Spartans Travel to No. 16 Notre Dame

Saturday, December 19

Notre Dame, Ind.

6:30 P.M. ET

Michigan State University

Notre Dame

12/17/2020 10:06:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey

Games 7-8: Michigan State (2-3-1, 1-3-0-1-0-0 B1G) vs. No. 16 Notre Dame (4-4, 3-3-0-0-0-0 B1G)
Dates | Times: Saturday, Dec. 19 | 6:30 p.m. // Sunday, Dec. 20 | 5 p.m.
Location: Notre Dame, Ind. | Compton Family Ice Arena
TV: Saturday – NBCSN | Sunday – NBC Sports Chicago, NBC Sports Philadelphia
Web Stream: NBCSports.com & TSN.ca (Sat.)
Radio: TCF Bank Spartan Media Network | MSUSpartans.com & MSU Spartans app | Local: WVFN 730-AM
Game Notes: Michigan State | Notre Dame | Big Ten

On The Fly…
• After last week's series with Wisconsin was postponed, the Spartans will close the initial phase of their 2020-21 schedule with a two-game set at Notre Dame, Dec. 19-20.

• MSU went 2-0-2 against the Irish last season, including 1-0-1 on the road.

• Graduate transfer Charlie Combs leads the Spartans with five points (2g, 3a) and brings a four-game point streak into Saturday's game … Combs had an assist in each game vs. Minnesota (12/3-4) and scored a power-play goal in each game at Ohio State (11/28-29).

• Junior goaltender Drew DeRidder, who has started all six games, ranks second in the Big Ten in both save percentage (.931) and GAA (1.98) … DeRidder is coming off a season-high 32 saves the last time out vs. Minnesota (12/4).

• The Spartans have put up over 30 shots on goal in four of their six games and their 35.5 average per game is tied for fifth nationally and is second in the Big Ten.

• The Spartans have outshot their opponents in the third period of each of the last five games, including by an 11-7 margin each night vs. Minnesota.

• The line of juniors Mitchell Mattson, Adam Goodsir and freshman Kyle Haskins has been one of the Spartans' most productive so far this year as the trio has combined for 10 points (4g, 6a).

• The Spartans rank 13th nationally and second in the Big Ten in goals allowed per game at 2.33.

• Senior Mitchell Lewandowski (1-2--3) entered the season in the top 10 among NCAA active career leaders in a trio of categories, including: second in goals with 43; tied for first in game-winning goals with 10; and ninth in points with 88.

• Charlie Combs put up a total of 36 goals in his three seasons at Bemidji State, which was the 10th highest career total among all players in the NCAA entering the season.

• Junior defenseman Dennis Cesana and Lewandowski were both voted by the league's head coaches to the Preseason All-Big Ten Teams ... Cesana was voted to the first team, while Lewandowski was selected to the second team.

About Notre Dame
Notre Dame is coming off a series split at home with Ohio State (W, 3-0; L, 3-2) … UND will play eight of its first 10 games at home … Junior forward Alex Steeves leads Notre Dame in goals (4) and points (8) and is tied for the team lead in assists (4) … Senior goaltender Dylan St. Cyr has started five of eight games, including both last weekend vs. OSU, and owns a 2.82 GAA and .887 save percentage … UND has converted on 2-of-16 power-play opportunities (.125) and has erased 20-of-26 opponent power plays (.769).

matchup at ND

The Series
The Spartans lead the all-times series, 64-51-14, while they trail in games played in South Bend, 24-30-9 … Josh Nodler had three points (1g, 2a) and was a plus-6 in four games vs. UND last year … While the Spartans have won several season series with the Irish over their history, in going 2-0-2 against UND in 2019-20 it marked the first time since 1974-75 that MSU went unbeaten vs. the Irish when meeting a minimum of four times.

Mattson, Goodsir and Haskins Making an Impact
The line of juniors Mitchell Mattson and Adam Goodsir along with freshman Kyle Haskins has been one of the Spartans' most effective so far this season. Through playing together through the first six games, the trio has combined for 10 points – tied for the most of any Spartan line. Mattson, who had one assist through 36 games in his first two seasons, is tied for the team lead in goals (2). Goodsir, who had four assists last year, also has three points, including a goal and assist. Haskins scored his first career goal vs. Minnesota on Dec. 4 and ranks second on the team with four points.

Pucks on Net
Head coach Danton Cole stressed the importance early this year of getting more shots and the Spartans have received the message. Through six games, MSU ranks fifth nationally in shots per game at 35.5. For the first time since the CCHA Playoffs in March 2008, MSU recorded at least 40 shots on goal in three straight games: 40 in their 2-0 win over ASU on Nov. 20; 45 on goal in the 3-2 OT win at OSU on Nov. 28; then 44 in a 4-2 loss to the Buckeyes the following night. By comparison, MSU had over 40 shots on goal in two games in 2019-20.

The Spartans have generated more offense as the games go on. On the season, MSU has outshot opponents over the final two periods by a combined margin of 155-112 (+43). In fact, the Spartans' average of 25.8 shots on goal in the second and third periods combined is just 2.4 behind their complete game average from last season.

MSU has recorded no fewer than 11 shots on goal in the third period of each of the last five games, having outshot its opponent in the final stanza of all five.

100% Graduation Rate
According to data released by the NCAA in late November, Michigan State student-athletes posted all-time highs for Graduation Success Rate (GSR), Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) and single-year Federal Graduation Rate for the 2010-11 to 2013-14 freshman cohorts for the multi-year rates and 2013-14 for the single-year rate. The Spartan hockey team contributed significantly to that success, posting a perfect 100% GSR and FGR.

Overall, Michigan State student-athletes posted a GSR of 92% and a FGR of 79% - both all-time highs.

DeRidder Starts Strong
Junior goaltender Drew DeRidder, who was voted to the All-Big Ten Freshman team two seasons ago, has gotten 2020-21 off to a solid start. His current .931 save percentage and 1.98 GAA both rank second in the Big Ten, and fifth nationally among goalies that have played at least four games.

DeRidder started the year by turning away 52 of 53 shots in going 1-0-1 vs. Arizona State. His 30 saves, which included 16 in the final period, of the 2-0 win on Nov. 20 earned him his first collegiate shutout. On Nov. 25, DeRidder was named the Big Ten Second Star of the Week, marking the first time he had received the honor since Dec. 2018.

Stingy Defensively
A year after posting the program's best goals against average (2.44) in five seasons, MSU is again proving to be stout defensively. MSU's 2.33 goals against per game average is 13th nationally and second in the Big Ten. The one goal allowed through the first two games was the fewest surrendered by the Spartans in the opening two contests of the season since 2005-06 when MSU topped Wayne State, 5-1, and North Dakota, 3-0, respectively.