Spartan Faceoff: Michigan State at Alaska

• Times and site: 11 tonight and 10 p.m. Saturday at the 4,324-seat Carlson Center in Fairbanks, Alaska.

• TV/radio: Saturday's game will be carried by Comcast Digital (Ch. 900)/WJIM 1240-AM, tonight; WVFN 730-AM, Saturday

• Records: MSU 17-9-4, 12-6-4-1 CCHA (second), ranked No. 12; Alaska 10-9-7, 7-9-6-4 CCHA (tied for sixth, 10 points behind MSU).

• Coaches: Alaska - Dallas Ferguson, second season (27-25-13); MSU - Rick Comley, eighth season at MSU, 37th overall (169-117-33, 766-592-105).

• Rivalry: MSU holds a 37-11 lead in a series which started with a 13-3 Spartan victory on Jan. 8, 1985. Over the last four seasons, MSU is 10-2-1 against the Nanooks. UA had lost seven in a row to the Spartans before winning the last meeting last season, 3-1 at Munn Arena. MSU is 14-5-1 in Fairbanks.

• Nanooks to watch: Senior forward Dion Knelsen (12 goals, 11 assists, 23 points), freshmen forwards Andy Taranto (9-16-25) and Nik Yaremchuk (5-11-16), sophomore forward Carl Finucci (4-12-16), sophomore defenseman Joe Sova (4-8-12), and freshman goaltender Scott Greenham (10-9-7, 2.45 goals-against average, .908 saves percentage).

• Nanooks update: Alaska, which started the season 5-0-1, is winless in its last five games at 0-2-3 and is 2-5-3 in the last 10. The Nanooks have struggled offensively with only nine goals in their last seven games, only once scoring as many as three. UA ranks 46th among 58 teams nationally in goals scored, averaging 2.54 per game. ... Tarano, a 6-foot, 215-pound right wing from Woodbridge, Ill., is the fifth-highest rookie scorer in the nation. ... Last season, senior Chad Johnson was the CCHA player of the year, a second-team NCAA West American and a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. Johnson is now in the New York Rangers system and has played a few games in the NHL. But the Nanooks have come with another standout goalie in Greenham, a sophomore from Addison, Ontario. ... The Nanooks lead the nation in one statistic - fewest average minutes in penalties with only 9.8.

• Spartans update: MSU has three players in double figures in goals - Corey Tropp (19), Andrew Rowe (13) and Derek Grant (10). ... Since winning four straight games in December (Bowling Green 2, Michigan Tech, Rensselaer), MSU failed to sweep a series in January, going 3-3-2 against LSSU, Notre Dame, OSU and Michigan. For sure, the schedule got tougher, and while the Spartans received better balance on offense, the defense was inconsistent and closing out games got tougher. Ties against LSSU and Notre Dame (especially after losing a 3-0 lead) hurt in the standings, as did late losses against the Buckeyes and Wolverines. For MSU, there are six games left in the regular season - while teams such as third-place Ferris State, fourth-place LSSU, sixth-place Michigan and eighth-place OSU all have eight. So, the Spartans need victories to ensure a top-four finish and the perks that come with it - a bye in the first round of the playoffs and home ice for the second round. MSU is off next weekend, then finishes with home-and-home series against FSU and BGSU.

• Analysis: Alaska has played six of its last eight games on the road, so it's due for a solid series at home, making this a tough challenge for the Spartans, who played only three road games in the last two months. The larger ice surface (Olympic size at 100 feet wide) will force MSU to make some adjustments, but it also should help some of the speedy forwards. Playing smart, staying patient and playing efficient defense in their own zone all are a must for a Spartan team that needs to pile up points to solidify its spot near the top of the CCHA.

--Neil Koepke