Neil’s Notebook: Lewandowski’s OT Goal Sends Spartans Home Happy
12/16/2019 9:35:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
By Neil Koepke
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
EAST LANSING – Michigan State and Arizona State combined for seven goals on Saturday night.
On Sunday, it took 63 minutes and 17 seconds for the first – and last - red light to flash behind a dejected goaltender.
And when the first puck found the back of the net, the Spartans were jubilant, celebrating a 1-0 overtime victory, and the Sun Devils were frustrated, missing a chance for a non-conference series sweep.
Mitchell Lewandowski and Patrick Khodorenko teamed up to send the No. 18 Spartans into the holiday break on a positive note, in front of a crowd of 5,004 at Munn Arena.
After Khodorenko stickhandled his way from his own blue line and into the ASU zone, his shot from the left circle was blocked, but the puck ended up in the left corner. Lewandowski found it and slid it to Khodorenko behind the net and Khodorenko won a puck battle with the Sun Devils' Johnny Walker and flipped it out toward the left circle.
Lewandowski got possession between the goal line and faceoff circle. He darted to his right and into the slot and almost went past the net before backhanding the puck into the top left corner at 3:17 of overtime to win it and give the Spartans a split in the series.
"That's a big one for our team. For our record, the Pairwise Rankings and all that comes with it,'' Lewandowski said. "To get the win in overtime, it was awesome and great to be a part of.''
After suffering a tough 4-3 loss to the No. 16/15 Sun Devils on Saturday, the victory lifts MSU over .500 at 9-8-1 overall, and of course, still 6-3-1 and tied for second place in the Big Ten.
Lewandowski's goal was his sixth of the season and third in the last three games, in which he has five points. But the junior left wing gave a lot of the credit to his linemate – Khodorenko.
"He stuck with it. He doesn't quit on plays until it's over. He smoked the guy behind the net, got the puck and got it out front,'' Lewandowski said.
"I saw him go behind the net so I just stood close to where it was going to go, and saw the puck fly up in the air a bit, and their guy swung and missed it. I picked it up and heard (Josh) Nodler in front of the net, but I was on my backhand so I think I just closed my eyes and shot.
"I went back across (to the left) because I was too far over to go right up, so I had no choice but to go to the backhand. Thank God it went in.''
And the rest of the Spartans thanked Lewandowski and Khodorenko for ending a nail-biter that saw the teams combine for 72 shots on goal and several good chances but not many great scoring opportunities.
Both goalies – MSU's John Lethemon and ASU's Evan Debrouwer – were sharp, and the way they were playing, it looked like this one was going to end in a 0-0 tie.
Lethemon made 36 saves and earned his fourth shutout of the season, tied for No. 1 in the nation with two other goalies. Debrouwer, a sophomore, stopped 35 shots, including two in overtime before Lewandowski's backhander eluded him.
"If the guys want to know what an NCAA playoff game feels like, that's how it is. Both teams battling for every inch of ice,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said of his team's second overtime victory in the last three games.
"It was a good battle. Two good goaltenders, two good D-corps and it was hard fighting for ice. I thought our guys battled and kept going, stuck with it and kept their confidence.''
Arizona State's loss was its first since a 4-3 defeat at Alaska on Nov. 8, and it ended a six-game unbeaten streak (4-0-2). The Sun Devils (9-5-2) are ranked No. 9 in the latest Pairwise Rankings. Michigan State climbed up a spot to No. 17.
"Arizona State is good. If I had to guess right now, I'd say they're going to end up in the NCAA Tournament again,'' Cole said of the independent Sun Devils, who play Omaha, Harvard and Michigan Tech in the next three weeks.
"These are good games to go through. I think you learn some things from Saturday night and learn some things tonight. It's more fun learning when you win.''
And it was especially fun for the third-year Spartans coach to watch two of his top two players – Khodorenko and Lewandowski - make the play of the game, and avoid a tie or even another loss to the Sun Devils.
"Patty made an unbelievable play. He was big and strong and created the whole thing and then Lewie finished it off,'' Cole said. "You get the puck in Lewie's hands in front of the net . . . it was like last night with the puck around (ASU's Johnny) Walker – that kid is as goal scorer. Good things happen when those guys have the puck around the net.''
Walker, who scored the game-winner in the Sun Devils' 4-3 win on Saturday, and Lewandowski were teammates in junior hockey with the Chicago Steel of the U.S. Hockey League in 2016-17. They helped the Steel win the USHL playoff championship.
Walker made the great play with a nifty deflection on Saturday and Lewandowski followed with winning shot on Sunday.
"It was a good way to finish and the guys are happy,'' Cole said.
Both teams had 36 shots on goal and went 0-for-3 on the power play. MSU had 69 shots attempts while ASU had 59. The Sun Devils blocked 19 shots while the Spartans got in front of 10 shots.
UP NEXT: Michigan State's players are off to their respective homes for Christmas and won't return until Dec. 26. They'll resume practice on Dec. 27 at Munn Arena and leave for Detroit on Dec. 29 for the Great Lakes Invitational at Little Caesars Arena.
The Spartans play Michigan Tech in the first semifinal at 1 p.m. on Dec. 30. Michigan plays Ferris State in the second game at 4:30 p.m. The third-place game and championship games are set for 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 31.
4 SHUTOUTS FOR LETHEMON: Almost lost in the excitement of Mitchell Lewandowski's late overtime goal and MSU's 1-0 victory was another excellent game by senior goalie John Lethemon. He was sharp, alert and ready for every shot that came his way and he set the stage for another timely win by the Spartans.
Lethemon made 36 saves, was solid positionally, kept rebounds to a minimum and pounced on loose pucks to hinder the Sun Devils' offensive pressure at times.
The shutout was Lethemon's fourth of the season and second in the last four games. Starting on Nov. 8, he's blanked Penn State, 2-0; Michigan, 3-0; Wisconsin, 3-0, and now Arizona State, 1-0.
"He was outstanding. Actually, both goalies were,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said. "It's fun when you see someone locked in like John is. They had some good chances and I can't see (from the bench) where the puck is because it's going through a screen, but he's there kicking them out.
"You can do this for a couple games. But this isn't a fluke. This is real for Johnny. He's playing this well and he's done it over a long enough period of time. And we need him to keep doing a little bit longer.''
Lethemon said he felt "calm and comfortable" throughout the entire game, and praised his defense for keeping shots to the outside and clearing loose pucks in front.
"Both teams played well tonight. Obviously, they were the better team (Saturday), but I think that's just how hockey works,'' he said. "Some teams come in waves and they did that tonight and we handled it. We had our waves too and they handled it well.
"It was a back-and-forth game, and they're a lot of fun to play in. I didn't think they got a ton of shots last night but they did get some quality shots, where we as a team had to work hard defensively, and as a goalie you had to be really locked in on the shots.
"It was kind of the same way tonight, even though they threw some more pucks on net. It was to our credit that we kept them to the outside. They did do a good job at trying to get pucks on net and getting in front of me, but we handled that really well as a team.''
Lethemon said he liked how his team stayed aggressive, pushing for the win, especially in overtime.
"That's just how tenacious we've been. We've been able to come back on some teams. Last night, we almost came back (and won) but credit to them, we just came up short.
"We haven't sat back and let teams take charge. Tonight, we dictated that overtime. I'm proud of the way the guys stuck to it.''
MSU's defense as a team was a lot better Sunday than it was on Saturday when turnovers opened the door for Arizona State to take an early lead and kept the Spartans from sustaining strong offensive zone time until the third period.
That helped Lethemon Sunday and he was appreciated the support and fewer point-blank chances.
"I felt really good, controlling stuff and the team did a great job in front of me, keeping them to the outside and clearing any rebounds that I did have,'' he said. "What I thought was key was I was able to get out (of the net) on some pucks and make plays behind the net to my defensemen and rim it to the forwards.
"That kind of kept the play going and our defensemen didn't get worn down having to get hit behind the net.''
Lethemon has played in 12 straight games since starting both games in the Penn State series, Nov. 8-9. He's 9-5-1 this season with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .941 saves percentage, which is tied for third best in the nation.
He's found the consistency and confidence this season that he's been striving for since he arrived at MSU in 2016-17.
"It's been huge. Even in a game like Saturday night, I didn't necessarily play bad but we didn't get the results we wanted,'' he said. "They made some good plays, but to be able to come back and lock it in and get the big win tonight, that's huge for confidence, and for the whole team.
"It's great heading into the break feeling good. But we're going to be really focused over break and the guys will stay sharp and come back ready for the GLI. We know how it's been for us in the GLI, so it's definitely in the back of our minds. We'll be really focused and dialed in when we get down there.''
CESANA EXCELS: Sophomore defenseman Dennis Cesana had one of his best games – if not the best – of his season-and-a-half career at MSU in Sunday's 1-0 overtime.
He logged a lot of minutes with defensive partner Jerad Rosburg, defended well, made solid outlet passes, and was strong in the offensive zone, keeping the puck in and setting up teammates with crisp passes.
And he assisted on Mitchell Lewandowski's game-winning goal but ended up watching the end of the play from the bench.
"I ended up changing. I passed it to him and got off on a change and watched it on the bench,'' Cesana said with a laugh.
So, did he think it was his best-ever game as a Spartan? Maybe, but he didn't seem to be sure.
"I'd say it's probably the most ice time I've ever had so I think it kind of came with me,'' said Cesana, a 5-foot-9, 195-pound right-hand shot D-man from Providence, Rhode Island. "It was being in good spots, and with all of our lines clicking this year and all working well with our systems.
"Being out there is pretty easy for me. I just felt like the game came to me. I didn't have any big turnovers and just tried to keep everything in front of me and make smart plays defensively. I think it worked out pretty well.''
So did Coach Danton Cole and goalie John Lethemon, who gets a close-up view of Cesana every game.
"He read plays really well. He was up and his gaps were good and when there was a time to jump in, he was really into it,'' Cole said. "He was putting the puck on net, joining the rush instead of leading the rush and he defended exceptionally well. He logged a lot of ice – he and Rosburg both did.
"But Denny was really outstanding tonight.''
Cole said what he really liked about Cesana's game on Sunday was that he learned from Saturday's contest with some decision-making.
"I thought there were a few too many 'hope plays' on Saturday where he's trying to fire (the puck) through guys,'' he said. "You have to be smart with decisions. That's how NHL defensemen have to play.
"It's like Snooker. Sometimes, it's not always what you make but what you leave. That's a quick decision and sometimes the risk isn't worth it.''
There's was less risk in Cesana's game on Sunday but lots of energy, good puck movement and he made a big impact by being around the puck often in both zones.
Lethemon was impressed by Cesana's ice time and presence defensively and offensively.
"He was a horse for us back there. He makes such good reads and plays smart defensively,'' the Spartans' senior goaltender said after earning his fourth shutout of the season. "In the (defensive zone), he battles in front of me. But he's such a skilled defenseman that he makes great outlet passes and jumps in on the rush.
"He almost had one in the first period. He made a great play and that was a great save by their goalie. He's one of our best defensemen and it shows.''
IN THE BIG TEN: The holiday break has arrived for all seven Big Ten teams. Penn State and Notre Dame skated into the break with a conference series split with the Nittany Lions winning 4-2 on Friday and the Irish rebounding for a 3-0 victory on Saturday.
Next up for first place Penn State is a non-conference series at home against Niagara, Jan. 3-4. Fourth-place Notre Dame's next assignment is a home-and-home series with Western Michigan – home on Jan. 3 and at WMU on Jan. 4.
Ohio State, tied for second place with Michigan State, plays host to Colgate on Dec. 27-28, and then plays in the Fortress Tournament at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Jan. 3-4. The Buckeyes open with Cornell and will play Army or Providence in the championship or third-place game on Jan. 4.
Minnesota, which is in fifth place in the Big Ten, is back on the ice for the Mariucci Classic on Dec. 28 against Bemidji State. The Gophers will play Minnesota State or St. Cloud State in the title game or third-place game on Dec. 29.
Fifth-place Wisconsin plays one game after Christmas and it's an exhibition game with the U.S. Under-18 Team on Jan. 1 in Plymouth.
Michigan, like the Spartans, are in the Great Lakes Invitational at Little Caesars Arena, Dec. 30-31. With MSU facing Michigan Tech in the GLI, the seventh-place Wolverines play Ferris State on Dec. 30. The third-place and championship games are set for Dec. 31.
Big Ten play resumes Jan. 10-11 with three series – Minnesota at Michigan State, Ohio State at Wisconsin and Michigan at Notre Dame. Penn State plays a single non-conference game against Robert Morris on Jan. 11 at PPG Paints Arena, home of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
EAST LANSING – Michigan State and Arizona State combined for seven goals on Saturday night.
On Sunday, it took 63 minutes and 17 seconds for the first – and last - red light to flash behind a dejected goaltender.
And when the first puck found the back of the net, the Spartans were jubilant, celebrating a 1-0 overtime victory, and the Sun Devils were frustrated, missing a chance for a non-conference series sweep.
Mitchell Lewandowski and Patrick Khodorenko teamed up to send the No. 18 Spartans into the holiday break on a positive note, in front of a crowd of 5,004 at Munn Arena.
After Khodorenko stickhandled his way from his own blue line and into the ASU zone, his shot from the left circle was blocked, but the puck ended up in the left corner. Lewandowski found it and slid it to Khodorenko behind the net and Khodorenko won a puck battle with the Sun Devils' Johnny Walker and flipped it out toward the left circle.
Lewandowski got possession between the goal line and faceoff circle. He darted to his right and into the slot and almost went past the net before backhanding the puck into the top left corner at 3:17 of overtime to win it and give the Spartans a split in the series.
"That's a big one for our team. For our record, the Pairwise Rankings and all that comes with it,'' Lewandowski said. "To get the win in overtime, it was awesome and great to be a part of.''
After suffering a tough 4-3 loss to the No. 16/15 Sun Devils on Saturday, the victory lifts MSU over .500 at 9-8-1 overall, and of course, still 6-3-1 and tied for second place in the Big Ten.
Lewandowski's goal was his sixth of the season and third in the last three games, in which he has five points. But the junior left wing gave a lot of the credit to his linemate – Khodorenko.
"He stuck with it. He doesn't quit on plays until it's over. He smoked the guy behind the net, got the puck and got it out front,'' Lewandowski said.
"I saw him go behind the net so I just stood close to where it was going to go, and saw the puck fly up in the air a bit, and their guy swung and missed it. I picked it up and heard (Josh) Nodler in front of the net, but I was on my backhand so I think I just closed my eyes and shot.
"I went back across (to the left) because I was too far over to go right up, so I had no choice but to go to the backhand. Thank God it went in.''
And the rest of the Spartans thanked Lewandowski and Khodorenko for ending a nail-biter that saw the teams combine for 72 shots on goal and several good chances but not many great scoring opportunities.
Both goalies – MSU's John Lethemon and ASU's Evan Debrouwer – were sharp, and the way they were playing, it looked like this one was going to end in a 0-0 tie.
Lethemon made 36 saves and earned his fourth shutout of the season, tied for No. 1 in the nation with two other goalies. Debrouwer, a sophomore, stopped 35 shots, including two in overtime before Lewandowski's backhander eluded him.
"If the guys want to know what an NCAA playoff game feels like, that's how it is. Both teams battling for every inch of ice,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said of his team's second overtime victory in the last three games.
"It was a good battle. Two good goaltenders, two good D-corps and it was hard fighting for ice. I thought our guys battled and kept going, stuck with it and kept their confidence.''
Arizona State's loss was its first since a 4-3 defeat at Alaska on Nov. 8, and it ended a six-game unbeaten streak (4-0-2). The Sun Devils (9-5-2) are ranked No. 9 in the latest Pairwise Rankings. Michigan State climbed up a spot to No. 17.
"Arizona State is good. If I had to guess right now, I'd say they're going to end up in the NCAA Tournament again,'' Cole said of the independent Sun Devils, who play Omaha, Harvard and Michigan Tech in the next three weeks.
"These are good games to go through. I think you learn some things from Saturday night and learn some things tonight. It's more fun learning when you win.''
And it was especially fun for the third-year Spartans coach to watch two of his top two players – Khodorenko and Lewandowski - make the play of the game, and avoid a tie or even another loss to the Sun Devils.
"Patty made an unbelievable play. He was big and strong and created the whole thing and then Lewie finished it off,'' Cole said. "You get the puck in Lewie's hands in front of the net . . . it was like last night with the puck around (ASU's Johnny) Walker – that kid is as goal scorer. Good things happen when those guys have the puck around the net.''
Walker, who scored the game-winner in the Sun Devils' 4-3 win on Saturday, and Lewandowski were teammates in junior hockey with the Chicago Steel of the U.S. Hockey League in 2016-17. They helped the Steel win the USHL playoff championship.
Walker made the great play with a nifty deflection on Saturday and Lewandowski followed with winning shot on Sunday.
"It was a good way to finish and the guys are happy,'' Cole said.
Both teams had 36 shots on goal and went 0-for-3 on the power play. MSU had 69 shots attempts while ASU had 59. The Sun Devils blocked 19 shots while the Spartans got in front of 10 shots.
UP NEXT: Michigan State's players are off to their respective homes for Christmas and won't return until Dec. 26. They'll resume practice on Dec. 27 at Munn Arena and leave for Detroit on Dec. 29 for the Great Lakes Invitational at Little Caesars Arena.
The Spartans play Michigan Tech in the first semifinal at 1 p.m. on Dec. 30. Michigan plays Ferris State in the second game at 4:30 p.m. The third-place game and championship games are set for 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 31.
4 SHUTOUTS FOR LETHEMON: Almost lost in the excitement of Mitchell Lewandowski's late overtime goal and MSU's 1-0 victory was another excellent game by senior goalie John Lethemon. He was sharp, alert and ready for every shot that came his way and he set the stage for another timely win by the Spartans.
Lethemon made 36 saves, was solid positionally, kept rebounds to a minimum and pounced on loose pucks to hinder the Sun Devils' offensive pressure at times.
The shutout was Lethemon's fourth of the season and second in the last four games. Starting on Nov. 8, he's blanked Penn State, 2-0; Michigan, 3-0; Wisconsin, 3-0, and now Arizona State, 1-0.
"He was outstanding. Actually, both goalies were,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said. "It's fun when you see someone locked in like John is. They had some good chances and I can't see (from the bench) where the puck is because it's going through a screen, but he's there kicking them out.
"You can do this for a couple games. But this isn't a fluke. This is real for Johnny. He's playing this well and he's done it over a long enough period of time. And we need him to keep doing a little bit longer.''
Lethemon said he felt "calm and comfortable" throughout the entire game, and praised his defense for keeping shots to the outside and clearing loose pucks in front.
"Both teams played well tonight. Obviously, they were the better team (Saturday), but I think that's just how hockey works,'' he said. "Some teams come in waves and they did that tonight and we handled it. We had our waves too and they handled it well.
"It was a back-and-forth game, and they're a lot of fun to play in. I didn't think they got a ton of shots last night but they did get some quality shots, where we as a team had to work hard defensively, and as a goalie you had to be really locked in on the shots.
"It was kind of the same way tonight, even though they threw some more pucks on net. It was to our credit that we kept them to the outside. They did do a good job at trying to get pucks on net and getting in front of me, but we handled that really well as a team.''
Lethemon said he liked how his team stayed aggressive, pushing for the win, especially in overtime.
"That's just how tenacious we've been. We've been able to come back on some teams. Last night, we almost came back (and won) but credit to them, we just came up short.
"We haven't sat back and let teams take charge. Tonight, we dictated that overtime. I'm proud of the way the guys stuck to it.''
MSU's defense as a team was a lot better Sunday than it was on Saturday when turnovers opened the door for Arizona State to take an early lead and kept the Spartans from sustaining strong offensive zone time until the third period.
That helped Lethemon Sunday and he was appreciated the support and fewer point-blank chances.
"I felt really good, controlling stuff and the team did a great job in front of me, keeping them to the outside and clearing any rebounds that I did have,'' he said. "What I thought was key was I was able to get out (of the net) on some pucks and make plays behind the net to my defensemen and rim it to the forwards.
"That kind of kept the play going and our defensemen didn't get worn down having to get hit behind the net.''
Lethemon has played in 12 straight games since starting both games in the Penn State series, Nov. 8-9. He's 9-5-1 this season with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .941 saves percentage, which is tied for third best in the nation.
He's found the consistency and confidence this season that he's been striving for since he arrived at MSU in 2016-17.
"It's been huge. Even in a game like Saturday night, I didn't necessarily play bad but we didn't get the results we wanted,'' he said. "They made some good plays, but to be able to come back and lock it in and get the big win tonight, that's huge for confidence, and for the whole team.
"It's great heading into the break feeling good. But we're going to be really focused over break and the guys will stay sharp and come back ready for the GLI. We know how it's been for us in the GLI, so it's definitely in the back of our minds. We'll be really focused and dialed in when we get down there.''
CESANA EXCELS: Sophomore defenseman Dennis Cesana had one of his best games – if not the best – of his season-and-a-half career at MSU in Sunday's 1-0 overtime.
He logged a lot of minutes with defensive partner Jerad Rosburg, defended well, made solid outlet passes, and was strong in the offensive zone, keeping the puck in and setting up teammates with crisp passes.
And he assisted on Mitchell Lewandowski's game-winning goal but ended up watching the end of the play from the bench.
"I ended up changing. I passed it to him and got off on a change and watched it on the bench,'' Cesana said with a laugh.
So, did he think it was his best-ever game as a Spartan? Maybe, but he didn't seem to be sure.
"I'd say it's probably the most ice time I've ever had so I think it kind of came with me,'' said Cesana, a 5-foot-9, 195-pound right-hand shot D-man from Providence, Rhode Island. "It was being in good spots, and with all of our lines clicking this year and all working well with our systems.
"Being out there is pretty easy for me. I just felt like the game came to me. I didn't have any big turnovers and just tried to keep everything in front of me and make smart plays defensively. I think it worked out pretty well.''
So did Coach Danton Cole and goalie John Lethemon, who gets a close-up view of Cesana every game.
"He read plays really well. He was up and his gaps were good and when there was a time to jump in, he was really into it,'' Cole said. "He was putting the puck on net, joining the rush instead of leading the rush and he defended exceptionally well. He logged a lot of ice – he and Rosburg both did.
"But Denny was really outstanding tonight.''
Cole said what he really liked about Cesana's game on Sunday was that he learned from Saturday's contest with some decision-making.
"I thought there were a few too many 'hope plays' on Saturday where he's trying to fire (the puck) through guys,'' he said. "You have to be smart with decisions. That's how NHL defensemen have to play.
"It's like Snooker. Sometimes, it's not always what you make but what you leave. That's a quick decision and sometimes the risk isn't worth it.''
There's was less risk in Cesana's game on Sunday but lots of energy, good puck movement and he made a big impact by being around the puck often in both zones.
Lethemon was impressed by Cesana's ice time and presence defensively and offensively.
"He was a horse for us back there. He makes such good reads and plays smart defensively,'' the Spartans' senior goaltender said after earning his fourth shutout of the season. "In the (defensive zone), he battles in front of me. But he's such a skilled defenseman that he makes great outlet passes and jumps in on the rush.
"He almost had one in the first period. He made a great play and that was a great save by their goalie. He's one of our best defensemen and it shows.''
IN THE BIG TEN: The holiday break has arrived for all seven Big Ten teams. Penn State and Notre Dame skated into the break with a conference series split with the Nittany Lions winning 4-2 on Friday and the Irish rebounding for a 3-0 victory on Saturday.
Next up for first place Penn State is a non-conference series at home against Niagara, Jan. 3-4. Fourth-place Notre Dame's next assignment is a home-and-home series with Western Michigan – home on Jan. 3 and at WMU on Jan. 4.
Ohio State, tied for second place with Michigan State, plays host to Colgate on Dec. 27-28, and then plays in the Fortress Tournament at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Jan. 3-4. The Buckeyes open with Cornell and will play Army or Providence in the championship or third-place game on Jan. 4.
Minnesota, which is in fifth place in the Big Ten, is back on the ice for the Mariucci Classic on Dec. 28 against Bemidji State. The Gophers will play Minnesota State or St. Cloud State in the title game or third-place game on Dec. 29.
Fifth-place Wisconsin plays one game after Christmas and it's an exhibition game with the U.S. Under-18 Team on Jan. 1 in Plymouth.
Michigan, like the Spartans, are in the Great Lakes Invitational at Little Caesars Arena, Dec. 30-31. With MSU facing Michigan Tech in the GLI, the seventh-place Wolverines play Ferris State on Dec. 30. The third-place and championship games are set for Dec. 31.
Big Ten play resumes Jan. 10-11 with three series – Minnesota at Michigan State, Ohio State at Wisconsin and Michigan at Notre Dame. Penn State plays a single non-conference game against Robert Morris on Jan. 11 at PPG Paints Arena, home of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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