Spartans Off to No. 11/10 Penn State

Friday, January 11

University Park, Pa.

8:00 p.m. ET

Michigan State University

Penn State

Photo by: Matthew Mitchell

1/9/2019 2:03:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

Games 21-22: Michigan State (6-11-3 | 2-6-2-2 B1G) at No. 11/10 Penn State (12-6-2 | 4-5-1-1 B1G)
Dates | Times: Friday, Jan. 11 | 8 p.m. // Saturday, Jan. 12 | 7 p.m.
Location: University Park, Pa. | Pegula Ice Arena
TV: Friday - BTN
Web Stream: Friday – BTN2Go | Saturday – BTN Plus
Live Stats: MSUSpartans.com
Radio: Spartan Sports Network (Listen Live) | Local: WJIM-AM 1240
SSN Mobile App: iPhone/iPad | Android
Game Notes: Michigan State | Penn State | Big Ten
Social Media: @MSU_Hockey

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On The Fly…
• The Spartans travel to No. 11/10 Penn State to meet the Nittany Lions on Friday (8 p.m.) and Saturday (7 p.m.) … MSU went 0-1-1 with a 3-on-3 OT win last weekend vs. No. 7/4 Ohio State, while Penn State split its series at Minnesota.

• Junior Taro Hirose leads the nation in both points (31) and assists (22) … Hirose had three points (2g, 1a) in Friday's 7-7 tie and 3-on-3 OT win vs. OSU … Hirose has points in nine of the last 11 games with 17 (4g, 13) over the stretch.

• This weekend's series features the nation's top-three point producers in Hirose (9-22--31) and Penn State's Alex Limoges (11-19--30) and Evan Barratt (13-16--29).

• Hirose is edging closer to becoming the first Spartan since Tim Crowder (2005-09) to hit the 100-point mark as he'll enter this weekend's series with 97 points (27g, 70a) in 90 career games.

• Junior Patrick Khodorenko ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 21 points and is third in goals with 12 … Khodorenko had four assists last Friday vs. Ohio State, including three in the Spartans' five-goal third period.

• Sophomore Mitchell Lewandowski tied a season-high with three points (1g, 2a) Jan. 4 vs. OSU … He is third on the team with 19 points (6g, 13a).

• The KHL line of Khodorenko, Hirose and Lewandowski has a collective 71 points – 48.6% of the Spartans' team total … The trio combined for 10 points (3g, 7a) in the Jan. 4 game – the most the three players have combined to produce in 56 career games playing together.

• Freshman Dennis Cesana leads all Spartan rookies and defensemen with 14 points (3g, 11a) … His point total is third best among all rookies in the league and is second most among freshmen defensemen.

• Cesana put up three points Dec. 30 vs. LSSU and then Jan. 4 vs. OSU, giving him six points (2g, 4a) over the last four games.

• The Spartans are ninth in the country and second in the Big Ten (behind only Penn State) in faceoff winning percentage at .533 … MSU has won more faceoffs than its opponent in 15 of 20 games this season.

• Sophomore Tommy Apap is fifth in the Big Ten in faceoff winning percentage at .585 and ranks second in the conference in total faceoff wins with 216.

• The Spartans' rally from two separate three-goal deficits in the third period on Jan. 4 vs. Ohio State marked the first time since February 1996 that MSU overcame a three-goal, third-period deficit to tie or win … It also marked the first time MSU scored five goals in a third period since October 2002.

About Penn State
Penn State leads the nation in goals (99), goals per game (4.95), shots on goal per game (39.9) and power-play percentage (.266) … The Nittany Lions are coming off a split at Minnesota last weekend (W, 4-2; L, 4-1) and are 2-2-1 over their last five games … Penn State is led by sophomores Alex Limoges (11-19--30) and Evan Barratt (13-16--29), who rank second and third, respectively, in the nation in points … Barratt's 13 goals are tied for the Big Ten lead and are third nationally … Junior Peyton Jones has started 14 games in net and owns a .902 save percentage and 3.27 GAA … PSU's penalty killing is second best in the Big Ten at .817.

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Historical Comeback vs. Ohio State
The Spartans' dramatic rally from two separate three-goal, third-period deficits on Jan. 4 vs. No. 7/4 Ohio State included several feats not seen by the program in years:
• It was the Spartans' first three-goal, third-period comeback for a tie or win since Feb. 20, 1996 at Notre Dame (4-4 T) … MSU trailed Notre Dame 4-1 and scored three goals in the final 3:33.

• The Spartans scored five goals in the third period for the first time since doing so vs. Lake Superior State on Oct. 24, 2002 (7-0 W).

• MSU's seven goals were its most since topping New Hampshire 7-4 in November 2015.

Against Ohio State on Jan. 4, the Spartans trailed 4-2 entering the third period and were down 7-4 with 5:00 to play. MSU scored three goals in a 3:48 span to tie the game (Zach Osburn, 4:35 remaining; Taro Hirose, 3:29 remaining; and Dennis Cesana, 47 seconds remaining). MSU also trailed 6-3 with 12:36 to play.

Hirose Among The Nation's Best
Junior Taro Hirose has proven to be one of the most consistent offensive producers in the country and enters this weekend as the national leader in both points (31) and assists (22).

Hirose has points in 16 of 20 games this season, including nine of the last 11. Over the last 11 games (since Nov. 17), he has produced 17 points (4g, 13a), which is second most in the country over the span, while his 13 assists are tied for the most nationally in the stretch. His plus-8 rating since November 17 is second best in the Big Ten.

Over the 11-game stretch since November 17, Hirose helped spur the Spartans' comeback at Minnesota on November 24 with a goal and then assists on both the tying and game-winning goals. He also assisted on each of the Spartans' final three goals in the 4-3 victory over Michigan (November 30), and then scored the lone goal the following night in a tie and shootout win.

Dating back to the end of last season, he has points in 23 of the Spartans' last 29 games.

Down, But Never Out
Michigan State has demonstrated it is never out of games this season as the Spartans have trailed in the second period in three of their six wins, and in the second period or later in both of their extra-point OT/shootout wins in league play. MSU trailed in wins at Cornell on Oct. 27 (down 1-0 in 2nd period, won 4-3); at Minnesota (down 2-0 in the 2nd period, won 4-2); and vs. Michigan on Nov. 30 (down 2-1 in the 2nd period, won 4-3). The Spartans' most dramatic comeback of the year took place on Jan. 4 vs. No. 7/4 Ohio State when they rallied from two separate three-goal deficits (6-3, 7-4) in the third period and wound up tying the Buckeyes, 7-7, before earning the extra point with a 3-on-3 OT win. It was the first time MSU rallied from a three-goal deficit in the third period to tie or win since Feb. 20, 1996. MSU was down 1-0 to Michigan on Dec. 1, but came back to tie the game and then won the shootout for the extra point.

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Hirose's Career Numbers Piling Up
Taro Hirose's offensive pace is placing him among some of the best Spartan point-producers since 2000. With 97 points in 90 games, he is just three points shy of becoming the first Spartan to hit the 100 point mark since Tim Crowder (106 points, 151 games; 2005-09). With 70 career helpers, Hirose has surpassed the assist totals of several of the most offensively-inclined Spartans of the 2000s, including Bryan Lerg (60a, 169 GP 2004-08); David Booth (60a, 134 GP 2002-06) and Tim Kennedy (63a, 113 GP 2005-08).

Hirose's 70 helpers are the most by a Spartan Tyler Howells produced the same number 154 games from 2003-07.

In his career (90 games), Hirose has just one more game without a point (27) than games with multiple points (26). Hirose has nine multi-point games this season, including seven three-point games.

Khodorenko's Scoring Touch
Patrick Khodorenko is on one of the best stretches of his career with 14 points (7g, 7a) over the last 12 games, which included a four-game goal scoring streak. His team-leading 12 goals, which is just one shy of his total from last year, rank sixth in the country and third in the Big Ten.

The native of Walnut Creek, California, who played for Danton Cole with the USNTDP has found a good amount of success on the power play as his six goals on the man-advantage are one off the Big Ten lead and are fifth most in the nation.

Last Friday against Ohio State he became the first Spartan since Greg Wolfe in 2011 to have four assists in a game. It was his second four-point game of the season as he was named the Big Ten First Star of the Week on Nov. 6 for the first time in his career after a hat trick and assist on Nov. 2 in a win over Ferris State.

Cesana Leading Spartan Rookies
Rookie Dennis Cesana has made an immediate impact on the Spartan blue line as he ranks fourth on the team with 14 points (3g, 11a). He's tied for third among all Big Ten rookies in points and second among league's freshmen defensemen.

The native of Providence, R.I., who led all defensemen in the AJHL in points (75) last season, has produced two three-point games since Dec. 30. Cesana had a goal and two assists against Lake Superior State in the GLI, then scored the tying goal with 47 seconds to play - and added two helpers - in the 7-7 tie vs. Ohio State on January 4.

Young on the Back End
For the second straight year, the Spartans have just one senior defenseman in Zach Osburn. While Osburn is the Spartans' active leader in games played at 125, he is surrounded by youth with three freshmen – Dennis Cesana, Cole Krygier and Christian Krygier – and a sophomore – Tommy Miller – in the regular playing group. Redshirt junior Jerad Rosburg has played in all 20 games, while junior Butrus Ghafari has played in 16.

All KHL
Since playing together in the first game of last season, Patrick Khodorenko (12-9--21), Taro Hirose (9-22--31) and Mitchell Lewandowski (6-13--19) have combined to form one of the Big Ten's – and college hockey's – most dangerous lines. Last season, the unit produced a total of 108 points (44 goals, 64 assists) in playing together in all 36 games. This season, the trio has combined for 71 of 146 (48.6%) of the Spartans' total points this season. The trio combined for 10 points on Jan. 4 vs. Ohio State.

Khodorenko – Has a team-high 12 goals – one of just three players in the Big Ten to have at least 12 goals … His team-leading six power-play goals rank fifth in the nation and are tied for second in the league ... MSU's active career leader in goals (32) ... Ranked 12th in the Big Ten and third on the team in points (32) last season.

Hirose – Leads the nation in points (31) assists (22) … Has two game-winning goals ... Has points in 23 of 29 games dating back to last season ... Has nine multi-point games this season and 26 in his career ... Has 97 points (27g, 70a) in 90 career games ... 2018 All-Big Ten second team … His 42 points last season were the most by a Spartan since Corey Tropp had the same number in 2009-10 … His 30 assists were the most since Jim Slater in 2004-05 (32).

Lewandowski – Started the season with a career-best five-game point streak (3-6--9) ... Had a season-high three points (1g, 2a) at Cornell (10/27) ... 2018 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and only unanimous selection to the Big Ten All-Freshman team … Led all rookies nationally in goals (19) and tied for the most in the Big Ten (among all players) during the regular season … Was the first MSU freshman to score at least 19 goals since 1997-98 (Rustyn Dolyny).

Strong in the Dot
Michigan State is ninth in the country and second in the Big Ten in faceoff winning percentage at .533. The Spartans have won more faceoffs than their opponents in 15 of 20 games this season.

Tommy Apap, who was second in the Big Ten in faceoff winning percentage last season at .582, is currently second among league centermen that have taken at least 100 draws at .585. Sam Saliba is sixth among the same group of Big Ten centers at .559. Apap ranks 13th in the country in faceoff wins (216), Patrick Khodorenko is 15th (214) and Saliba is 22nd (204).