The Arizona club hockey team will attempt to add to its season-high three-game win streak tonight against Michigan State at the Tucson Convention Center.

Arizona (7-9-1) hopes to bring its record to the .500 mark for the first time this season with a two-game weekend series sweep over the Spartans.

“”We started the season on a bad note so getting back to .500 would huge … especially for the seniors,”” said assistant coach Dave Dougall.

The Spartans come to Tucson with a less-than-average record (9-12), but the Icecats won’t come into the game fooled by that record. The Spartans won’t be intimidated by Arizona because they split a two-game series in Tucson last season and won the national championship for Division II club hockey teams two seasons ago, winning the first game by a three-goal margin.

“”They played a pretty competitive schedule,”” Dougall said. “”With them having an NCAA team they have guys on their roster who’ve tried to walk-on, therefore they generally have a good team.””

Three players on the Icecats’ roster hail from the state of Michigan – sophomore Jordan Shupan, senior Zack Stommen (Kalamazoo) and senior captain Robbie Nowinski (Haslett).

“”It’s definitely one of those teams we want to beat,”” Schupan said. “”Especially me growing up in Michigan, playing against some of those guys, it gives me extra motivation.””

The Icecats will try to extend their winning streak to five games and hope to still have a chance at the American Collegiate Hockey Association tournament in Cleveland, Ohio, at the end of the season. Beating Michigan State would certainly help.

The Spartans started their season by playing top-ranked Illinois, a game they lost by just one goal. They also beat Colorado 7-5 earlier in the season, a team that the Icecats were swept by on their home ice.

“”They’re capable of beating us and we’re capable of beating them,”” Dougall said. “”It’s a matter of who wants it more.””