Hockey Hosts Clarkson Sunday at Munn

Dec. 11, 2014

Game 16: Clarkson (6-7-4) vs. Michigan State (5-9-1)
Date , Time	Sun., Dec. 14 - 5 p.m.
Location	East Lansing, Mich. \| Munn Ice Arena (6,470)
Tickets	MSUSpartans.com
Live Stats
Radio	Spartan Sports Network (Listen Live) \| WFVN 730-AM
Radio (Mobile)	Broadcast available on Spartan Sports Network Mobile App: iPhone/iPad \| Android
Promotions	4 Seats, 4 Treats \| Teddy Bear Toss
Game Notes	Clarkson \| Michigan State
Social Media	@MSU_Hockey \| Facebook

• The Spartans will play their final game before Christmas when they host Clarkson on Sunday at 5 p.m. ... It will be the first time the two programs have met since MSU swept a pair of games from the Golden Knights Oct. 9-10, 2009 (4-3, 6-1).

• Brent Darnell had his third-career two-goal game in the 3-3 tie with Minnesota and first since Dec. 7, 2012 at Notre Dame ... Michigan State is 2-0-1 when Darnell registers a point this season.

• Sophomore forward Mackenzie MacEachern got his fifth goal of the season in Saturday's 3-3 tie with Minnesota - his first point since Nov. 20 at Ohio State ... MacEachern ranks third on the team with 10 points, just two fewer than he had last season.

• The Spartans participated in their first shootout of the season with a 2-1 win in six rounds on Saturday ... The Spartans went 4-3 in a league-high seven shootouts last season.

• Junior Matt DeBlouw picked up an assist on Saturday giving him three points (1g, 2a) in the last three games ... DeBlouw also had the shootout-winning goal.

• Junior Travis Walsh has three assists in the last four games and his seven on the season lead the team ... His nine points (2g, 7a) rank third among defensemen in the Big Ten.

• The Spartans' .520 faceoff win percentage is 15th-best nationally and fourth in the Big Ten ... Michael Ferrantino's 167 faceoff wins are the second most in the Big Ten and are tied for 21st nationally.

• Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten and 16th nationally in blocked shots per game at 14.53 ... Travis Walsh ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 27 blocks ...The Spartans led the country in blocked shots per game per game (17.67) in 2013-14.

• Jake Hildebrand's 15 starts between the pipes are more than any other goaltender in the conference ... He leads the league in saves (374) and shots faced (313).

• Michigan State is 5-0-1 when leading after the first and second periods this season ... MSU is 5-1-1 when scoring first.

• The Spartans rank third in the Big Ten and 23rd nationally in shots on goal per game at 30.47 ... MSU holds a 151-121 cumulative shot advantage over opponents in the second period.

• MSU has generated more shots on goal than its opponents in 10 of 15 games this season after doing so in just 14 of 36 contests last year.

Bring a Bear!
Fans are encouraged to bring a new stuffed animal to Sunday's game to toss on the ice after MSU scores its first goal. The stuffed animals will be collected and distributed to children's charities in the greater Lansing area, which will include the Sparrow pediatric ward and Brandon's Defense, which works to improve the quality of life for children with cancer and their families.

About Clarkson
The Golden Knights enter Sunday's game coming off a 2-1 road win at St. Lawrence, giving them a 3-2 mark over their last five games and a 6-7-4 overall record ... MSU and Clarkson share one common opponent in Princeton, which the Golden Knights defeated, 4-0, on Nov. 22 ... Senior forward Joe Zarbo is the team leader in points (10) and goals (6) ... Sophomore James de Haas leads all defensemen with nine points (3g, 6a) and is a team best plus-four ... Clarkson has held opponents to two goals or fewer in seven of the last nine games ... Sophomore goaltender Steve Perry has started 14 of 17 games including each of the last five ... Perry has a 1.94 goals-against average and .912 save percentage.

A Little History
Sunday will mark just the 15th meeting between MSU and Clarkson and first since the Spartans swept the Golden Knights in two games at Munn in Oct. 2009. Michigan State defeated Clarkson, 6-1, for the first national championship in program history on March 19, 1966. MSU trails the all-time series, 6-7-1.

From the Minnesota Series
MSU's shootout win was its third over Minnesota in the last six meetings between the teams ... Matt DeBlouw's shootout winner came on the first attempt of his career ... Brent Darnell led MSU with two goals ... Three defensemen picked up assists, including: John Draeger, who notched his first point of the season; Travis Walsh, who posted his team-high seventh assist; and Carson Gatt who picked up his third helper ... In Saturday's 3-3 tie, the Spartans produced a season-high 45 shots on goal for the second time in four games ... The 45 shots are the most by MSU since outshooting AIC, 47-22, in a 5-4 win on Nov. 1, 2013 ... The Spartans' 18 blocked shots on Friday were their most since the second game of the season when they had 22 vs. UMass (Oct. 18).

Walsh Providing Offense Junior defenseman Travis Walsh has stepped up his offensive production this season as he has already eclipsed last season's point total with two goals and seven assists. His nine points rank third among Big Ten defensemen and are two more than he had in all of last season (33 games). His highest single-season points total came as a freshman when he had 11 assists.

Walsh enters Sunday's game with an assist in three of the last four games.

Watch Tom

Ferrantino Gets it Done in All Facets
Captain Michael Ferrantino enters Sunday with six goals and two assists over the last nine games. He was held off the scoresheet last weekend but has at least a point in six of the last nine games.

The Plymouth, Michigan, native is far ahead of last year's scoring pace, which saw him post a 9-11-20 line. Ferrantino didn't score his seventh goal of last season until Jan. 31 at Minnesota.

Ferrantino's leadership has been just as valuable in other facets of the game as he is one of the Big Ten's best in the faceoff circle. His 167 wins rank second in the conference and his .567 win percentage is 11th best.

Ferrantino is critical to the Spartans' special teams and his three power-play goals lead the team.

In the Shootout
The Spartans had their first shootout of the season on Dec. 6 vs. Minnesota following a 3-3 tie. MSU, which went 4-3 in shootouts last season, won Saturday's duel with Minnesota in six rounds, 2-1. Michael Ferrantino (first round) and Matt DeBlouw (sixth round) scored for the Spartans. The shootout win was the Spartans' third over the Gophers in the last six meeting between the teams.

Special Teams Notes
The Spartans' .821 penalty kill percentage ranks third in the Big Ten ... The 10 power-play goals allowed by the Spartans are tied for the second fewest in the conference ... Michael Ferrantino leads the team with three power-play goals.

MacEachern Valuable at Both Ends
Sophomore forward Mackenzie MacEachern has been one of the Spartans' most consistent players at both ends of the rink this season, serving as a key component on both special teams units. Offensively, the 6-foot-2 winger's 10 points (5g, 5a) are just two shy of his 2013-14 total and he is the only Spartan with a shorthanded and power-play goal so far this season.

Get `Em on Net
MSU has generated more shots on goal than its opponents in 10 of 15 games this season after doing so in just 14 of 36 contests last year. As games progress, the Spartans tend to generate more shots. They hold a 151-121 advantage over opponents in the second period and have outshot foes in the third period in 11 of the 15 games this season.