Spartans Host USNTDP U-18s in Exhibition on Friday

Exhibition Game 2: USNTDP U-18 Team vs. Michigan State
Date | Time: Friday, Oct. 18 | 7 p.m.
Location: East Lansing, Mich. | Munn Ice Arena
Tickets: MSUSpartans.com | Admission for MSU students (with ID) is FREE
Game Notes: Michigan State
Web Stream: BTN +
Live Stats: MSUSpartans.com

On The Fly…
• The Spartans started the 2019-20 regular season last weekend with a series split at Northern Michigan and will face the USNTDP U-18 team in its last exhibition game on Friday at Munn.

• Michigan State has won each of the last five meetings with the NTDP U-18 team, including a 1-0 win last year in December … In 15 all-time meetings, MSU holds a 9-6 advantage.

• Both goaltenders got a start last weekend … Senior John Lethemon started the opener and made 28 saves in the win, while Drew DeRidder made 24 stops the next night.

• Spartan defensemen accounted for 13 goals last season and picked up two in the season-opening series – both on the power play – courtesy of Cole Krygier and Dennis Cesana.

• In notching the first two-goal game of his career in the season-opener, junior Tommy Apap also recorded his first game-winning goal as his backhand tally just past the midway point of the third period served as the difference.

• Michigan State returns 23 letterwinners and welcomes three freshmen for 2019-20.

• MSU brings back 65% of its point production from last season, including four of its top six point producers in Patrick Khodorenko (37 points – 2nd), Mitchell Lewandowski (34 points – 3rd), Dennis Cesana (24 points – 4th) and Jerad Rosburg (16 points – 6th).

• MSU returns 71% of its goal scoring, including its top two goal scorers in Patrick Khodorenko (18 goals) and Mitchell Lewandowski (16 goals) … Khodorenko's 18 goals were fourth best in the league, while his 37 points were eighth.

• Four Spartans were voted to the Preseason All-Big Ten teams, announced on Sept. 30, as Mitchell Lewandowski and Dennis Cesana were both voted by the coaches to the second team, while Patrick Khodorenko and Jerad Rosburg earned honorable mention.

• Dennis Cesana led all conference rookies in assists (21) and was second in points (24) last season as he was voted to the Big Ten All-Freshman team … His 21 helpers were sixth most among all freshmen nationally and second best among defensemen.

• Sam Saliba will wear the 'C' on his jersey for the second straight year, while junior Tommy Apap has been added as a captain as well this season … Seniors Patrick Khodorenko and Jerad Rosburg will be the Spartans' assistant captains.

• The Spartans return all but one defenseman from last season and for the first year under Danton Cole will have more than one senior blueliner on the roster with four in Jerad Rosburg, Butrus Ghafari, Damian Chrcek and Anthony Scarsella.

MSU-NTDP Connections
All three MSU coaches – Danton Cole, Chris Luongo and Joe Exter – 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 24 players from the USNTDP, including current Spartans Patrick Khodorenko, Tommy Miller and Drew DeRidder ... First-year U-18 intern assistant coach Brent Darnell played in over 130 games for the Spartans from 2011-15.

About the NTDP U-18 Team
The U-18s are 4-4 with all four losses coming against NCAA Division I teams (Northern Michigan, 4-3; Notre Dame, 4-2; Ferris State, 5-0; Providence, 2-1) … The U-18s defeated Holy Cross the last time out, 4-2, on the road … Luke Tuch leads all players in points with nine (4g, 5a), while Thomas Bordeleau leads in goals (5) … In goal, Drew Commesso (3.52 GAA, .883 Sv. %) and Noah Grannan (3.04 GAA, .879 Sv. %) have both played in five games.

NMU Series Recap
The Spartans never trailed in the season-opening 5-3 win and had twice had two-goal leads … Tommy Apap had the first two-goal and game-winning goal of his career, while Brody Stevens notched his second career multi-point game with a goal and assist … John Lethemon made 28 saves, including 13 in the third period, in Friday's win … MSU was 2-for-5 on the power play on Friday and 0-for-5 on Saturday … MSU improved to 43-31-5 in season-openers, including 2-1 under coach Danton Cole.

Late Start
Michigan State's regular season home-opening series against Cornell on Nov. 1-2 will be its latest home-opening set at Munn Ice Arena since the 2005-06 season (Nov. 4-5). As a result, MSU will be playing four regular season games in December this season for the first time since 2013.

Up Next
Michigan State will travel to Colorado College next weekend to take on the Tigers for the first time since October 1999. Friday's game is slated to begin at 9:30 p.m. ET, while Saturday's starts at 8 p.m. ET.

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Players Mentioned

Tommy Apap

Dennis Cesana

Damian Chrcek

Drew DeRidder

Butrus Ghafari

Patrick Khodorenko

Cole Krygier

John Lethemon

Mitchell Lewandowski

Tommy Miller

Jerad Rosburg

Sam Saliba

Anthony Scarsella

Brody Stevens

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