When junior defenseman Matt Johnson looks across the ice this weekend, he will see some familiar faces. During the Icers' two games against Michigan State, Johnson will play against some of his old teammates from East Kentwood High School in Kentwood, Mich.

"I'd like to win because I played with two of those guys," Johnson said of Spartan defensemen Steve Knuble and Matt Hilbert.

But Knuble, who is also the Spartans' assistant coach, does not intend to make this an easy game for the American Collegiate Hockey Association's No. 1 Icers (17-4-1). The Spartans (5-9) and Icers clash at 9 p.m. today and 3:30 p.m. tomorrow at the ice pavilion in the two teams' first-ever meeting.

Although Michigan State has struggled, it has played teams in a higher division. The Spartans, a Division II ACHA team, have played some of the best Div. I ACHA teams this season, including No. 4 Eastern Michigan and No. 7 Michigan-Dearborn, also foes of the Icers.

Knuble said his team is concentrating on shutting down the explosive Icer offense. He said the team will try to play tough defensively and get its goals on the power play.

"We know they're a good team -- we know what they're capable of," Knuble said. "We have to stop them before we worry about scoring."

But the Icers may be without some of that scoring punch this weekend. Senior forward Dave Raymer is out indefinitely after suffering a hand injury last weekend.

Sophomore defenseman Eddie Kmit is probable (broken hand) and senior defenseman John Farrall is questionable for this weekend (broken wrist).

Even with the defensive corps aching, the Icers will try to take the body against Michigan State. For the past week, the Icers have worked on man-on-man coverage to counter some of the spectacular Spartan players, said Icer Coach Joe Battista.

"They have a couple of guys that can just dipsy-doodle with the puck," he added.

Note:

-- The annual alumni game will begin at 6:15 p.m. tomorrow after the Michigan State contest. The 1995 Penn State Ice Hockey Hall of Fame will be inducted during the first intermission of tomorrow's game. A ceremony honoring the 1990 national championship team will also be held.