Photo by: Rey Del Rio/MSU Athletic Communications
Neil’s Notebook: Rivals Ready to Meet Friday at Munn
11/29/2018 9:33:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
By Neil Koepke
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
EAST LANSING – For the Michigan State hockey team, it's finally Michigan Week. For Michigan hockey, it's finally Michigan State Week.
And here's what you'll be hearing in the days, hours, minutes and seconds leading up to the first two meetings of the season between the Spartans and Wolverines:
"We don't like them, they don't like us. It'll be emotional, intense and there will be some chirping. It's a great atmosphere and there's always something going on. It'll be great. We love it.''
With one-third of each team's schedule already played, Michigan State and Michigan get to really have some fun battling each other in a Big Ten home-and-home series – at 7 p.m. Friday at Munn Arena and at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Yost Arena in Ann Arbor.
"I don't like to put these games above other games but in a certain sense, they are,'' said MSU senior defenseman Zach Osburn, who will be playing U-M for the 15th and 16th times as Spartan. "We're really excited to show the freshmen how big this rivalry is and how important these games really are.''
Spartans and Wolverines say there's few feelings better in college hockey than beating your biggest rival, and few things worse than skating off in defeat. Those handshakes at the end of games are great when you win and gut-wrenching when you lose.
"That's definitely the most sour-tasting loss you can take in being a Michigan State hockey player,'' Osburn said. "But it makes it that much sweeter when you win.''
Neither team is coming into the series on a hot streak. In fact, both MSU and U-M have underachieved a bit from early-season expectations, although each has had some positive moments that give hope for the next 22 (Spartans) and 21 (Wolverines) regular-season games.
Michigan State (5-7 overall 1-3 Big Ten) last weekend earned a series split at Minnesota, ending six-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory on Saturday. Michigan (6-5-1, 2-2-2-1) last weekend tied Wisconsin twice and earned three points in the Big Ten with a 3-on-3 overtime win on Friday and a shootout loss on Saturday.
Both teams have had trouble scoring goals at times and giving up too many during other stretches. MSU scored four goals during a recent four-game stretch. U-M scored just four goals in two games in a split with Notre Dame and managed just three goals last week in the two ties with the Badgers, 1-1, 2-2. The week before, Michigan scored 12 goals in a split at Penn State, but gave up 11.
MSU is 1-5 in its last six games and U-M is 2-2-2.
"They're going to be two tough games,'' Osburn said. "I'm pumped. I love playing in these games.''
Michigan State coach Danton Cole says he savors the rivalry with Michigan. He's watched it as a young boy, played in it and now is in his second season viewing it from the bench.
"I go back to when I went to my first (MSU-Michigan) football game when I was 5-or-6-years-old. I like it. It's a healthy thing,'' Cole said of the overall rivalry between the schools. "Last year, we had 19 freshmen and sophomores, and this year it's like 15. Some have grown up around here and understand it a little bit. But you have to go through it.
"Both teams will be amped. I love the challenge. It's a lot of fun.''
As a Spartan forward from 1985-89, Cole went 14-4 against Michigan. In five games as Spartan coach last season, the Wolverines held a 3-1-1 edge. The Spartans' win and tie came at Munn Arena.
"They get up and down the ice pretty well,'' Cole said of this season's Wolverines. "(Sophomore) Quinn Hughes on defense, he's a special athlete. The expression, which is probably overused, that you're not going to stop him but you just want to contain him holds true.
"I spent a couple years with him (at the U.S. U-17 and U-18 programs). He was with the other group but you get to watch him every day and play his games. He can create a lot so we'll have to play attention to that.''
Michigan has a dangerous forward line featuring Josh Norris at center with Jake Slaker and Will Lockwood on the wings. They, along with Hughes, are among U-M's top four scorers.
"We have to control the transition game and breakout effectively,'' Cole said. "We had a (goal) drought there for a while but we didn't change a lot. It's getting in front of the net and getting shots on net. Not a lot of big secrets – just execute.''
Taro Hirose is MSU's top scorer in 10 games over two seasons against Michigan. The junior left wing has four goals and nine assists for 13 points.
"They're a great team and have some highly skilled players, like Hughes and Norris and we definitely have to watch out for them,'' Hirose said. "We're going in with the mindset that we can win any game against any team we're playing.''
Hirose was encouraged by his team's patience against Minnesota last Saturday, trailing 2-0 in the second period. The Spartans, who lost the series opener, 7-2 on Friday, didn't panic, played better defensively and ended up scoring two late goals in the second period to tie it. They shocked the Gophers with two goals in the third to earn a much-needed 4-2 victory.
"Our team defense was a lot better. We were moving the puck and not turning it over in the neutral zone against a highly skilled team on the big ice, and that was huge for us,'' Hirose said of Saturday's come-from-behind victory.
"It bought us enough time to get our own momentum going and get some scoring chances and we ended up finishing on those.
"We went through a tough stretch there, with some close games against Notre Dame, and I think we've played a lot better that our record shows.''
The Spartans' win last Saturday was their first at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis since Feb. 27, 2015 – also a 4-2 victory.
"Winning is good. It gives you a little extra energy, a little more confidence and more belief,'' Cole said. "But I want our guys to continue to learn and understand how hard they have to play, how they have to play, and that becomes your identity and your culture, and you start from there.
"We're still in the process of figuring out where we're starting from and our guys are getting it. Having that result on the road helps a ton.''
THE RIVALRY: Michigan leads the series 163-134-22. The 29-win difference is largely from the early years of the rivalry, when Michigan's program was established and MSU's was in its early stages. The teams played 16 times in the 1920s and early 1930s, with the Wolverines holding a 14-2 edge. The teams didn't play again until the 1950s, when MSU resumed hockey as a varsity sport. From 1950 to 1957, U-M went 27-0-1 against the Spartans to lead the series, 41-2-1.
So, if you look at the rivalry starting from the 1957-58 season when Michigan State's program, under coach Amo Bessone, became more competitive on a national level, the Spartans hold a 132-122-21 edge. MSU played in the 1959 NCAA Final Four, defeating Boston College, 4-3, in the semifinals and losing to North Dakota, 4-3 in overtime in the championship game.
Michigan is 11-6-3 against MSU in the last 20 meetings, starting with the GLI in 2014. The Wolverines won last year's series, 3-1-1, but the Spartans held a 2-1-2 edge in 2016-17, winning both games at Yost Arena.
MSU's last sweep of U-M came in 2009, 3-2 (Yost) and 2-0 (Munn) victories on Nov. 13-14, respectively.
SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES: Michigan started the season with a 5-2 loss against Vermont at Yost Arena and then split a home-and-home series with Western Michigan. After a non-conference home sweep of St. Lawrence, the Wolverines split series at Lake Superior State, Notre Dame at home and at Penn State. Last weekend, U-M tied two home games with Wisconsin, 1-1 and 2-2, with the Wolverines earning two points in the Big Ten standings with a 3-on-3 overtime win in the first game. The Badgers won the second game in the shootout in the series finale, earning two points while U-M got one. Each team took three points out of the weekend.
Without question, Michigan's best player is sophomore defenseman Quinn Hughes, a first-round (7th overall) draft pick by the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL Entry Draft last June. Quinn is U-M's second-leading scorer with three goals and 12 assists for 15 points in 13 games. He's the top-scoring defenseman in the Big Ten and tied for fifth in the country. Josh Norris, a sophomore center, is the team's top scorer with eight goals and eight assists for 16 points. Norris' linemates – left wing Jake Slaker (7-6-13) and right wing Will Lockwood (4-8-12) - are No. 3 and 4 in team scoring, respectively.
In goal, junior Hayden Lavigne and freshman Strauss Mann have each played in seven games. Lavigne has started seven, has a 2-3-2 record, a 3.08 goals-against average and an .880 saves percentage. Mann has started six, has a 4-2 record, a 3.69 GAA and an .874 saves percentage. Lavigne, who started 31 games last season, played in both games against Wisconsin last weekend. Mann started both games at Penn State but gave up 11 goals in a 6-4 win and 7-6 overtime loss.
Michigan's roster includes three seniors, seven juniors, six sophomores and nine freshmen.
HIROSE IMPRESSES: Taro Hirose continues to be a force offensively and as a leader, and excels in almost every game for the Spartans. He ignited MSU's comeback last Saturday and helped turn a 2-0 deficit into a rewarding 4-2 victory over Minnesota at Mariucci Arena.
The 5-foot-10, 165-pound junior left wing from Calgary had a goal and two assists vs. the Gophers on Saturday and an assist in MSU's 7-2 loss on Friday. Hirose was named the Big Ten's Second Star for his four-point weekend and clutch play as the Spartans earned a series split and halted a six-game losing streak.
Hirose is the third-leading scorer in the nation with six goals and 13 assists and 19 points in 12 games. His linemates on the KHL Line – Mitchell Lewandowski (4-9-13) and Patrick Khodorenko (9-3-12) - are No. 2 and 3, respectively, in team scoring.
"It's nice to get awards and stuff, but I definitely would like to see our record be a little better,'' Hirose said. "And so far, I've been all right, but as a line I think we can be a lot better. It's nice to see where we're at right now but we know we can be better.
"As for the leadership part, I just go out and lead by example and say a few things here and there in the locker room. It's definitely something that I can improve on during the season.''
Coach Danton Cole loves what he's seen from Hirose. He believes the standout left wing is a lot better than he was last season and says he can be even better than the level he's at right now.
"He's a fantastic hockey player. He was last year, he is this year and he'll be a fantastic player as long as he wants to keep playing,'' Cole said. "The one thing he really worked on last spring and summer was spending time in the weight room and just the power aspect of it.
"The one jump we've noticed this year is that he has a lot more separation. Teams pay a lot of attention to him. But I don't think anybody got more attention than their line last year.
"Teams are focusing on him and he's been able to battle a little longer by being strong in the corner. That's something he and Patrick (Khodorenko) talked about – being more of a possession line and not just a counter-attack, rushing line. It's fantastic to be that but if you can add that weapon and can get in the offensive zone and grind it out, (that's even better).''
Last season, Hirose led MSU in scoring with 12 goals and 30 assists for 42 points in 36 games. He had six goals and 18 assists for 24 points in 34 games as a freshman.
"Just that added strength and more pop this year really helps,'' Cole said. "I still think he has a ways to go. (Last summer) was a good development time for him. If he can stick with that, he'll continue to get better.''
One of Hirose's talents is his hockey IQ and vision, and it was apparent in setting up MSU's second and third goals last Saturday at Minnesota. After he scored MSU's first goal from the edge of the crease, his perfect pass to Khodorenko just over a minute later turned into the goal that tied the game 2-2. And his pass into the slot from behind the net to Brody Stevens led to MSU taking a 3-2 lead in the third period and a huge step toward victory.
"(His vision) is outstanding. There are certain things you can't teach,'' Cole said. "You can get a little better at it but when a guy has a feel for the game and can see the plays, well, that's why that line works so well together.''
DERIDDER EARNS FIRST WIN: The weekend in Minnesota started on a very sour note for MSU freshman goaltender Drew DeRidder. But it ended just the opposite- upbeat, positive and in a game to remember: DeRidder's first career win as a Spartan.
Things looked pretty bleak for the 5-foot-10, 167-pounder from Fenton on Friday when Minnesota scored two goals on its first two shots to go up 2-0 just 3 minutes and 42 seconds into the game. The first goal came on a cross-ice pass and a deflection at the side of the net and the second was a high, point-blank shot from the slot.
At that point, Coach Danton Cole replaced DeRidder with junior John Lethemon, who gave up one goal in the first period and three in the second as the Gophers built a 6-2 lead. Cole put DeRidder back in the net for the third period, and he made six saves, allowed one goal and looked pretty solid.
Cole and the coaching staff decided to go back with DeRidder on Saturday, and the 18-year-old rookie bounced back with a solid performance as MSU rallied from a 2-0 deficit and upended the Gophers, 4-2.
DeRidder made 28 saves, including 16 in the third period when Minnesota, finding itself down by two goals, applied late pressure. DeRidder had his first collegiate victory and with the Spartans' losing streak over, it made for an enjoyable plane flight home late Saturday.
"It's always tough to lose that bad and get pulled, but it's all about how you bounce back,'' DeRidder said. "I felt like I played really good on Saturday. It's good to get the win, get the first one out of the way. The first one is a big deal but now you just look forward to the next ones.''
DeRidder said he was eager to get back in the net on Saturday and felt good getting the start in the series finale.
"I just had confidence. I knew that if I played my game, I would do well,'' he said. "That's what I did. I did what I know how to do and it worked. After we scored those two goals in the second period (to tie it 2-2), I just said (to myself), 'Just don't let in another goal and we'll win the game.'''
DeRidder didn't and the Spartans scored twice midway through the final period and held on for the victory.
"I knew that I'd have to make a couple big saves. The guys were sacrificing bodies, blocking shots and doing the right things,'' DeRidder said. "There were a couple shots that were good chances that I had to make good saves on, and there were chances where someone got a stick on or it hit them in front. My teammates really helped me out. It was a really cool experience.''
DeRidder has started five games, has a 1-3 record, a 3.45 goals-against average and .875 saves percentage. In most of the games he's started, he hasn't gotten a lot of goal support. MSU lost 4-3 in his first start against Northern Michigan, 4-1 at Ferris State two weeks later and 3-1 vs. Notre Dame two weeks ago.
"I think I've been doing well in practice. Coach (Joe) Exter has given me a couple of things that he wants me to get better at and just trying to change my game around,'' he said. "Things that he thinks will help. It's making my stance a little narrower, tracking pucks better and getting on top of pucks. It's helped me a lot.''
DeRidder played for the U.S. National Team Development Program's U-18 team last season and came to MSU with high-end credentials. But as Coach Cole points out, he'd only 18-years-old, and most freshman goalies in college are 19 or 20.
"He's a battler. One thing we've said since Day 1 is that even if he's not in every game, his compete level in practice has made us a better team,'' Cole said. "There's a tremendous will in him and a tremendous belief in his abilities.
"And that's a great thing in hockey. He backs it up with his work ethic. That's a true freshman, something you don't see a lot in college hockey. He was extremely good for us on Saturday, and that was outstanding to see.''
IN THE BIG TEN: In the two other conference series on Friday and Saturday, No. 5 Ohio State (9-4-1 4-2) plays at Minnesota (4-6-1, 2-2) and Wisconsin (5-7-2, 1-3-2-1) plays host to No. 6 Penn State (10-3, 2-2).
The Buckeyes are coming off a home split with Penn State, while the Badgers played two ties at Michigan. OSU is 5-1 in its last six games, Minnesota is 3-3, Wisconsin is 1-3-2 and Penn State is 4-2.
No. 8 Notre Dame (8-4-1, 4-2) had last weekend off, but edged Northern Michigan, 2-1, on Tuesday in a non-conference, home game. The Irish, 5-1 in their last six games after losing three straight, are back in non-league play this weekend. They host Rensselaer (4-7, 3-3 ECAC) on Friday and Saturday.
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
EAST LANSING – For the Michigan State hockey team, it's finally Michigan Week. For Michigan hockey, it's finally Michigan State Week.
And here's what you'll be hearing in the days, hours, minutes and seconds leading up to the first two meetings of the season between the Spartans and Wolverines:
"We don't like them, they don't like us. It'll be emotional, intense and there will be some chirping. It's a great atmosphere and there's always something going on. It'll be great. We love it.''
With one-third of each team's schedule already played, Michigan State and Michigan get to really have some fun battling each other in a Big Ten home-and-home series – at 7 p.m. Friday at Munn Arena and at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Yost Arena in Ann Arbor.
"I don't like to put these games above other games but in a certain sense, they are,'' said MSU senior defenseman Zach Osburn, who will be playing U-M for the 15th and 16th times as Spartan. "We're really excited to show the freshmen how big this rivalry is and how important these games really are.''
Spartans and Wolverines say there's few feelings better in college hockey than beating your biggest rival, and few things worse than skating off in defeat. Those handshakes at the end of games are great when you win and gut-wrenching when you lose.
"That's definitely the most sour-tasting loss you can take in being a Michigan State hockey player,'' Osburn said. "But it makes it that much sweeter when you win.''
Neither team is coming into the series on a hot streak. In fact, both MSU and U-M have underachieved a bit from early-season expectations, although each has had some positive moments that give hope for the next 22 (Spartans) and 21 (Wolverines) regular-season games.
Michigan State (5-7 overall 1-3 Big Ten) last weekend earned a series split at Minnesota, ending six-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory on Saturday. Michigan (6-5-1, 2-2-2-1) last weekend tied Wisconsin twice and earned three points in the Big Ten with a 3-on-3 overtime win on Friday and a shootout loss on Saturday.
Both teams have had trouble scoring goals at times and giving up too many during other stretches. MSU scored four goals during a recent four-game stretch. U-M scored just four goals in two games in a split with Notre Dame and managed just three goals last week in the two ties with the Badgers, 1-1, 2-2. The week before, Michigan scored 12 goals in a split at Penn State, but gave up 11.
MSU is 1-5 in its last six games and U-M is 2-2-2.
"They're going to be two tough games,'' Osburn said. "I'm pumped. I love playing in these games.''
Michigan State coach Danton Cole says he savors the rivalry with Michigan. He's watched it as a young boy, played in it and now is in his second season viewing it from the bench.
"I go back to when I went to my first (MSU-Michigan) football game when I was 5-or-6-years-old. I like it. It's a healthy thing,'' Cole said of the overall rivalry between the schools. "Last year, we had 19 freshmen and sophomores, and this year it's like 15. Some have grown up around here and understand it a little bit. But you have to go through it.
"Both teams will be amped. I love the challenge. It's a lot of fun.''
As a Spartan forward from 1985-89, Cole went 14-4 against Michigan. In five games as Spartan coach last season, the Wolverines held a 3-1-1 edge. The Spartans' win and tie came at Munn Arena.
"They get up and down the ice pretty well,'' Cole said of this season's Wolverines. "(Sophomore) Quinn Hughes on defense, he's a special athlete. The expression, which is probably overused, that you're not going to stop him but you just want to contain him holds true.
"I spent a couple years with him (at the U.S. U-17 and U-18 programs). He was with the other group but you get to watch him every day and play his games. He can create a lot so we'll have to play attention to that.''
Michigan has a dangerous forward line featuring Josh Norris at center with Jake Slaker and Will Lockwood on the wings. They, along with Hughes, are among U-M's top four scorers.
"We have to control the transition game and breakout effectively,'' Cole said. "We had a (goal) drought there for a while but we didn't change a lot. It's getting in front of the net and getting shots on net. Not a lot of big secrets – just execute.''
Taro Hirose is MSU's top scorer in 10 games over two seasons against Michigan. The junior left wing has four goals and nine assists for 13 points.
"They're a great team and have some highly skilled players, like Hughes and Norris and we definitely have to watch out for them,'' Hirose said. "We're going in with the mindset that we can win any game against any team we're playing.''
Hirose was encouraged by his team's patience against Minnesota last Saturday, trailing 2-0 in the second period. The Spartans, who lost the series opener, 7-2 on Friday, didn't panic, played better defensively and ended up scoring two late goals in the second period to tie it. They shocked the Gophers with two goals in the third to earn a much-needed 4-2 victory.
"Our team defense was a lot better. We were moving the puck and not turning it over in the neutral zone against a highly skilled team on the big ice, and that was huge for us,'' Hirose said of Saturday's come-from-behind victory.
"It bought us enough time to get our own momentum going and get some scoring chances and we ended up finishing on those.
"We went through a tough stretch there, with some close games against Notre Dame, and I think we've played a lot better that our record shows.''
The Spartans' win last Saturday was their first at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis since Feb. 27, 2015 – also a 4-2 victory.
"Winning is good. It gives you a little extra energy, a little more confidence and more belief,'' Cole said. "But I want our guys to continue to learn and understand how hard they have to play, how they have to play, and that becomes your identity and your culture, and you start from there.
"We're still in the process of figuring out where we're starting from and our guys are getting it. Having that result on the road helps a ton.''
THE RIVALRY: Michigan leads the series 163-134-22. The 29-win difference is largely from the early years of the rivalry, when Michigan's program was established and MSU's was in its early stages. The teams played 16 times in the 1920s and early 1930s, with the Wolverines holding a 14-2 edge. The teams didn't play again until the 1950s, when MSU resumed hockey as a varsity sport. From 1950 to 1957, U-M went 27-0-1 against the Spartans to lead the series, 41-2-1.
So, if you look at the rivalry starting from the 1957-58 season when Michigan State's program, under coach Amo Bessone, became more competitive on a national level, the Spartans hold a 132-122-21 edge. MSU played in the 1959 NCAA Final Four, defeating Boston College, 4-3, in the semifinals and losing to North Dakota, 4-3 in overtime in the championship game.
Michigan is 11-6-3 against MSU in the last 20 meetings, starting with the GLI in 2014. The Wolverines won last year's series, 3-1-1, but the Spartans held a 2-1-2 edge in 2016-17, winning both games at Yost Arena.
MSU's last sweep of U-M came in 2009, 3-2 (Yost) and 2-0 (Munn) victories on Nov. 13-14, respectively.
SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES: Michigan started the season with a 5-2 loss against Vermont at Yost Arena and then split a home-and-home series with Western Michigan. After a non-conference home sweep of St. Lawrence, the Wolverines split series at Lake Superior State, Notre Dame at home and at Penn State. Last weekend, U-M tied two home games with Wisconsin, 1-1 and 2-2, with the Wolverines earning two points in the Big Ten standings with a 3-on-3 overtime win in the first game. The Badgers won the second game in the shootout in the series finale, earning two points while U-M got one. Each team took three points out of the weekend.
Without question, Michigan's best player is sophomore defenseman Quinn Hughes, a first-round (7th overall) draft pick by the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL Entry Draft last June. Quinn is U-M's second-leading scorer with three goals and 12 assists for 15 points in 13 games. He's the top-scoring defenseman in the Big Ten and tied for fifth in the country. Josh Norris, a sophomore center, is the team's top scorer with eight goals and eight assists for 16 points. Norris' linemates – left wing Jake Slaker (7-6-13) and right wing Will Lockwood (4-8-12) - are No. 3 and 4 in team scoring, respectively.
In goal, junior Hayden Lavigne and freshman Strauss Mann have each played in seven games. Lavigne has started seven, has a 2-3-2 record, a 3.08 goals-against average and an .880 saves percentage. Mann has started six, has a 4-2 record, a 3.69 GAA and an .874 saves percentage. Lavigne, who started 31 games last season, played in both games against Wisconsin last weekend. Mann started both games at Penn State but gave up 11 goals in a 6-4 win and 7-6 overtime loss.
Michigan's roster includes three seniors, seven juniors, six sophomores and nine freshmen.
⚪️⚪️⚪️ Go Green, WEAR WHITE this Friday at Munn❕ ⚪️⚪️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/0na9367usC
— MSU_Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) November 28, 2018
HIROSE IMPRESSES: Taro Hirose continues to be a force offensively and as a leader, and excels in almost every game for the Spartans. He ignited MSU's comeback last Saturday and helped turn a 2-0 deficit into a rewarding 4-2 victory over Minnesota at Mariucci Arena.
The 5-foot-10, 165-pound junior left wing from Calgary had a goal and two assists vs. the Gophers on Saturday and an assist in MSU's 7-2 loss on Friday. Hirose was named the Big Ten's Second Star for his four-point weekend and clutch play as the Spartans earned a series split and halted a six-game losing streak.
Hirose is the third-leading scorer in the nation with six goals and 13 assists and 19 points in 12 games. His linemates on the KHL Line – Mitchell Lewandowski (4-9-13) and Patrick Khodorenko (9-3-12) - are No. 2 and 3, respectively, in team scoring.
"It's nice to get awards and stuff, but I definitely would like to see our record be a little better,'' Hirose said. "And so far, I've been all right, but as a line I think we can be a lot better. It's nice to see where we're at right now but we know we can be better.
"As for the leadership part, I just go out and lead by example and say a few things here and there in the locker room. It's definitely something that I can improve on during the season.''
Coach Danton Cole loves what he's seen from Hirose. He believes the standout left wing is a lot better than he was last season and says he can be even better than the level he's at right now.
"He's a fantastic hockey player. He was last year, he is this year and he'll be a fantastic player as long as he wants to keep playing,'' Cole said. "The one thing he really worked on last spring and summer was spending time in the weight room and just the power aspect of it.
"The one jump we've noticed this year is that he has a lot more separation. Teams pay a lot of attention to him. But I don't think anybody got more attention than their line last year.
"Teams are focusing on him and he's been able to battle a little longer by being strong in the corner. That's something he and Patrick (Khodorenko) talked about – being more of a possession line and not just a counter-attack, rushing line. It's fantastic to be that but if you can add that weapon and can get in the offensive zone and grind it out, (that's even better).''
Last season, Hirose led MSU in scoring with 12 goals and 30 assists for 42 points in 36 games. He had six goals and 18 assists for 24 points in 34 games as a freshman.
"Just that added strength and more pop this year really helps,'' Cole said. "I still think he has a ways to go. (Last summer) was a good development time for him. If he can stick with that, he'll continue to get better.''
One of Hirose's talents is his hockey IQ and vision, and it was apparent in setting up MSU's second and third goals last Saturday at Minnesota. After he scored MSU's first goal from the edge of the crease, his perfect pass to Khodorenko just over a minute later turned into the goal that tied the game 2-2. And his pass into the slot from behind the net to Brody Stevens led to MSU taking a 3-2 lead in the third period and a huge step toward victory.
"(His vision) is outstanding. There are certain things you can't teach,'' Cole said. "You can get a little better at it but when a guy has a feel for the game and can see the plays, well, that's why that line works so well together.''
DERIDDER EARNS FIRST WIN: The weekend in Minnesota started on a very sour note for MSU freshman goaltender Drew DeRidder. But it ended just the opposite- upbeat, positive and in a game to remember: DeRidder's first career win as a Spartan.
Things looked pretty bleak for the 5-foot-10, 167-pounder from Fenton on Friday when Minnesota scored two goals on its first two shots to go up 2-0 just 3 minutes and 42 seconds into the game. The first goal came on a cross-ice pass and a deflection at the side of the net and the second was a high, point-blank shot from the slot.
At that point, Coach Danton Cole replaced DeRidder with junior John Lethemon, who gave up one goal in the first period and three in the second as the Gophers built a 6-2 lead. Cole put DeRidder back in the net for the third period, and he made six saves, allowed one goal and looked pretty solid.
Cole and the coaching staff decided to go back with DeRidder on Saturday, and the 18-year-old rookie bounced back with a solid performance as MSU rallied from a 2-0 deficit and upended the Gophers, 4-2.
DeRidder made 28 saves, including 16 in the third period when Minnesota, finding itself down by two goals, applied late pressure. DeRidder had his first collegiate victory and with the Spartans' losing streak over, it made for an enjoyable plane flight home late Saturday.
"It's always tough to lose that bad and get pulled, but it's all about how you bounce back,'' DeRidder said. "I felt like I played really good on Saturday. It's good to get the win, get the first one out of the way. The first one is a big deal but now you just look forward to the next ones.''
DeRidder said he was eager to get back in the net on Saturday and felt good getting the start in the series finale.
"I just had confidence. I knew that if I played my game, I would do well,'' he said. "That's what I did. I did what I know how to do and it worked. After we scored those two goals in the second period (to tie it 2-2), I just said (to myself), 'Just don't let in another goal and we'll win the game.'''
DeRidder didn't and the Spartans scored twice midway through the final period and held on for the victory.
"I knew that I'd have to make a couple big saves. The guys were sacrificing bodies, blocking shots and doing the right things,'' DeRidder said. "There were a couple shots that were good chances that I had to make good saves on, and there were chances where someone got a stick on or it hit them in front. My teammates really helped me out. It was a really cool experience.''
DeRidder has started five games, has a 1-3 record, a 3.45 goals-against average and .875 saves percentage. In most of the games he's started, he hasn't gotten a lot of goal support. MSU lost 4-3 in his first start against Northern Michigan, 4-1 at Ferris State two weeks later and 3-1 vs. Notre Dame two weeks ago.
"I think I've been doing well in practice. Coach (Joe) Exter has given me a couple of things that he wants me to get better at and just trying to change my game around,'' he said. "Things that he thinks will help. It's making my stance a little narrower, tracking pucks better and getting on top of pucks. It's helped me a lot.''
DeRidder played for the U.S. National Team Development Program's U-18 team last season and came to MSU with high-end credentials. But as Coach Cole points out, he'd only 18-years-old, and most freshman goalies in college are 19 or 20.
"He's a battler. One thing we've said since Day 1 is that even if he's not in every game, his compete level in practice has made us a better team,'' Cole said. "There's a tremendous will in him and a tremendous belief in his abilities.
"And that's a great thing in hockey. He backs it up with his work ethic. That's a true freshman, something you don't see a lot in college hockey. He was extremely good for us on Saturday, and that was outstanding to see.''
IN THE BIG TEN: In the two other conference series on Friday and Saturday, No. 5 Ohio State (9-4-1 4-2) plays at Minnesota (4-6-1, 2-2) and Wisconsin (5-7-2, 1-3-2-1) plays host to No. 6 Penn State (10-3, 2-2).
The Buckeyes are coming off a home split with Penn State, while the Badgers played two ties at Michigan. OSU is 5-1 in its last six games, Minnesota is 3-3, Wisconsin is 1-3-2 and Penn State is 4-2.
No. 8 Notre Dame (8-4-1, 4-2) had last weekend off, but edged Northern Michigan, 2-1, on Tuesday in a non-conference, home game. The Irish, 5-1 in their last six games after losing three straight, are back in non-league play this weekend. They host Rensselaer (4-7, 3-3 ECAC) on Friday and Saturday.
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