Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Resume Big Ten Play at Wisconsin on Friday
1/4/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
| Games 17-18: Michigan State (4-11-1, 0-2 B1G) vs. Wisconsin (8-7-1, 1-1 B1G) | |
| Dates | Times | Friday, Jan. 6 â€" 9 p.m. ET | Saturday, Jan. 7 â€" 8 p.m. ET |
| Location | Madison, Wis. | Kohl Center (15,359) |
| TV | BTN |
| Video Stream | BTN2Go |
| Live Stats | Friday | Saturday |
| 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 | Wisconsin | Big Ten |
| Social Media | @MSU_Hockey  | Facebook  | Instragram  |
On The Fly…
• The Spartans begin the New Year by heading to Wisconsin for the first of five consecutive road games in the month ... The five conference-game road stretch is the longest for a Big Ten team this year.
• MSU went 3-1 against Wisconsin last season, including sweeping the Badgers in Madison (4-3, 3-1), Feb. 19-20.
• The Spartans are 2-2-1 on the road this year and are playing their first road games since going 1-0-1 at North Dakota over Thanksgiving weekend.
• MSU leading scorer Mason Appleton brings a career-best three-game goal-scoring streak into Friday's contest … Appleton has four points (3g, 1a) over the last three games and has gone pointless in just five of 16 games this season.
• Appleton leads MSU in goals (8) and points (16) and is tied for the team lead in assists (8).
• Sophomore defenseman Zach Osburn has recorded assists in each of the last three games and leads all Spartan blueliners in points (9) and assists (7).
• Freshman Taro Hirose leads the Spartan rookies with 11 points and is tied with Appleton for the team lead in assists with eight ... Hirose has three assists in the last three games.
• The Spartans have recorded a power-play goal in each of their last three games.
• MSU averaged 37 shots on goal in the two games of the GLI, helped by a season-high 44 against Michigan.
• The Spartans had 10 off days during the Christmas/semester break - tied for the fewest of any team in college hockey.
• Senior linemates Thomas Ebbing (1-2--3), JT Stenglein (3-0--3) and Joe Cox (0-3--3) all had three points in December.
• Michigan State has had at least seven freshmen in the lineup in all 16 games, including eight in both games against Minnesota … Seven MSU rookies have accounted for 36% of the team's points so far this season.
• The Spartans have scored at least three goals in their four wins this season and are 4-2 when scoring three or more this season … Under head coach Tom Anastos the Spartans are 65-15-7 (.787) when scoring three or more goals.
About Wisconsin
The Badgers are 8-7-1 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten, having split a series at Michigan (Dec. 9-10) in their last action before the break … UW went 1-3-1 in their last five games before its 25-day break … Senior Grant Besse leads the Badgers in points with 19 (8g, 11a) … Sophomore Luke Kunin, who is currently captaining the US World Junior Team, has a team-high 11 goals … The Badgers and Spartans share one common non-conference opponent in Denver, which topped UW, 6-5, in Colorado in November … UW is 3-4-1 at home this year.
Against the Badgers
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Wisconsin, 53-47-3. MSU is 17-26-2 against the Badgers on the road and have won each of the last three meetings at the Kohl Center.
Seniors Joe Cox (1g, 4a) and Villiam Haag (2g, 3a) are the Spartans' active leaders in points against the Badgers.
Of Note From the GLI
Eleven different Spartans recorded points in the two games … Carson Gatt had the second two-point game of his career with a goal and an assist vs. Michigan … Freshman Logan Lambdin snapped his 10-game goal drought by scoring the first goal of the game against Michigan … Senior JT Stenglein got his third goal of the month, scoring the tying goal against Michigan … John Lethemon made his first start in goal since Nov. 5 ... The Spartans trailed Michigan 4-1 entering the third period and scored a season-high three third-period goals, tying the game with 2:10 to play ... The 52nd annual GLI was the last to be played at Joe Louis Arena as the tournament will move to the new home of the Red Wings, Little Caesar's Arena, next season.
Starting the New Year on the Road
Michigan State will play its first five games of 2017 on the road â€" at Wisconsin (Jan. 6-7), at Penn State (Jan. 13-14) and at Michigan (Jan. 20) â€" before hosting the Wolverines on Jan. 21 in the only home game of the month. The five-game road stretch is the longest conference road trip for a Big Ten team this season and the longest for the Spartans since 2014 when they also played five consecutive league games on the road from Feb. 14 - March 7.
The Spartans will be able to set aside their bags in February as six of their eight games during the month will be played at home.
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 (16) and goals (8) and is tied for the lead in assists (8). Appleton, who has points in 11 of 16 games, brings a three-game goal-scoring streak into Friday's contest, which is tied for the longest of his career.
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 was MSU's 2015-16 Rookie of the Year and is just six points shy of his point total from last season (5-17--22).
... 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 16 games, combining for 35 of the Spartans' 105 total points (33%).
Hirose hasn't gone more than two consecutive games this season without a point and has three assists over the last three games. Six of his 11 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 three points (2g, 1a) over the last six games.
Another Quick Break
For the second straight year, the Spartans had 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 had 17 off days prior to the GLI, while Penn State will go 33 days between games in December and January.
Netminder Notes
Freshman John Lethemon snapped Ed Minney's streak of eight straight starts by getting the nod against Michigan in the second game of the GLI. In starting eight of the last nine games, including five of six in November, Minney provided the Spartans with solid play and consistency between the pipes. The 6-foot-5 netminder who had just four-career appearances entering the season, has allowed three or fewer goals in 10 of 13 appearances in net this season. He made a career-high 40 saves against Minnesota on Dec. 9.
Lethemon made a career-high 30 saves against Michigan.
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 16 games this year, including Dec. 9-10 vs. Minnesota when they had four in the lineup both nights due to an injury to Carson Gatt. The three returners â€" senior Rhett Holland (121 career GP), Gatt (78 career GP) and sophomore Zach Osburn (53 career GP) â€" 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 16 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 hit the road again next weekend, traveling to Penn State (Jan. 13-14).
