The season's second weekend brings a bigger challenge for the Michigan State hockey team.
After opening with a series split against Bowling Green, MSU now hosts 16th-ranked UMass-Lowell of the Hockey East conference for games on Thursday and Friday night. MSU played at Lowell last season, tying the River Hawks in the first game before suffering a shutout loss the next night.
"These guys have worked really hard, and the brand of hockey we are trying to play isn't an easy one," MSU coach Adam Nightingale said. "You have to be in really good shape, thinking on the ice all the time and practicing that way all the time.