By Jacob Messing

No matter what the sport, the state of Michigan enjoys watching the Wolverines and Spartans go head-to-head.

This weekend, it’s hockey.

The similarities between the two programs at the moment are uncanny. Each saw its head coach step down in the offseason. Michigan brought in Mel Pearson, who brought a five-man freshman class with him, and Michigan State brought in Danton Cole, who recruited eight freshmen.

The Wolverines and the Spartans finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in the then-six-team Big Ten. Over the summer, the conference welcomed Notre Dame and now almost halfway through the 2017-18 season, Michigan and MSU sit sixth and seventh, respectively.

Every game is another opportunity to get back on track. Add the honor and pride that comes with beating a rival and both team will see the season is far from over.

FloHockey will stream the home-and-home series this weekend with the Wolverines hosting first tomorrow, December 7, at 7:30 PM EST. The Spartans get the privilege Friday at 7 PM.

Neither rival holds a commanding edge heading into the series.

Both teams are coming off the wrong end of a sweep. Michigan State mustered just one goal against No. 4 Notre Dame last weekend, while Ohio State handed Michigan consecutive losses on November 24 and 25.

The Spartans, 7-8-1, may hold the advantage. They went 2-1-2 versus the Wolverines last year. Both wins came in Ann Arbor, both ties in East Lansing, and the loss at Joe Louis Arena during the GLI.

“We’ve shown we can hang in there with some of the better teams in the country and we have to get there and get over the hump and get some wins against some of the top five teams,” Cole told Neil Koepke following the Notre Dame series. “Our guys worked extremely hard, battled in the trenches.”

The W-L-T frame of success doesn’t fully represent the fight of the Spartans. They’ve fared well against ranked opponents, including a one-goal loss (excluding an empty-netter) to No. 4 Notre Dame and a 2-0 shutout of No. 7 Wisconsin.

MSU’s underclassmen, led by freshman Mitchell Lewandowski, have also grabbed the reigns of the team, rather than take a backseat approach. Lewandowski leads all NCAA freshmen with nine goals and 18 points through 16 games.

Sophomore linemates Taro Hirose (18 pts.) and Patrick Khodorenko (13 pts.) sit tied for first and second in team scoring. The line didn’t look as threatening versus Notre Dame as it has in recent weeks, and they’re likely to turn that around in the rivalry game.

But the Wolverines, 6-6-2, hold the better overall record and had last weekend off to rest. They (expectedly) won a 7-3 exhibition game over the U.S. U-18 Team last week, gaining some confidence ahead of Thursday’s game.

New Cover Photo.#BeatState pic.twitter.com/xDPnlfs7vE

— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) December 4, 2017

The Wolverines underclassmen haven’t matched the success of the Spartans’ as junior Cooper Marody (21 pts.) and seniors Tony Calderone (15 pts.) and Dexter Dancs (11 pts.) sit atop the team’s scoring list.

Throughout the season, Michigan has been a third-period team. Forty-six percent (22/48) of their goals on the year have come in the third frame, which is also the period in which they allow the fewest shots against.

The problem for the Wolverines seems to be starting on time. They tend to fall behind early, and catch-up hockey is difficult hockey. It’s a luxury they can’t afford to give to the Spartans, who score the first goal 60 percent of the time.

Conversely, Michigan seems to take a step back after it establishes a lead. Teaching a team to keep its foot on the gas is harder than it sounds, but it’s a lesson Pearson needs to instill in his players.

With a roster of 14 underclassmen, Pearson will need to reach through to them fast to grow them for the future.

Any coach will tell you a team with a philosophy is always better when it sticks to that philosophy, win or lose. Michigan’s players need to learn to play through Pearson’s philosophy no matter what the score.

It’s the last series of the calendar year for both squads, and both are eyeing a good close before the semester break. Don’t miss the action this weekend between the Michigan rivals, streamed right here on FloHockey.

Have a question or a comment for Jacob Messing? You can find him on Twitter @JMessing23.