Motivation won't be a problem for the Michigan State hockey team this weekend.
The Spartans will not only be hungry to rebound after being swept for the first time this season — 5-0 and 6-3 losses at the hands of Big Ten-leading Minnesota — MSU (11-6-1 overall, 5-4-1 Big Ten) will do so against an opponent that naturally stokes the intensity level.
Michigan (11-6-1, 3-5), ranked sixth and seventh in the two national polls, will be the foe for a home-and-home series that starts with Friday night's 6:30 p.m. game at Munn Arena.
It'll mark the 339th and 340th times the two schools with rinks separated by just 65 miles will face off on the ice.