From Compuware to captain of the Spartans – Michael Ferrantino is ready to lead MSU
By Robert Bondy –
When he first stepped onto the ice at Munn Ice Arena in the fall of 2012, Michael Ferrantino was simply focused on earning playing time. This upcoming fall, only two years removed from that first practice in green and white, he will step onto the ice as the new face of Michigan State University hockey.
Ferrantino, a junior forward from Plymouth, will lead the Spartans in 2014-15 as the program’s 70th captain all-time. Ferrantino will replace recent graduate and two-time captain Greg Wolfe, with Michigan State head coach Tom Anastos making the announcement on April 21.
Through his progression the last two seasons, Ferrantino knew he had a chance at earning the coveted “C” on his chest, but still considered it a “surreal feeling” when he got the news.
“Coming in it wasn’t really a thing I was thinking about much,” Ferrantino said. “… As time progressed it became something that could become a possibility and now it’s a special thing that it happened.”
The announcement made by Anastos came after a selection period that used players, coaches and even media members’ input. Anastos said he didn’t use a straight player vote to help make the decision, but a leadership questionnaire to gauge the player’s thoughts. He added that he met with players throughout and after the season, and ultimately felt Ferrantino had the tools to fulfill the captain position next season.
“He’s emerged as one of the guys who clearly has earned the respect and admiration of his teammates,” Anastos said. “He’s got strong leadership capabilities.”
Anastos added that Ferrantino was committed to improving after his freshman year, with the coaching staff noticing the strides forward he took this past season. Ferrantino recorded 11 goals and nine assists last year, making him the top returning point getter for the Spartans next year.
Ferrantino’s latest production is nothing new, with the 5-foot-8, 175-pound forward experiencing success on the ice before arriving in East Lansing.
Starting at 4 years old, Ferrantino began his hockey career like many kids in his local mini mite league in Plymouth. From there he began to expand his game and was able to start competing at a higher level with his local travel team, the Plymouth Stingrays.
After a few years of bouncing around on other travel teams, he landed a spot on one of the state’s top AAA youth programs – Compuware. Ferrantino played for head coach Derek Szajner at Compuware from squirts to midgets, helping lead his team to multiple state championships and a national championship.
Szajner said Ferrantino always had a strong presence in the locker room and was a good motivator among his teammates, making it no surprise he would take over as the Spartan captain next season.
“The biggest thing he brought was his work ethic, which was unbelievable and got everyone to look up to him,” Szajner said. “He was a leader and he didn’t even know it. You ask him to do something and he would just do it, he just had the will to compete.”
It was also under Szajner at the midget major level where Ferrantino was last a captain. Ferrantino said through that season he learned that a captain has to be a good role model for the team to be successful.
“You learn that everyone looks at what you are doing,” Ferrantino said. “You really can’t take a second off or let your guard down because people are watching and you want people to follow you.”
Ferrantino also has had the benefit of learning from Wolfe, who also was named captain as only a junior. Outside of learning by example, Ferrantino said he has talked to Wolfe quite a bit since the announcement, with the former two-time captain telling him to enjoy every moment of his new role.
“Embrace it and take it for all that its worth,” Ferrantino said. “Make sure you have yourself in order and make sure you are doing all the things the right way is the biggest thing he told me.”
Ferrantino added that he is working hard this summer to enter next fall at an elite level so he can serve as a role model for his teammates and be ready to compete at the highest level.
Outside of working this offseason to be in great shape come August, Ferrantino is also motivated to get MSU back into the post season in 2014-15. With 21 of 27 players returning in the fall, Ferrantino is confident MSU will be a contender in the Big Ten and reach the NCAA Tournament.
“You saw last year, particularly that second half (of the season), we had a really good hockey team,” said Ferrantino, whose Spartans finished 11-18-7 last season. “Everyone is going to be coming back bigger and stronger and faster. … I wouldn’t put a limit on where we can go next year.”