EAST LANSING - Two of the Michigan State hockey team’s three top scorers, Corey Tropp and Andrew Rowe, left to sign with NHL teams last spring along with top-notch defenseman Jeff Petry.

So Spartans coach Rick Comley brings a young team into the Big Chill at the Big House on Saturday at Michigan Stadium (3 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit)

Michigan State (6-8-3, 3-7-1 CCHA) must contend with a Michigan hockey squad (9-5-4, 8-3-1-0) that boasts nine seniors. The Spartans' roster includes two - only one of whom dresses.

"What you're trying to do is just get to experience some games under their belt," Comley said. "There's nothing you can do to hurry the process. I'm hoping we reach a point where we just get over the hump.

"I would hope that if we won Saturday and put back-to-back (solid) games together, that would be the first step in getting us there."

Like Michigan, the Spartans have experienced some ups and downs this season. They have wins against top 10 teams (Maine and Alaska) and also knocked off Minnesota.

But the Spartans were swept by Western Michigan in early November and have not been competitive at times - most recently, in a 4-1 loss at Wisconsin during the College Hockey Showcase.

The Spartans, who average 2.5 goals a game, have been shut out twice, including last weekend in a 1-0 loss to Ferris State.

Sophomore captain Torey Krug expects to see improvement soon. As a freshman last year, he and the rest of his classmates met with Comley after Christmas. Comley reminded them of how many games they had played and asked them not to consider themselves freshmen any more.

A year later, Krug knows his younger teammates are close to feeling the same way.

Of the freshmen, Jake Chelios - the son of former NHL star Chris Chelios - has been the most productive, scoring four goals and two assists.

"I think the younger guys are going to start to accept more responsibility and accept their role on the team," Krug said. "I think they're going to be able to use what they've learned so far and get above that hump. But it's a difficult thing to do."

Jeff Arnold covers Michigan hockey for AnnArbor.com and can be reached at (734) 623-2554 or by e-mail at jeffarnold@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeffreyparnold.