Spartans Host Northeastern in Non-Conference Tilt Sunday Afternoon
12/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
| Game 14: Northeastern (5-7-4) vs. Michigan State (4-8-1) | |
| Date | Time | Sunday, Dec. 18 | 3:05 p.m. |
| Location | East Lansing, Mich. | Munn Ice Arena (6,114) |
| Tickets | MSUSpartans.com |
| Video Stream | BTN Plus |
| Live Stats | |
| Radio | Spartan Sports Network (Listen Live) | WJIM 1240-AM |
| Radio (Mobile) | Broadcast available on Spartan Sports Network Mobile App: iPhone/iPad | Android |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | Northeastern | Big Ten |
| Social Media | @MSU_Hockey  | Facebook  | Instragram  |
On The Fly...
• The Spartans will play their final game before the Christmas break when they host Northeastern on Sunday at 3 p.m. ... The game is part of a three-sport tripleheader between Michigan State and Northeastern as the two schools will meet in women's basketball at noon and men's basketball at 7 p.m.
• Northeastern is making its first trip to Munn Ice Arena since Oct. 14-15, 1983 ... MSU fell to the Huskies, 2-1, on Dec. 19, 2015, at Matthews Arena in Boston in the first meeting between the teams in 19 seasons.
• Junior goaltender Ed Minney has made 30 or more stops in each of the last four games, including a season-high 40 in the Dec. 9 contest vs. Minnesota ... In doing so, Minney has pushed his save percentage to .899, which is a season high, while his goals-against average currently stands at 2.99.
• Over the last four games, Minney has a .923 save percentage and 2.71 goals-against average.
• Senior linemates Thomas Ebbing (1g, 1a) and Joe Cox (2a) extended their season-long point streaks to five games with points in both games last weekend ... The five-game streak is tied for the longest of Ebbing's career.
• In playing with Cox and Ebbing, fellow senior JT Stenglein scored the first goal of both games last weekend vs. Minnesota -- his first two goals of the season.
• Sophomore Mason Appleton leads MSU in goals (5), assists (7) and points (12) ... Six (4g, 2a) of Appleton's points came during November, including two game-winning goals ... Appleton has a pair of two-goal games and leads MSU with three multi-point games ... His five goals equal his total from last season.
• Appleton and freshmen Patrick Khodorenko and Taro Hirose have played together in all 13 games this season, combining for 32% (27 points) of the Spartans' total points.
• Michigan State has had at least seven freshmen in the lineup in all 12 games, including eight in both games against Minnesota last weekend ... Seven MSU rookies have accounted for nearly 38% of the team's points so far this season.
• Sophomore defenseman Zach Osburn, who ranked third on the team with 92 shots on goal last season, leads the Spartans in the same department this season with 37 -- six more than any other player.
• The Spartans have scored at least three goals in their four wins this season and are 4-1 when scoring three or more this season ... Under head coach Tom Anastos the Spartans are 65-14-7 (.797) when scoring three or more goals.
Bring a Stuffed Animal for the Teddy Bear Toss!
The Spartans will be hosting the annual Teddy Bear Toss on Sunday. Fans are encouraged to bring a stuffed animal to toss onto the ice following the Spartans' first goal of the game. All stuffed animals will be donated to the children's wing of Sparrow Hospital in Lansing.
About Northeastern
The Huskies have dropped three of their last four games, including each of their last two, and are winless on the road this season at 0-4-2 ... Northeastern returned 19 letterwinners and lost 10 from last year's team that finished sixth in the Hockey East regular-season standings and then won the conference tournament ... Senior Zach Auston-Reese and junior Dylan Sikura lead a trio of Huskies who have 20 or more points as both enter Sunday's game with 25 ... Reese leads the team in goals (11) and Sikura is the leader in assists (15) ... Sophomore forward Adam Gaudette has 20 points (8g, 12a) in 15 games ... The Spartans and Huskies share one common opponent in Minnesota, which Northeastern defeated, 6-4, on Nov. 25 in Boston.
The All-Time Series
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Northeastern, 6-3 ... The two teams have met just twice in the last 20 years, with the Huskies winning both meetings in Boston (6-5, Oct. 27, 1996; 2-1, Dec. 19, 2015) ... MSU swept Northeastern in its last trip to Munn by scores of 5-2 and 1-0, Oct. 14-15, 1983.
Of Note from the Minnesota Series
Goaltender Ed Minney turned away a career-high 40 stops on Dec. 9 and made 30 saves the following night ... Joe Cox (2a) and Thomas Ebbing (1g, 1a) picked up points in both games to push their point streaks to five games ... Cox and Ebbing's linemate, JT Stenglein, scored the first goal of the game in both games -- his first two tallies of the season ... MSU blocked a season-high 17 shots in Friday's game.
Another Quick Break
For the second straight year, the Spartans will have one of the shortest semester/Christmas breaks in college hockey with 10 off days. The 10-day break between games is tied with Robert Morris for shortest in the nation over college hockey's traditional break. For perspective, the Big Ten team with the second-shortest break over the span is Michigan, which has 17 off days prior to the GLI, while Penn State will go 33 days between games in December and January.
Senior Linemates Click
Coming off two of their best games of the season at North Dakota, senior linemates Joe Cox and Thomas Ebbing continued their strong play last weekend against Minnesota as both players recorded points in the two games to push their season-long point streaks to five games. Cox, who scored the game-winning goal at North Dakota on Nov. 25, had an assist in both games last weekend and has a 2-3--5 scoring line over the last five games. Ebbing, who had a shorthanded goal at UND, had an assist and a goal, respectively, against Minnesota and also has a 2-3--5 line over the last five games. The five-game point streak for Ebbing ties his career long, which came last season from Nov. 7-27 (1-5--6).
Minney Mighty in Net
In starting six consecutive games, including five of six in November, junior netminder Ed Minney has provided the Spartans with solid play and consistency between the pipes. In making 30 or more saves over each of the last four games, including a career-high 40 on Dec. 9, his goals-against average has risen to a season-high .899. He hasn't allowed more than three goals in a game since the season-opener and currently owns a 2.99 goals-against average.
Over the last four games, the 6-foot-5 goaltender has a .923 save percentage and 2.71 goals-against average.
With final exams behind them, the Spartans will host Northeastern on Sunday at Munn at 3 p.m.
A video posted by Michigan State Spartan Hockey (@msu_hockey) on
Appleton Doing it All...
Sophomore forward Mason Appleton has been the Spartans' go-to threat so far this season as he leads the team in points (12), goals (5) and assists (7). Appleton has points in eight of 13 games. He had his first career three-point game with two power-play goals, including the game-winner in OT, in the Spartans' 3-2 win over Michigan Tech on Nov. 4. He scored the game-winner at Ferris State on Nov. 12 just past the midway point of the third period.
Appleton's solid start mirrors that of last season when he had 12 points (3g, 9a) in his first 11 collegiate games. MSU's 2015-16 Rookie of the Year finished his freshman season with 22 points (5g, 17a).
... And Spearheading The Spartans' Most Productive Line
Mason Appleton and freshmen linemates Patrick Khodorenko and Taro Hirose have combined to form the Spartans' most formidable line this season. The trio has played together in all 13 games, combining for 27 of the Spartans' 85 total points (32%).
Hirose hasn't gone more than two games this season without a point and got his third goal of the season on Dec. 9 vs. Minnesota. Four of his eight points have come on the power play and the native of Calgary also sees significant time on the Spartans' penalty kill. Last season he ranked 13th in the BCHL in points (71) and fourth in assists (56), both of which led the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
Khodorenko has points in four of the last six games with a 1-3--4 line over the span.
Spartans Take Strides in November
After a tough start in October, the Spartans began to reverse their fortunes in November, going 3-2-1 and finishing the month unbeaten in their last three games. A total of 10 different players combined for 15 goals and six different players recorded at least four points, led by Mason Appleton (4-2--6). The power play improved by going 6-for-31 (.194) during the month, registering goals on the man advantage in four of six games.
In goal, Ed Minney started five of six games and dropped his goals-against average in all five games, ending the month with a season-best 2.98.
MSU also established some consistency in the lineup in dressing the same personnel over the final four games of the month and having identical forward lines and defense pairings in each of the last three games.
Young Blue Liners
The Spartan defense corps includes just three returners as five new blueliners have stepped into the fold this season. The Spartans have dressed at least three freshmen defensemen in all 13 games this year, including last weekend vs. Minnesota when they had four in the lineup both nights due to an injury to Carson Gatt. The three returners -- senior Rhett Holland (118 career GP), Gatt (75 career GP) and sophomore Zach Osburn (50 career GP) -- all appeared in every game last season and will be counted on to help bring along the younger Spartans.
Freshmen Damian Chrcek, Mitch Eliot, Butrus Ghafari and Anthony Scarsella join redshirt freshman Jerad Rosburg on the back end. Eliot has been the only freshman defenseman to have dressed in all 13 games.
Spartans in the NHL
A total of eight Spartans have appeared in the NHL this season: Justin Abdelkader (Detroit Red Wings), Derek Grant (Buffalo Sabres), Duncan Keith (Chicago Blackhawks), Torey Krug (Boston Bruins), Drew Miller (Detroit Red Wings), Ryan Miller (Vancouver Canucks), John-Michael Liles (Boston Bruins) and Jeff Petry (Montreal Canadiens).
Up Next
The Spartans will head home for Christmas and then return for the 52nd annual Great Lakes Invitational. The tournament will be played at Joe Louis Arena one final time before moving to Little Caesars Arena next season.
MSU will take on Western Michigan in game two on Thursday, Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. Michigan and Michigan Tech will play earlier in the day for a spot in the championship game.
