For Michigan State hockey's young guns, first NCAA tourney 'a dream come true'

The Michigan State hockey roster is a balanced blend of experience and youth. And with 10 freshmen having just completed a full regular season, even the first-year guys are feeling like veterans. But that hasn't tempered the wide-eyed excitement of experiencing their first NCAA tournament game, when the No.

1-seed Spartans will face off against 4-seed Connecticut on Thursday, March 26. "I've been a big fan of not only this team, but college hockey as a whole, for a long time," MSU freshman forward Ryker Lee said. "Watching the tournament, it's always super exciting, and now being able to get out there and play in it is a dream come true.

" Freshman forward Porter Martone leads the team in points, while the Spartans' second line is composed entirely of freshmen in Lee, Anthony Romani and Eric Nilson. And freshman defenseman Sean Barnhill has been a stalwart on the blue line, playing in every game this season. Even with a handful of MSU's first-year players having participated on the international stage in the World Juniors Tournament, playing for a chance to reach the Frozen Four and bring home a fourth national championship for MSU's hockey program is the ultimate goal.

"Some of our guys have represented their countries, and even as a group, playing in a neutral site at the Great Lakes Invitational is a little bit like the NCAA tournament," MSU coach Adam Nightingale said. "Our guys have played in big moments, and the moment definitely doesn't eat them up. " The freshmen group got a taste of what elimination feels like on a smaller scale, having fallen in the Big Ten tournament semifinals to Ohio State two weeks ago.