enough where we are,” Anastos said. “We have to get way better. And it starts today.”
Commits on NHL radar
MSU commits Josh Jacobs (Shelby Township) and Ed Minney both appeared on today’s NHL Central Scouting Services final rankings for the 2014 NHL Draft. Jacobs, currently playing for Indiana in the USHL, was ranked the No. 43 North American-born skater, while Minney, a goaltender with the U.S. NTDP program out of Ann Arbor, was ranked the No. 7 North American-born goaltenders.