Spartans to Meet USNTDP in Exhibition on Saturday in Plymouth

Dec. 14, 2017

Exhibition Game: Michigan State (8-9-1, 2-7-1-1 B1G) vs. USNTDP U-18 (14-10)
Date \| Time	Saturday, Dec. 16 â€" 7 p.m.
Location	USA Hockey Arena (3,504)
Tickets (Fri.)	USA Hockey
Video Stream	HockeyTV.com
Live Stats	USAHockeyNTDP.com
TV	Comcast CN 900
Game Notes	Michigan State
Social Media	@MSU_Hockey \| Facebook \| Instragram

On The Fly…

• Michigan State will meet the USNTDP U-18 team in an exhibition game on Saturday in Plymouth at USA Hockey Arena … It will mark the first time MSU will take on the USNTDP U-18 team away from Munn.

• The Spartans lead the all-time series, 7-6, and have won each of the last three meetings.

• The Spartans are coming off a series split with Michigan last weekend that included a 5-0 win in the finale on Friday at Munn.

• Head coach Danton Cole served as USNTDP head coach from 2010-2017, while the Spartan roster also features four former USNTDP players in Patrick Khodorenko, Tommy Miller, Ed Minney and Dylan Pavelek.

• NTDP goaltender Drew DeRidder signed a National Letter of Intent last month to join the Spartans in 2018-19 … DeRidder is 10-4 with a 2.61 GAA and .908 save percentage so far this season.

• Freshman Mitchell Lewandowski (1g, 2a) and sophomore Taro Hirose (3a) both had three points in the 5-0 win over Michigan and the two are now tied for the team lead in points with 21.

• Lewandowski leads all freshmen nationally in goals (10), points (21), power-play goals (5) and game-winning goals (3).

• Hirose leads MSU and ranks eighth nationally in assists (15).

• The Spartans' KHL line of Patrick Khodorenko, Taro Hirose and Mitchell Lewandowski has accounted for 57 points (22g, 35a) â€" 49% of the team total.

• John Lethemon earned his third shutout of the season in Friday's win over Michigan with 29 saves … Lethemon's three shutouts rank second in the Big Ten, while his 2.28 goals-against average and .918 save percentage both rank third in the league.

• Lethemon has increased his save percentage by .045 over last season.

• The Spartans killed 7-of-8 Michigan power plays last week and have now extinguished 21-of-24 (.875) opponent power plays over the last nine games.

• Senior defenseman Carson Gatt leads all MSU blueliners with 11 points (2g, 7a) â€" a point shy of last year's career high, which tied for the lead among Spartan defensemen … Seven (2g, 5a) of his points have come over the last 10 games.

About the NTDP
The U-18s are 1-6 against NCAA Division I teams with the win coming over Dartmouth (3-0) behind a 39-save shutout effort from Drew DeRidder … Oliver Wahlstrom leads the U-18s in points (31), goals (16) and assists (15) … The NTDP power play is operating at 14.9%, while killing 89.3% of opponent power plays.

MSU-NTDP Connections
All three MSU coaches â€" Danton Cole, Chris Luongo and Joe Exter â€" spent time coaching with the USNTDP … Cole served as head coach from 2010-17; Luongo as an assistant from 2015-17; and Exter as an assistant from 2007-11 … All-time, MSU has had 23 players from the USNTDP.

Of Note From the Michigan Series
The Spartans snapped a five-game power-play goal draught by going 3-for-5 in the 5-0 win … The three power-play goals were tied for their most in a game this season … The 5-0 win was the Spartans' first shutout victory over Michigan at Munn since Nov. 14, 2009 … The KHL line accounted for eight points (3g, 5a) … John Lethemon's shutout was his third of the season.

KHL Line Delivering Offense
The Spartans' top line of Patrick Khodorenko, Taro Hirose and Mitchell Lewandowski has been nothing short of excellent so far this season. The trio, which has been together since game one, has combined for nearly half of the Spartans' total points with 22 goals and 35 assists for 57 points. At least one member of the KHL line has been involved in 17 of the last 21 Spartan goals.

Hirose and Khodorenko, who ranked second and third, respectively, on the team in points last season have helped Lewandowski flourish into one of the nation's top freshmen. Lewandowski leads all freshmen nationally in goals (10), points (21), power-play goals (5) and game-winning goals (3).

Hirose, the Spartans' top-returning point producer from last year, is just three points shy of last year's total with 21 (6g, 15a). He has a team-high six multi-point games, which equals his total from last season.

Khodorenko, who was linemates in midget hockey with Lewandowski, ranks third on the team in points (15) and is tied for second in goals (6). He tied a career high with two goals the last time out vs. Michigan and has points in six of the last nine games.

The trio is a part of the Spartans' top power-play unit where they have combined for 26 points (9g, 17a) on the man-advantage.

Lethemon Solid Between the Pipes
Sophomore John Lethemon has taken the lead in net for the Spartans as he has started 16 of 18 games and has been in goal for all eight victories. Over the last nine games, Lethemon has a 1.94 GAA and .937 save percentage, having allowed two or fewer goals - including two shutouts - in six games. His last shutout was a 29-save effort against Michigan on Dec. 8. He had a career-high 41 saves in the 2-2 tie at Penn State on Nov. 25.

The native of Northville has improved his save percentage by .045 and lowered his goals-against average by 1.30 over last season. His current .918 save percentage and 2.28 goals-against average both rank third in the Big Ten, while his three shutouts are second best.

Specialty Notes
MSU extinguished 7-of-8 Michigan power plays in its last series and has now killed 21 of the last 24 (87.5%) opponent power plays over the last nine games ... Helping the Spartans' cause is the fact they rank 58th nationally in penalty minutes per game (8.5) as opponents have had just one power play in four of the last six games ... The Spartan power play ranks third in the Big Ten and 21st in the country at 21.4% … Taro Hirose leads the country and the Big Ten in power-play assists (11), while his power-play point total (12) also leads the conference … Mitchell Lewandowski leads MSU in power-play goals (5), while Cody Milan and Patrick Khodorenko are second (3) ... The Spartans started the year with at least one power-play goal in each of the first four games, going 5-for-19 (26.3%).

Gatt Leading a Young D Corps
As the lone senior in the Spartans' lineup for 13 games this season and one of three assistant captains, senior defenseman Carson Gatt's leadership has been essential. Just as important has been Gatt's offensive production as he leads all Spartan defensemen with 11 points (2g, 9a) - one shy of last year's career high.

Gatt began the year with points in four of the first five games, while he has seven points (2g, 5a) over the last 10 games.

Spartans in the NHL
A total of seven Spartans are currently on National Hockey League rosters: Justin Abdelkader (Detroit Red Wings), David Booth (Detroit Red Wings), Derek Grant (Anaheim Ducks), Duncan Keith (Chicago Blackhawks), Torey Krug (Boston Bruins), Ryan Miller (Anaheim Ducks), and Jeff Petry (Montreal Canadiens).

Up Next
The Spartans will take a break for Christmas and return to action in the new year with the Great Lakes Invitational at Little Caesars Arena. The Spartans will meet Michigan Tech in the GLI on Jan. 1, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. with the winner advancing to play either Michigan or Bowling Green the championship game the following day.