Photo by: Michael Caples
Neil’s Notebook: Spartans Excited for Home Debut vs. Top-Five Cornell
10/31/2019 10:34:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
By Neil Koepke
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
EAST LANSING – Four games into the regular season, Michigan State has proved it can win on the road with series splits at Northern Michigan and Colorado College.
Now the Spartans have to show they can do even better in front of the home fans at Munn Arena.
After playing four regular-season games over the last three weekends, MSU finally makes its home debut this weekend and it's against a team making its season debut.
The Spartans (2-2 overall) face one of the highest-ranked teams in the nation in Cornell (0-0) in a non-conference series at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Munn Arena.
"It's been a long time since we played a real home game, going back to last year. We're excited to play in front of our fans and feed off their energy,'' senior forward and co-captain Sam Saliba said. "When you go on the road and get two splits, that's good, but it's not a time to let up at home. We have to take even a bigger stride with two home games."
Cornell is ranked No. 4 and 5 in college hockey's two major polls but have yet to play a regular-season game. That's because of the Ivy League rule prohibiting regular-season games to be played until the first weekend of November or sometimes the last week of October. Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Brown and Dartmouth also have waited until this weekend to begin the regular-season.
The Big Red, picked to finish first in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) pre-season coaches' and media polls, have played two exhibition games. They defeated Nipissing University (North Bay, Ontario), 6-2, on Oct. 20, and the U.S. Under-18 team, 3-0, last Saturday.
Michigan State coach Danton Cole sees only a slight advantage in his team having played four games.
"It's better to play four games (than none), but we've watched Cornell on tape and they look pretty good. They're a good team,'' he said. "We've been traveling and have some wear and tear. It'll take them a shift or two but I think they'll be jumping pretty good.''
Last season, the Spartans had one of their best weekends of the season in a series against Cornell. MSU swept the Big Red at Lynah Rink in Ithaca, N.Y., 5-2 and 4-3. The Spartans had already played two games – a home split vs. Northern Michigan – and Cornell was making its season debut.
"I remember it was a hard-fought series. They were a pretty fast-paced team to play against,'' sophomore defenseman Dennis Cesana said. "They're a skilled team, they have some big guys that throw their bodies around and block shots. They have good depth.''
The series opener against the Big Red was extra special for Cesana, then a freshman.
"Now that I think about it, I got my first (collegiate) goal there. So, a very good memory,'' he said. Cesana also had one assist in the 5-2 victory and helped MSU hold on for a 4-3 win in the series finale.
"We're just excited to finally play a meaningful game on regular-size ice and in a rink we're used to,'' Cesana said. "I think we'll definitely come out with a lot of energy and excitement.''
The Spartans are determined to make Munn Arena a difficult place for opponents and build a solid home record this season. Last year, MSU was 7-5-2 at home overall and 5-12-2 on the road.
"We have to take care of things on home ice,'' Saliba said. "Whether it's starting fast or playing a full 60 minutes, the urgency has to be there.
"If the road teams come out desperate, we have to match their desperation, especially the second night.''
Of course, there's nothing easy about Big Ten series, whether it's on the road at home. The Spartans will be challenged with an upcoming home schedule that includes one game against Michigan, two with Notre Dame and two vs. Wisconsin before the Christmas break.
MSU has to put together a solid home record if it's to finish in the upper half of the Big Ten standings and be in a position for a NCAA Tournament berth.
"You have to because it's so hard to win on the road. And not even just the Big Ten. Even our non-conference games are hard,'' Cole said. "You're traveling and don't have matchups and college hockey is so close.
"Every advantage gives you an extra bump so we have to take advantage of playing at home.''
Said Cesana, "These games mean a lot because they're a highly ranked team, and later in the year, depending how they do and how we end up doing, the games are important (in the NCAA Pairwise rankings).''
The last time Michigan State did not have a regular-season home game in October was in the 2005-06 season. The Spartans played two games in a tournament in Dayton, Ohio, one game at Michigan and two at Cornell before opening the home season on Nov. 4-5 against Northern Michigan.
MSU played two exhibition games that season – Western Ontario and the U.S. U-18, the same teams it has played this season. The Spartans went on to a 25-12-8 overall record in 2005-06 and made the NCAA Tournament, winning one game in the NCAA East Regional in Albany, N.Y.
In 1993-94, Michigan State played two road series at Illinois-Chicago and Miami before playing its first home game on Nov. 2 against Ferris State.
THE MSU-CORNELL RIVALRY: MSU holds a 6-2-1 edge in the series which started with Cornell winning 3-2 in overtime in the Boston Invitational on Dec. 17, 1966. The last four meetings have all been at Cornell with the Spartans going 3-1, including last season's 5-2, 4-3 sweep. MSU and Cornell have met once in the Great Lakes Invitational in Detroit, with the Spartans winning 9-4 in the 1994 semifinals.
SCOUTING THE BIG RED: Cornell lost five seniors and one junior from last year and returns four of its top five scorers and standout goaltender Matthew Galajda, a preseason All-ECAC selection.
Top scorer Morgan Barron, a junior, and a New York Rangers draft pick, had 15 goals and 34 points last season. Defenseman Yanni Kaldis, a senior, is an excellent puck-handler and a was second in team scoring with four goals and 24 assists for 28 points. Junior forwards Cam Donaldson (12-13-25) and Tristan Mullin (8-13-21) are other top scoring threats.
Barron and Kaldis were also preseason All-ECAC selections.
Cornell has brought in nine freshmen, including four rookie defensemen. The Big Red lost three senior defensemen to graduation.
Galajda, a junior, compiled a 16-8-3 record, a 1.85 goals-against average and a .921 saves percentage in 2018-19.
MSU coach Danton Cole said Cornell combines a fast-paced offense with stingy defense.
"They're really aggressive, they skate well and have guys that can make plays but (Coach Mike Schafer) has them playing well defensively,'' he said. "It's an odd combination of really in-your-face offense and not much room defensively. That's a helluva combination.
"They have a great goalie, they're well-prepared and they play hard.''
For sure, the Big Red will be seeking revenge for Michigan State's 5-2 and 4-3 victories last season. In both games, Galajda was pulled from the net. He was replaced by backup Austin McGrath in the opener midway through the third period and MSU up 4-1 and 48 seconds into the third period in the second game with the Spartans again leading 4-1.
Cornell lost only four more home games the rest of the season and never dropped two on back-to-back nights.
The Big Red, 21-11-4 last season, tied Quinnipiac for first place in the ECAC and lost in the conference title game to Clarkson, 3-2 in overtime. Cornell defeated Northeastern 5-1 in the NCAA East Regional semifinals in Providence but lost in the finals to Providence, 4-0.
Coach Schafer, a one-time Western Michigan assistant coach, is 458-259-94 in 24 seasons at Cornell. He's a 1986 Cornell graduate. Schafer has led the Big Red to 12 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including in each of the last three seasons.
Cornell has won two NCAA championships – in 1967 and 1970 under Coach Ned Harkness.
MILESTONE APPROACHING: MSU coach Danton Cole is two victories away from 500 victories in his varied 19-year coaching career. He has 244 wins in six seasons in pro hockey in the American Hockey League (Grand Rapids) and United Hockey League (Muskegon, Motor City), 205 during his seven years with the U.S. National Team Development Program's U-17 and U-18 teams and 49 in five-plus seasons as a college coach at Alabama-Huntsville and Michigan State.
Cole, who played at MSU from 1985-89 and played pro hockey from 1989 to 2000, of course, is more concerned about winning against Cornell this weekend than milestones.
"It's been a lot of games and there's been a lot of good things that happened that you remember more,'' he said. "I always think it's the people that you're around that you'll remember.
"When I'm 70-years old, I'll look back and it'll be kind of cool and neat that (the 500th came) at MSU.''
Cole is in his third season as Spartans' coach.
GOALTENDING SOLID: MSU has been getting excellent goaltending from senior John Lethemon and sophomore Drew DeRidder over the first four games of the season.
Both goalies played well in series splits at Northern Michigan, Oct. 11-12, and at Colorado College last weekend.
Thus far, Lethemon is getting the better goal support in two victories – 5-3 vs. NMU and 5-1 against Colorado College. DeRidder has been solid in two losses but his team has only managed one goal in a 2-0 loss at Northern Michigan and a 3-1 setback at Colorado College.
Lethemon was particularly sharp last Saturday as the Tigers, who fell behind 3-0 early, battled hard to get back into the game, and had a good opportunity with five powerplays. But Lethemon, who made 35 saves, and the MSU defense never let CC cut its deficit to one goal.
"He was outstanding. That was as well as I've seen him play,'' Coach Danton Cole said of Lethemon. "They put a lot of pressure on us. That's a pretty good team on the big sheet. In the third period, he earned his money. It was good to see. We need that kind of compete.
"I thought Drew was very good on Friday. We haven't given Drew any goal support in two games now.''
Lethemon has a 2.00 goals-against average and a .940 saves percentage. DeRidder has a 2.54 GAA and a .900 saves percentage.
IN THE BIG TEN: Conference play opens with three series on the agenda:
No. 12 (USCHO)/No. 12 (USA Hockey) Penn State (4-1) plays host to No. 7/8 Wisconsin (4-2) on Thursday and Friday;
No. 5/4 Notre Dame (4-0) is at Minnesota (3-3) on Friday and Saturday;
No 13/13 Ohio State (4-1-1) is home against Michigan (3-2-1), also on Friday and Saturday.
More known for defense, Notre Dame is the highest-scoring team in the Big Ten, averaging 5.25 goals per game. Wisconsin is second at 4.50 and Penn State, normally the top offensive team, is third at 4.40. The Irish have played four games, the Badgers six and the Nittany Lions five.
Notre Dame forwards Cal Burke and Mike O'Leary share the early conference scoring lead with Penn State's Nate Sucese with 11 points apiece. Burke and O'Leary each have four goals and seven assists, while Sucese has two goals and nine assists.
Burke, O'Leary and Sucese are tied for second with Providence forward Tyce Thompson (5-6-11) among the national scoring leaders.
Forward Jack Dugan of Providence leads the nation with 14 points – four goals and 10 assists.
Freshman Cole Caufield of Wisconsin leads the Big Ten and nation in goals with seven. He has nine points and is in a three-way tie for fourth in conference scoring with teammate Roman Ahcan (2-7-9) and Penn State's Brandon Biro (4-5-9).
Goalie Tommy Napier of Ohio State has the best goals-against average in the Big Ten at 1.66, with Penn State's Peyton Jones No. 2 at 1.75. MSU's John Lethemon is tied for fourth at 2.00.
Jones has the best saves percentage (.942) while Lethemon and Nappier are tied for second (.940).
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
EAST LANSING – Four games into the regular season, Michigan State has proved it can win on the road with series splits at Northern Michigan and Colorado College.
Now the Spartans have to show they can do even better in front of the home fans at Munn Arena.
After playing four regular-season games over the last three weekends, MSU finally makes its home debut this weekend and it's against a team making its season debut.
The Spartans (2-2 overall) face one of the highest-ranked teams in the nation in Cornell (0-0) in a non-conference series at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Munn Arena.
"It's been a long time since we played a real home game, going back to last year. We're excited to play in front of our fans and feed off their energy,'' senior forward and co-captain Sam Saliba said. "When you go on the road and get two splits, that's good, but it's not a time to let up at home. We have to take even a bigger stride with two home games."
Cornell is ranked No. 4 and 5 in college hockey's two major polls but have yet to play a regular-season game. That's because of the Ivy League rule prohibiting regular-season games to be played until the first weekend of November or sometimes the last week of October. Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Brown and Dartmouth also have waited until this weekend to begin the regular-season.
The Big Red, picked to finish first in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) pre-season coaches' and media polls, have played two exhibition games. They defeated Nipissing University (North Bay, Ontario), 6-2, on Oct. 20, and the U.S. Under-18 team, 3-0, last Saturday.
Michigan State coach Danton Cole sees only a slight advantage in his team having played four games.
"It's better to play four games (than none), but we've watched Cornell on tape and they look pretty good. They're a good team,'' he said. "We've been traveling and have some wear and tear. It'll take them a shift or two but I think they'll be jumping pretty good.''
Last season, the Spartans had one of their best weekends of the season in a series against Cornell. MSU swept the Big Red at Lynah Rink in Ithaca, N.Y., 5-2 and 4-3. The Spartans had already played two games – a home split vs. Northern Michigan – and Cornell was making its season debut.
"I remember it was a hard-fought series. They were a pretty fast-paced team to play against,'' sophomore defenseman Dennis Cesana said. "They're a skilled team, they have some big guys that throw their bodies around and block shots. They have good depth.''
The series opener against the Big Red was extra special for Cesana, then a freshman.
"Now that I think about it, I got my first (collegiate) goal there. So, a very good memory,'' he said. Cesana also had one assist in the 5-2 victory and helped MSU hold on for a 4-3 win in the series finale.
"We're just excited to finally play a meaningful game on regular-size ice and in a rink we're used to,'' Cesana said. "I think we'll definitely come out with a lot of energy and excitement.''
The Spartans are determined to make Munn Arena a difficult place for opponents and build a solid home record this season. Last year, MSU was 7-5-2 at home overall and 5-12-2 on the road.
"We have to take care of things on home ice,'' Saliba said. "Whether it's starting fast or playing a full 60 minutes, the urgency has to be there.
"If the road teams come out desperate, we have to match their desperation, especially the second night.''
Of course, there's nothing easy about Big Ten series, whether it's on the road at home. The Spartans will be challenged with an upcoming home schedule that includes one game against Michigan, two with Notre Dame and two vs. Wisconsin before the Christmas break.
MSU has to put together a solid home record if it's to finish in the upper half of the Big Ten standings and be in a position for a NCAA Tournament berth.
"You have to because it's so hard to win on the road. And not even just the Big Ten. Even our non-conference games are hard,'' Cole said. "You're traveling and don't have matchups and college hockey is so close.
"Every advantage gives you an extra bump so we have to take advantage of playing at home.''
Said Cesana, "These games mean a lot because they're a highly ranked team, and later in the year, depending how they do and how we end up doing, the games are important (in the NCAA Pairwise rankings).''
The last time Michigan State did not have a regular-season home game in October was in the 2005-06 season. The Spartans played two games in a tournament in Dayton, Ohio, one game at Michigan and two at Cornell before opening the home season on Nov. 4-5 against Northern Michigan.
MSU played two exhibition games that season – Western Ontario and the U.S. U-18, the same teams it has played this season. The Spartans went on to a 25-12-8 overall record in 2005-06 and made the NCAA Tournament, winning one game in the NCAA East Regional in Albany, N.Y.
In 1993-94, Michigan State played two road series at Illinois-Chicago and Miami before playing its first home game on Nov. 2 against Ferris State.
THE MSU-CORNELL RIVALRY: MSU holds a 6-2-1 edge in the series which started with Cornell winning 3-2 in overtime in the Boston Invitational on Dec. 17, 1966. The last four meetings have all been at Cornell with the Spartans going 3-1, including last season's 5-2, 4-3 sweep. MSU and Cornell have met once in the Great Lakes Invitational in Detroit, with the Spartans winning 9-4 in the 1994 semifinals.
SCOUTING THE BIG RED: Cornell lost five seniors and one junior from last year and returns four of its top five scorers and standout goaltender Matthew Galajda, a preseason All-ECAC selection.
Top scorer Morgan Barron, a junior, and a New York Rangers draft pick, had 15 goals and 34 points last season. Defenseman Yanni Kaldis, a senior, is an excellent puck-handler and a was second in team scoring with four goals and 24 assists for 28 points. Junior forwards Cam Donaldson (12-13-25) and Tristan Mullin (8-13-21) are other top scoring threats.
Barron and Kaldis were also preseason All-ECAC selections.
Cornell has brought in nine freshmen, including four rookie defensemen. The Big Red lost three senior defensemen to graduation.
Galajda, a junior, compiled a 16-8-3 record, a 1.85 goals-against average and a .921 saves percentage in 2018-19.
MSU coach Danton Cole said Cornell combines a fast-paced offense with stingy defense.
"They're really aggressive, they skate well and have guys that can make plays but (Coach Mike Schafer) has them playing well defensively,'' he said. "It's an odd combination of really in-your-face offense and not much room defensively. That's a helluva combination.
"They have a great goalie, they're well-prepared and they play hard.''
For sure, the Big Red will be seeking revenge for Michigan State's 5-2 and 4-3 victories last season. In both games, Galajda was pulled from the net. He was replaced by backup Austin McGrath in the opener midway through the third period and MSU up 4-1 and 48 seconds into the third period in the second game with the Spartans again leading 4-1.
Cornell lost only four more home games the rest of the season and never dropped two on back-to-back nights.
The Big Red, 21-11-4 last season, tied Quinnipiac for first place in the ECAC and lost in the conference title game to Clarkson, 3-2 in overtime. Cornell defeated Northeastern 5-1 in the NCAA East Regional semifinals in Providence but lost in the finals to Providence, 4-0.
Coach Schafer, a one-time Western Michigan assistant coach, is 458-259-94 in 24 seasons at Cornell. He's a 1986 Cornell graduate. Schafer has led the Big Red to 12 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including in each of the last three seasons.
Cornell has won two NCAA championships – in 1967 and 1970 under Coach Ned Harkness.
MILESTONE APPROACHING: MSU coach Danton Cole is two victories away from 500 victories in his varied 19-year coaching career. He has 244 wins in six seasons in pro hockey in the American Hockey League (Grand Rapids) and United Hockey League (Muskegon, Motor City), 205 during his seven years with the U.S. National Team Development Program's U-17 and U-18 teams and 49 in five-plus seasons as a college coach at Alabama-Huntsville and Michigan State.
Cole, who played at MSU from 1985-89 and played pro hockey from 1989 to 2000, of course, is more concerned about winning against Cornell this weekend than milestones.
"It's been a lot of games and there's been a lot of good things that happened that you remember more,'' he said. "I always think it's the people that you're around that you'll remember.
"When I'm 70-years old, I'll look back and it'll be kind of cool and neat that (the 500th came) at MSU.''
Cole is in his third season as Spartans' coach.
GOALTENDING SOLID: MSU has been getting excellent goaltending from senior John Lethemon and sophomore Drew DeRidder over the first four games of the season.
Both goalies played well in series splits at Northern Michigan, Oct. 11-12, and at Colorado College last weekend.
Thus far, Lethemon is getting the better goal support in two victories – 5-3 vs. NMU and 5-1 against Colorado College. DeRidder has been solid in two losses but his team has only managed one goal in a 2-0 loss at Northern Michigan and a 3-1 setback at Colorado College.
Lethemon was particularly sharp last Saturday as the Tigers, who fell behind 3-0 early, battled hard to get back into the game, and had a good opportunity with five powerplays. But Lethemon, who made 35 saves, and the MSU defense never let CC cut its deficit to one goal.
"He was outstanding. That was as well as I've seen him play,'' Coach Danton Cole said of Lethemon. "They put a lot of pressure on us. That's a pretty good team on the big sheet. In the third period, he earned his money. It was good to see. We need that kind of compete.
"I thought Drew was very good on Friday. We haven't given Drew any goal support in two games now.''
Lethemon has a 2.00 goals-against average and a .940 saves percentage. DeRidder has a 2.54 GAA and a .900 saves percentage.
IN THE BIG TEN: Conference play opens with three series on the agenda:
No. 12 (USCHO)/No. 12 (USA Hockey) Penn State (4-1) plays host to No. 7/8 Wisconsin (4-2) on Thursday and Friday;
No. 5/4 Notre Dame (4-0) is at Minnesota (3-3) on Friday and Saturday;
No 13/13 Ohio State (4-1-1) is home against Michigan (3-2-1), also on Friday and Saturday.
More known for defense, Notre Dame is the highest-scoring team in the Big Ten, averaging 5.25 goals per game. Wisconsin is second at 4.50 and Penn State, normally the top offensive team, is third at 4.40. The Irish have played four games, the Badgers six and the Nittany Lions five.
Notre Dame forwards Cal Burke and Mike O'Leary share the early conference scoring lead with Penn State's Nate Sucese with 11 points apiece. Burke and O'Leary each have four goals and seven assists, while Sucese has two goals and nine assists.
Burke, O'Leary and Sucese are tied for second with Providence forward Tyce Thompson (5-6-11) among the national scoring leaders.
Forward Jack Dugan of Providence leads the nation with 14 points – four goals and 10 assists.
Freshman Cole Caufield of Wisconsin leads the Big Ten and nation in goals with seven. He has nine points and is in a three-way tie for fourth in conference scoring with teammate Roman Ahcan (2-7-9) and Penn State's Brandon Biro (4-5-9).
Goalie Tommy Napier of Ohio State has the best goals-against average in the Big Ten at 1.66, with Penn State's Peyton Jones No. 2 at 1.75. MSU's John Lethemon is tied for fourth at 2.00.
Jones has the best saves percentage (.942) while Lethemon and Nappier are tied for second (.940).
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