Lawrence named Spartans' captain

Senior forward Chris Lawrence has been named the captain of the Michigan State Spartans for the 2006-07 season.

In addition, Comley also announced that four players will serve as alternate captains for the upcoming season: junior forwards Bryan Lerg and Chris Mueller and senior blueliners Ethan Graham and Tyler Howells.

"This is a tremendous group in terms of leadership," noted MSU head coach Rick Comley. "They are great players and great 'program guys.' We look forward to them helping guide the team in this upcoming season."

Lawrence is a two-time letterwinner for the Spartans and played in 39 games a year ago as a junior. He scored two goals and added four assists - both of his goals coming on the power play. In the CCHA quarterfinal series against Alaska-Fairbanks, Lawrence combined with Tim Crowder and Lerg to set a new league record for the fastest three goals in tournament history - the three each tallied a goal in a span of 1:46.

"Chris is a very mature player who understands his role, and brings a tremendous attitude and work ethic to the rink every day," notes Comley. "We have the utmost confidence in his ability to manage that locker room. He played a key role on our team last year and helped us achieve some great things. He was the unanimous selection by his teammates to serve as captain and that is a testament to their confidence in him as a leader."

"I'm extremely excited," commented the captain-elect. "This is something I can look at with a lot of pride. It's really a great honor, particularly in a program like Michigan State, to serve as captain. It's extra-special because it comes from a vote of my teammates - the guys you go to battle with every night. To have the confidence from them, it's something I'm really looking forward to. I'm excited to get the season underway."

The alternate captains also played a large role in the success of the 2005-06 Spartan team.

Howells, Lerg, and Graham were among the five MSU players to appear in each of the team's 45 games a year ago. Lerg was the team's second-leading scorer with 15 goals and 23 assists, potting five power-play tallies. Mueller missed four games, but contributed 11 goals and 15 helpers on the season. Howells, a versatile rearguard with offensive skills, was fourth on the team in scoring with 10 goals and 24 assists, and led the team with a plus/minus rating of +21. Graham, by comparison, is a stay-at-home defenseman who was able to contribute three goals and nine assists for 12 points.