Neil’s Notebook: Spartans Motivated For Final Series Before Break
12/13/2019 10:13:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
By Neil Koepke
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
EAST LANSING – Thirteen months ago, Michigan State played Arizona State in the first meeting between the two hockey programs.
Things didn't go too well for the Spartans that early November weekend in the desert in Tempe, Arizona.
The Sun Devils, in their fourth season as a Division I program, defeated MSU, 5-4 and 2-0. ASU worked hard, was physical, and made plays in sweeping the non-conference series.
Now, the 18th-ranked Spartans are hosting No. 16/15 Arizona State this weekend in their final series before the holiday break.
So is Michigan State's motivation this week about getting revenge on the Sun Devils for the two losses last season?
Or is the Spartans' focus on improving their 8-7-1 record and boosting their Pairwise Ranking – currently at No. 18?
Or is MSU simply striving to add two more victories to their recent 5-2-1 run and adding momentum and confidence for the Great Lakes Invitational in a little more than two weeks?
"It's everything and not one thing in particular. We definitely owe them from last year,'' senior defenseman Jerad Rosburg said. "It was a good series but they got the best of us. We're definitely keeping that in the back of our minds.
"It'll be good to get them in our rink this time. But we're also moving on to this year and that's important.''
The Spartans (8-7-1, 6-3-1-0 Big Ten) and the No. 16 Sun Devils (8-4-1) meet at 7 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday at Munn Arena.
The Sun Devils (8-4-2) are coming off a 4-1 victory and 2-2 tie against then-No. 4/4 Denver. ASU is 7-2-1 in its last 10 games, after a 1-3 start, and is ranked No. 9 in the Pairwise, which mimics the formula used in selecting at-large teams in the 16-team NCAA Tournament.
"I don't know about revenge but it's definitely in the back of our minds what they did to us last year in their barn,'' senior co-captain and right wing Sam Saliba said. "It's kind of similar to what Cornell did this year, coming here and winning two games in our building.''
Last season, MSU swept a non-conference series at Cornell and last month, the Big Red, currently ranked No. 3 in both polls, got revenge.
"We want to come out with a good showing and defend our home ice. It would be huge (to sweep the Sun Devils), especially in the Pairwise. We're off from Big Ten play but these games are important, especially with where we stand in the rankings right now.
"Arizona State is a really good team. They play hard and we're not going to get anything easy against them.''
In preparing for the Sun Devils, MSU coach Danton Cole is more about the now than what happened last season.
"We just like playing home games, and really from an enthusiasm standpoint or philosophically, we can't worry about games that happened in the past or in the future,'' he said. "Our next game is really important.
"They're a highly rated team so for the Pairwise and NCAA playoffs, these are important games. I don't think we need any more external motivation than that.
"They're playing well, we're playing well. It should be fun games to watch.''
Arizona State had an outstanding season last year, compiling a 21-13-1 record, gradually putting itself high in the polls and the Pairwise, and eventually earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Sun Devils lost to Quinnipiac, 2-1, in the NCAA Midwest Regional semifinals.
During the regular season, ASU swept eight series, including MSU, Boston College, Colorado College, Omaha and Princeton and Alaska. The Sun Devils split against Penn State, Harvard and Boston University. They were swept three times – Ohio State in October, Cornell in January and Minnesota in early March.
With only a few losses from last season, Arizona State is still considered a contender for another NCAA Tournament berth.
"They transition really well and back pressure well, so you better be able to transition yourself from defense to offense, and if you get through them, their goaltender (sophomore Evan Debrouwer) is playing well,'' Cole said.
"These guys have been through it. They had a great season last year and have a lot of guys back from an NCAA team so we'll have to be at the top of our game.''
The Sun Devils are averaging 3.07 goals per game (19th nationally) and allowing 2.29 per game (14th). Their power is converting at 17.7 percent (35th) and penalty killing is at 81.7 percent (49th).
"Every team changes a little bit from year to year depending on their personnel, but their structure is fairly similar to last year,'' Rosburg said. "They play hard, they're pretty aggressive, they have good goaltending and a couple of good goal scorers.
"We're looking forward to the challenge and excited about getting them in our barn this time.''
SCOUTING THE SUN DEVILS: ASU lost only four seniors who played regularly and one underclassman to pro hockey from last year's highly successful team which earned an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament and posted a program-best 21-13-1 record.
Six of the Sun Devils' top seven scorers return, led by junior forward Johnny Walker, who had 23 goals and 34 points in 32 games in 2018-19. A trio of top scorers are back as seniors – defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk (13-17-30 in 2018-19), and forward Tyler Busch (7-14-21) and Brett Gruber (7-14-21).
In 14 games this season, junior transfer James Sanchez tops ASU in scoring with five goals and 13 assists for 18 points, one head of Walker (9-8-17). A pair of defensemen are tied with 14 points – Pasichnuk (2-12) and sophomore Joshua Maniscalco (5-9).
Sanchez played two seasons at Michigan from 2016-18 and was coached by Danton Cole at the U.S. National Team Development program with the U-17s in 2014-15. Sanchez played in the U.S. Hockey League last season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints and then transferred to ASU.
The Sun Devils' biggest loss from last season was standout goalie Joey Daccord (21-13-1 record, 2.35 goals-against average, .926 saves percentage). Daccord, a Hobey Baker finalist in 2018-19, gave up his senior year to sign with the Ottawa Senators. He's currently playing with the Brampton Beast of the East Coast Hockey League.
Sophomore Evan Debrouwer, 22, a 6-foot-3, 190-pounder from Blenheim, Ontario, has taken over for Daccord. Debrouwer has started 13 of 14 games, has a 7-4-2 record, a 2.10 GAA (17th in the nation) and a .930 saves percentage (13th).
After starting the season with a home split against Mercyhurst and two losses at now-No. 1 Minnesota State, 4-1, 5-1, ASU has lost only one of its last 10 games at 7-1-2. The Sun Devils have swept Air Force and Quinnipiac, split with Alaska and won and tied in two series – home against Vermont and Denver.
Greg Powers, a 1999 ASU graduate and former goaltender, is in his fifth season as Sun Devils' coach after guiding the school's club team for seven years. He has a career record of 52-79-13. Powers was a finalist for the 2018-19 Spencer Penrose Award as the Division I Coach of the Year.
Arizona State is planning on building a 4,500-seat hockey/multipurpose arena on campus next to Wells Fargo Center, the basketball arena. The Sun Devils reportedly hope to be in the new building to start the 2022-23 season.
And in the next few years, ASU will try to join a conference and cease playing as an independent. Possibilities include the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC), the Western Collegiate Hockey Association or the new league that emerges from the WCHA, which could be disbanding after next season. And some believe that Hockey East might be a fit for the Sun Devils.
SCHEDULE QUIRKS: By the time Wisconsin plays another regular season game, Arizona State will have been involved in eight games over the next month.
The Badgers, unlike other Big Ten teams, won't play another game until Jan. 10-11 at Ohio State. They will play an exhibition game against the U.S. Under-18 Team on New Year's Day in Plymouth, Mich.
The Sun Devils won't have a Christmas break. They're playing this weekend at MSU, next weekend at Omaha, Dec. 28-29 against Harvard in Irvine, Calif., and then they'll host Michigan Tech on Jan. 4-5.
Arizona State is playing as an independent so scheduling is difficult with many teams involved in conference play early and late in the season and some already booked with non-league opponents.
ASU has had three bye weeks thus far this season – Oct. 25-26 and Nov. 15-16 and Nov. 22-23. But starting with the Vermont series, Nov. 29-30, the Sun Devils will play every weekend through Feb. 21-22. Then they'll have to wait a month before finding out whether they're in the NCAA Tournament or if their season is over.
LETHEMON NO. 1 STAR AGAIN: MSU goalie John Lethemon continues to play at a high level and get rewarded by the Big Ten. For the second time in four weeks, the Spartan senior was named the Big Ten's No. 1 Star for his stellar play in MSU's sweep of Wisconsin, 3-0 and 5-4 in overtime.
Lethemon made 41 saves in shutting out the Badgers on Friday and, despite giving up four goals on Saturday, he had another strong game with 33 saves in keeping his team close and setting up the OT victory.
"We've enjoyed a little run here and a big part of that is because of John,'' Coach Danton Cole said. "If you want to have a real good team, you have to have a good goaltender. And right now, we do. I hope he keeps playing just as well as he has been up to now.''
Lethemon leads the Big Ten in overall saves percentage (.941) and shutouts (3). His 2.01 goals-against-average is second to Ohio State's Tommy Nappier's 1.88.
On a national level, the MSU goalie is third in saves percentage and tied for third in shutouts.
The Spartans have had the No. 1 star in four of the last five weeks. It began with Lethemon, followed by Patrick Khodorenko and Sam Saliba. And then after Penn State forward Liam Folkes was No. 1 after the games of Nov. 29-Dec. 1, Lethemon was back as the No. 1 star.
This week's Big Ten stars were all goalies, with Strauss Mann of Michigan selected as the No. 2 star and Ohio State's Tommy Nappier coming in at No. 3 for the second straight week.
APAP EXPECTED TO FACE ASU: Coach Danton Cole expects junior center Tommy Apap to play against ASU after the MSU co-captain spent the last week mourning the loss of his father, Paul, who passed away last Friday after a 10-year battle with ALS. Paul Apap was 54 years old.
"He played last weekend (against Wisconsin) and I'm sure he'll be playing this weekend,'' Cole said. "We were down (in Troy for visitation) on Wednesday and a bunch of us (players, coaches and staff) went back today for the funeral.
"He'll be back (on Friday) for practice, and I'm sure his dad wouldn't want it any other way. The decision will be up to him. If he tells me Saturday that he wants to play, he'll play.''
CHRISTIAN KRYGIER AT JUNIOR CAMP: MSU sophomore defenseman Christian Krygier will compete for a spot with the 2020 U.S. National Junior Team next week at the U.S. selection camp in Plymouth.
Krygier will play against Arizona State on Saturday but will miss Sunday's series finale due the start of the selection camp at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth.
Krygier, a 6-foot-2, 188-pounder from Novi, has two assists in 16 games this season. He usually teams with his twin brother, Cole, as one of the Spartans' three defense combinations.
Christian made a strong impression on U.S. coaching staff with his play last summer at the USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp in Plymouth in late July and early August.
There are 10 defensemen in the U.S. camp, including five others from the Big Ten – Wisconsin's K'Andre Miller and Ty Emberson, Notre Dame's Spencer Stastney, Michigan's Cam York and Ryan Johnson of Minnesota.
The U.S. team is likely to keep seven defensemen.
PAIRWISE AND POLLS: Michigan State climbed back in the USCHO poll this week at No. 18. The Spartans are not ranked in the USA Today/USA Hockey Top 15 Poll. The top five in the USCHO poll are 1. Minnesota State; 2. North Dakota; 3. Cornell; 4. Clarkson; Boston College. The USA Today poll: 1. Minnesota State; North Dakota; 3. Cornell; 4. Boston College; 5. Clarkson.
In the more important Pairwise Rankings, which will eventually determine at-large bids in the NCAA Tournament, MSU is sitting at No. 18. Three other Big Ten teams are in the PWR top 20: Penn State, No. 6; Ohio State, No. 8, and Notre Dame, No. 15.
The top five in the PWR: 1. Minnesota State; 2. North Dakota; 3. Cornell 4. (tie) Boston College and Denver.
IN THE BIG TEN: Three teams are in action this weekend and four are off on their holiday break. With MSU playing Arizona State in non-conference, the only Big Ten series matches No. 7/7 Penn State and No. 15/14 Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Ind.
The Nittany Lions (12-5-0, 7-3-0) are coming off a series split at Michigan, a 4-1 loss and 3-1 victory. The Irish (8-6-2, 4-2-2-1) are striving to end a five-game losing streak and six-game (0-5-1) winless stretch. They were swept last Friday and Sunday by Boston College – 4-0 and 6-1.
With two games left in conference play until the second week of January, here's the current Big Ten standings:
1. Penn State 7-3-0-0, 21 points; 2. (tie) Michigan State 6-3-1, 19 points and Ohio State 6-3-1, 19 points; 4. Notre Dame 4-2-2-1, 15 points;
5. Minnesota 2-4-4-3, 13 points; 6. Wisconsin 2-7-1-1, 8 points; 7. Michigan 2-7-1-0, 7 points.
Notre Dame has played eight games while every other team has played 10.
MSU's Patrick Khodorenko, who had two goals, including the winner in overtime, last Saturday against Wisconsin, is tied for fifth in Big Ten overall scoring with eight goals and eight assists for 16 points. Linemate Mitchell Lewandowski, who also had two goals in Saturday's 5-4 OT win, is tied for 21st with five goals and six assists for 11 points.
Nate Sucese of Penn State continues to lead the conference in scoring with 23 points – eight goals and 15 assists. Teammate Evan Barratt is second with 21 points (6-15). Wisconsin's Cole Caufield (12-8) and Penn State's Alex Limoges (7-13) are tied for third with 20 points.
In Big Ten play, Limoges (6-6) and Barratt (4-8) share the scoring lead with 12 points apiece. Khodorenko is tied for 6th with nine points (7-2), while Lewandowski is tied for 9th with eight points (4-4).
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
EAST LANSING – Thirteen months ago, Michigan State played Arizona State in the first meeting between the two hockey programs.
Things didn't go too well for the Spartans that early November weekend in the desert in Tempe, Arizona.
The Sun Devils, in their fourth season as a Division I program, defeated MSU, 5-4 and 2-0. ASU worked hard, was physical, and made plays in sweeping the non-conference series.
Now, the 18th-ranked Spartans are hosting No. 16/15 Arizona State this weekend in their final series before the holiday break.
So is Michigan State's motivation this week about getting revenge on the Sun Devils for the two losses last season?
Or is the Spartans' focus on improving their 8-7-1 record and boosting their Pairwise Ranking – currently at No. 18?
Or is MSU simply striving to add two more victories to their recent 5-2-1 run and adding momentum and confidence for the Great Lakes Invitational in a little more than two weeks?
"It's everything and not one thing in particular. We definitely owe them from last year,'' senior defenseman Jerad Rosburg said. "It was a good series but they got the best of us. We're definitely keeping that in the back of our minds.
"It'll be good to get them in our rink this time. But we're also moving on to this year and that's important.''
The Spartans (8-7-1, 6-3-1-0 Big Ten) and the No. 16 Sun Devils (8-4-1) meet at 7 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday at Munn Arena.
The Sun Devils (8-4-2) are coming off a 4-1 victory and 2-2 tie against then-No. 4/4 Denver. ASU is 7-2-1 in its last 10 games, after a 1-3 start, and is ranked No. 9 in the Pairwise, which mimics the formula used in selecting at-large teams in the 16-team NCAA Tournament.
"I don't know about revenge but it's definitely in the back of our minds what they did to us last year in their barn,'' senior co-captain and right wing Sam Saliba said. "It's kind of similar to what Cornell did this year, coming here and winning two games in our building.''
Last season, MSU swept a non-conference series at Cornell and last month, the Big Red, currently ranked No. 3 in both polls, got revenge.
"We want to come out with a good showing and defend our home ice. It would be huge (to sweep the Sun Devils), especially in the Pairwise. We're off from Big Ten play but these games are important, especially with where we stand in the rankings right now.
"Arizona State is a really good team. They play hard and we're not going to get anything easy against them.''
In preparing for the Sun Devils, MSU coach Danton Cole is more about the now than what happened last season.
"We just like playing home games, and really from an enthusiasm standpoint or philosophically, we can't worry about games that happened in the past or in the future,'' he said. "Our next game is really important.
"They're a highly rated team so for the Pairwise and NCAA playoffs, these are important games. I don't think we need any more external motivation than that.
"They're playing well, we're playing well. It should be fun games to watch.''
Arizona State had an outstanding season last year, compiling a 21-13-1 record, gradually putting itself high in the polls and the Pairwise, and eventually earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Sun Devils lost to Quinnipiac, 2-1, in the NCAA Midwest Regional semifinals.
During the regular season, ASU swept eight series, including MSU, Boston College, Colorado College, Omaha and Princeton and Alaska. The Sun Devils split against Penn State, Harvard and Boston University. They were swept three times – Ohio State in October, Cornell in January and Minnesota in early March.
With only a few losses from last season, Arizona State is still considered a contender for another NCAA Tournament berth.
"They transition really well and back pressure well, so you better be able to transition yourself from defense to offense, and if you get through them, their goaltender (sophomore Evan Debrouwer) is playing well,'' Cole said.
"These guys have been through it. They had a great season last year and have a lot of guys back from an NCAA team so we'll have to be at the top of our game.''
The Sun Devils are averaging 3.07 goals per game (19th nationally) and allowing 2.29 per game (14th). Their power is converting at 17.7 percent (35th) and penalty killing is at 81.7 percent (49th).
"Every team changes a little bit from year to year depending on their personnel, but their structure is fairly similar to last year,'' Rosburg said. "They play hard, they're pretty aggressive, they have good goaltending and a couple of good goal scorers.
"We're looking forward to the challenge and excited about getting them in our barn this time.''
SCOUTING THE SUN DEVILS: ASU lost only four seniors who played regularly and one underclassman to pro hockey from last year's highly successful team which earned an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament and posted a program-best 21-13-1 record.
Six of the Sun Devils' top seven scorers return, led by junior forward Johnny Walker, who had 23 goals and 34 points in 32 games in 2018-19. A trio of top scorers are back as seniors – defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk (13-17-30 in 2018-19), and forward Tyler Busch (7-14-21) and Brett Gruber (7-14-21).
In 14 games this season, junior transfer James Sanchez tops ASU in scoring with five goals and 13 assists for 18 points, one head of Walker (9-8-17). A pair of defensemen are tied with 14 points – Pasichnuk (2-12) and sophomore Joshua Maniscalco (5-9).
Sanchez played two seasons at Michigan from 2016-18 and was coached by Danton Cole at the U.S. National Team Development program with the U-17s in 2014-15. Sanchez played in the U.S. Hockey League last season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints and then transferred to ASU.
The Sun Devils' biggest loss from last season was standout goalie Joey Daccord (21-13-1 record, 2.35 goals-against average, .926 saves percentage). Daccord, a Hobey Baker finalist in 2018-19, gave up his senior year to sign with the Ottawa Senators. He's currently playing with the Brampton Beast of the East Coast Hockey League.
Sophomore Evan Debrouwer, 22, a 6-foot-3, 190-pounder from Blenheim, Ontario, has taken over for Daccord. Debrouwer has started 13 of 14 games, has a 7-4-2 record, a 2.10 GAA (17th in the nation) and a .930 saves percentage (13th).
After starting the season with a home split against Mercyhurst and two losses at now-No. 1 Minnesota State, 4-1, 5-1, ASU has lost only one of its last 10 games at 7-1-2. The Sun Devils have swept Air Force and Quinnipiac, split with Alaska and won and tied in two series – home against Vermont and Denver.
Greg Powers, a 1999 ASU graduate and former goaltender, is in his fifth season as Sun Devils' coach after guiding the school's club team for seven years. He has a career record of 52-79-13. Powers was a finalist for the 2018-19 Spencer Penrose Award as the Division I Coach of the Year.
Arizona State is planning on building a 4,500-seat hockey/multipurpose arena on campus next to Wells Fargo Center, the basketball arena. The Sun Devils reportedly hope to be in the new building to start the 2022-23 season.
And in the next few years, ASU will try to join a conference and cease playing as an independent. Possibilities include the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC), the Western Collegiate Hockey Association or the new league that emerges from the WCHA, which could be disbanding after next season. And some believe that Hockey East might be a fit for the Sun Devils.
SCHEDULE QUIRKS: By the time Wisconsin plays another regular season game, Arizona State will have been involved in eight games over the next month.
The Badgers, unlike other Big Ten teams, won't play another game until Jan. 10-11 at Ohio State. They will play an exhibition game against the U.S. Under-18 Team on New Year's Day in Plymouth, Mich.
The Sun Devils won't have a Christmas break. They're playing this weekend at MSU, next weekend at Omaha, Dec. 28-29 against Harvard in Irvine, Calif., and then they'll host Michigan Tech on Jan. 4-5.
Arizona State is playing as an independent so scheduling is difficult with many teams involved in conference play early and late in the season and some already booked with non-league opponents.
ASU has had three bye weeks thus far this season – Oct. 25-26 and Nov. 15-16 and Nov. 22-23. But starting with the Vermont series, Nov. 29-30, the Sun Devils will play every weekend through Feb. 21-22. Then they'll have to wait a month before finding out whether they're in the NCAA Tournament or if their season is over.
LETHEMON NO. 1 STAR AGAIN: MSU goalie John Lethemon continues to play at a high level and get rewarded by the Big Ten. For the second time in four weeks, the Spartan senior was named the Big Ten's No. 1 Star for his stellar play in MSU's sweep of Wisconsin, 3-0 and 5-4 in overtime.
Lethemon made 41 saves in shutting out the Badgers on Friday and, despite giving up four goals on Saturday, he had another strong game with 33 saves in keeping his team close and setting up the OT victory.
"We've enjoyed a little run here and a big part of that is because of John,'' Coach Danton Cole said. "If you want to have a real good team, you have to have a good goaltender. And right now, we do. I hope he keeps playing just as well as he has been up to now.''
Lethemon leads the Big Ten in overall saves percentage (.941) and shutouts (3). His 2.01 goals-against-average is second to Ohio State's Tommy Nappier's 1.88.
On a national level, the MSU goalie is third in saves percentage and tied for third in shutouts.
The Spartans have had the No. 1 star in four of the last five weeks. It began with Lethemon, followed by Patrick Khodorenko and Sam Saliba. And then after Penn State forward Liam Folkes was No. 1 after the games of Nov. 29-Dec. 1, Lethemon was back as the No. 1 star.
This week's Big Ten stars were all goalies, with Strauss Mann of Michigan selected as the No. 2 star and Ohio State's Tommy Nappier coming in at No. 3 for the second straight week.
APAP EXPECTED TO FACE ASU: Coach Danton Cole expects junior center Tommy Apap to play against ASU after the MSU co-captain spent the last week mourning the loss of his father, Paul, who passed away last Friday after a 10-year battle with ALS. Paul Apap was 54 years old.
"He played last weekend (against Wisconsin) and I'm sure he'll be playing this weekend,'' Cole said. "We were down (in Troy for visitation) on Wednesday and a bunch of us (players, coaches and staff) went back today for the funeral.
"He'll be back (on Friday) for practice, and I'm sure his dad wouldn't want it any other way. The decision will be up to him. If he tells me Saturday that he wants to play, he'll play.''
CHRISTIAN KRYGIER AT JUNIOR CAMP: MSU sophomore defenseman Christian Krygier will compete for a spot with the 2020 U.S. National Junior Team next week at the U.S. selection camp in Plymouth.
Krygier will play against Arizona State on Saturday but will miss Sunday's series finale due the start of the selection camp at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth.
Krygier, a 6-foot-2, 188-pounder from Novi, has two assists in 16 games this season. He usually teams with his twin brother, Cole, as one of the Spartans' three defense combinations.
Christian made a strong impression on U.S. coaching staff with his play last summer at the USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp in Plymouth in late July and early August.
There are 10 defensemen in the U.S. camp, including five others from the Big Ten – Wisconsin's K'Andre Miller and Ty Emberson, Notre Dame's Spencer Stastney, Michigan's Cam York and Ryan Johnson of Minnesota.
The U.S. team is likely to keep seven defensemen.
PAIRWISE AND POLLS: Michigan State climbed back in the USCHO poll this week at No. 18. The Spartans are not ranked in the USA Today/USA Hockey Top 15 Poll. The top five in the USCHO poll are 1. Minnesota State; 2. North Dakota; 3. Cornell; 4. Clarkson; Boston College. The USA Today poll: 1. Minnesota State; North Dakota; 3. Cornell; 4. Boston College; 5. Clarkson.
In the more important Pairwise Rankings, which will eventually determine at-large bids in the NCAA Tournament, MSU is sitting at No. 18. Three other Big Ten teams are in the PWR top 20: Penn State, No. 6; Ohio State, No. 8, and Notre Dame, No. 15.
The top five in the PWR: 1. Minnesota State; 2. North Dakota; 3. Cornell 4. (tie) Boston College and Denver.
IN THE BIG TEN: Three teams are in action this weekend and four are off on their holiday break. With MSU playing Arizona State in non-conference, the only Big Ten series matches No. 7/7 Penn State and No. 15/14 Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Ind.
The Nittany Lions (12-5-0, 7-3-0) are coming off a series split at Michigan, a 4-1 loss and 3-1 victory. The Irish (8-6-2, 4-2-2-1) are striving to end a five-game losing streak and six-game (0-5-1) winless stretch. They were swept last Friday and Sunday by Boston College – 4-0 and 6-1.
With two games left in conference play until the second week of January, here's the current Big Ten standings:
1. Penn State 7-3-0-0, 21 points; 2. (tie) Michigan State 6-3-1, 19 points and Ohio State 6-3-1, 19 points; 4. Notre Dame 4-2-2-1, 15 points;
5. Minnesota 2-4-4-3, 13 points; 6. Wisconsin 2-7-1-1, 8 points; 7. Michigan 2-7-1-0, 7 points.
Notre Dame has played eight games while every other team has played 10.
MSU's Patrick Khodorenko, who had two goals, including the winner in overtime, last Saturday against Wisconsin, is tied for fifth in Big Ten overall scoring with eight goals and eight assists for 16 points. Linemate Mitchell Lewandowski, who also had two goals in Saturday's 5-4 OT win, is tied for 21st with five goals and six assists for 11 points.
Nate Sucese of Penn State continues to lead the conference in scoring with 23 points – eight goals and 15 assists. Teammate Evan Barratt is second with 21 points (6-15). Wisconsin's Cole Caufield (12-8) and Penn State's Alex Limoges (7-13) are tied for third with 20 points.
In Big Ten play, Limoges (6-6) and Barratt (4-8) share the scoring lead with 12 points apiece. Khodorenko is tied for 6th with nine points (7-2), while Lewandowski is tied for 9th with eight points (4-4).
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
D
/ Men's Ice Hockey
G
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
D
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice HockeyAdam Nightingale Postgame Comments | Michigan | December 6, 2025
Saturday, December 06
Adam Nightingale Postgame Comments | Michigan | December 5, 2025
Friday, December 05
Adam Nightingale Postgame Comments | Colgate | November 26, 2025
Wednesday, November 26
Adam Nightingale Postgame Comments | Wisconsin | November 22, 2025
Saturday, November 22