No. 3 Michigan State at RIT: How to Watch and Prediction

WHO: No. 3 Michigan State Spartans (2-0, 0-0) at Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers (1-2-1, 1-1)

WHERE: Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, NY

WHEN: Saturday, October 17, at 7:05 p.m. ET

WATCH: FloHockey 24/7 on FuboTV

The first road experience of the season for the Spartans is upon us.

The No. 3 team in the nation, which received three first-place votes out of 50, heads to Rochester, NY, to face the RIT Tigers.

Michigan State opened the season by sweeping Northern Michigan, outscoring the Wildcats 11-3 across the two games.

Something that has been talked about ad nauseam but bears repeating is that the Spartans have an abundance of talent.

Michigan State boasts nine of the 30 first-round draft picks playing in college hockey and 17 total draft picks on its roster. The Spartans also had six of the first 33 picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, and those players have been excelling early in the season.

The seventh overall pick, Chase Reid, is tied for the team lead in assists. Jack Hextall scored in each of the first two games, while Ethan Belchetz added a goal of his own.

Goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen looked faster than a cat in his lone start of the season.

With expectations coming from all angles, some teams start slowly under the pressure before settling in. That has not been the case for Michigan State through its first two games.

However, the Spartans have learned that teams have a target on them and will play physically for all 60 minutes. Michigan State must defend itself and stick up for teammates without falling into opponents' bait traps.

RIT comes into this matchup after a solid showing against No. 18 UMass. The Tigers took the Minutemen to a shootout in the first game of last week's series and came away with a 2-1 victory.

UMass got the last laugh with a 5-1 win in Game 2, but RIT proved it can compete with quality opponents early in the season.

This should be a closely contested matchup through the first two periods. Hopefully, the Spartans will have their legs under them in their first road game and pull away in the third.

I expect the game to be tied 2-2 heading into an epic third period. A game that will test the Spartans more so than they have been. However, a third period flurry nets the Spartans go-ahead goal followed by an empty netter to cap it off.

Michigan State: 4

RIT: 2