B1G Hockey Play Opens at Ohio State


Michigan State (3-2-1, 0-0 B1G) at Ohio State (3-1-0, 0-0-0 B1G)
Dates/Times	Friday, Oct. 29, 6 pm \| Saturday, Oct. 30, 2 pm
Location	Value City Arena at the Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
Tickets	Ohio State Ticket Office \| OSU Gameday Answers
Radio	Spartan Media Network *Games air live on WJIM 1240 AM / WVFN 730 AM* Scott Moore (pxp) and Rob Woodward (Analysis) Broadcast on the Web: Friday \| Saturday
Television	none
Webstreams	(B1G+ /$): Friday \| Saturday
Live Statistics	Click Here
Game Notes	Michigan State \| Ohio State
Press Conference	Watch Danton Cole's Weekly Press Conference
Social Media	Facebook Twitter Instagram

WEEKEND PARTICULARS
• Michigan State hockey opens Big Ten play at Ohio State this weekend, the first Conference games for both teams. The squads face off at 6 pm on Friday and play a Saturday matinee at 2 pm.

• Both games this weekend will have a live webstream B1G+, the Big Ten Network's streaming system.

• Scott Moore and Rob Woodward will call the action on the Spartan Media Network. The game will air live on WJIM 1240 AM (Friday) and WVFN 730 AM (Saturday) in the Lansing area, as well as on the web via MSUSpartans.com.

• Steve Rohlik is in his ninth season behind the Buckeye bench, and his squad was idle last weekend after a 3-1 start to the season which included a split at Bentley and a sweep of UConn in its first two weekends of the season.

• MSU owns a 93-51-13 record all-time against Ohio State, which includes a 41-26-6 mark in contests played in Columbus. The teams split their two series last season, and even split the weekend in each of the two matchups. MSU earned a 3-2 OT win at Value City Arena but dropped the second game 4-2, and Ohio State won the first night in East Lansing (5-1) before the Spartans shut out the Buckeyes in the second game (2-0).

• MSU forward Jagger Joshua's brother, Dakota, was a four-year letterwinner for the Buckeyes who graduated in 2019. He is in his second season with the St. Louis Blues organization, and is currently with the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL).

TEAM NOTES
• The Spartans traveled east last weekend, settling on a 2-2 tie and suffering a 4-0 loss at UMass Lowell.

• Saturday's loss snapped a four-game unbeaten streak for MSU, which lost in overtime on the opening night of the season to Air Force (3-2). The Spartans allowed a power play goal and a shorthanded tally in the 4-0 loss.

• The Spartans had killed 14 consecutive penalties over its previous four games before surrendering an extra-man tally in the first period of Saturday's game at Lowell. UML finished 1-for-5 on the power play on the night and 1-for-10 in the series with a man advantage.

• MSU owns a .905 penalty kill percentage, extinguishing 19 of 21 chances against. The Spartans rank fourth in the Big Ten and 13th nationally on the PK.

• The Spartans scored their fifth power play tally of the season on Friday at Lowell, matching the team's 2020-21 output with a man advantage. MSU is currently 5-for-21 (.238) on the PP, good for third in the Big Ten and 17th nationally.

• MSU has accumulated 29 penalties for 80 minutes, an average of 13.33 per game. The Spartans are fourth in the Big Ten and are 16th in Division I in penalty minutes per contest.

• The Spartans have scored first in four of their six games and own a 2-1-1 record in those contests.

• MSU's newcomers have contributed significantly to the team's offense, with half of the team's goals (7) and points (14) so far this season.

• Michigan State is coming off a 7-18-2 record in the Covid-19-shortened 2020-21 season in which the Spartans played a Big Ten (plus Arizona State) schedule only. MSU finished seventh in the Big Ten.

• After playing just four non-conference games in 2020-21 (all against ASU), the Spartans have 10 on the schedule for the 2021-22 season. MSU played two-game sets at home against Air Force and Miami, as well as a pair on the road at UMass-Lowell last weekend. Still on the docket to come is a home-and-home with Ferris State, and the two Great Lakes Invitational games against Western Michigan and Michigan Tech.

• Michigan State returns 19 letterwinners for the 2021-22 campaign and welcomes seven new players. Of the newcomers, four come in with previous college hockey experience, and there are three true freshmen.

• Of MSU's 15 forwards on the roster, nine are returning to the Green and White from 2020-21. With the bolster of some transfers, MSU's forward corps has a combined 678 college hockey games under its belt. Seven defensemen return with 346 games played (all at MSU), and the three goaltenders have a combined 52 games played.

• MSU's four newcomers with previous experience (Chris Berger, Jeremy Davidson, Griffin Loughran, and Erik Middendorf) bring 222 man-games to the Spartan lineup, and a combined 54-62-116 scoring line. All have at least two remaining seasons of eligibility.

PLAYER NOTES - FORWARDS
• Jeremy Davidson scored a goal in Friday's game at UMass-Lowell, had his career-best five-game point streak snapped with the shutout of the Spartan offense on Saturday.

• With a 4-2--6 scoring line, Davidson has his career best in goals and points, and tied his career high with two assists this season. He played one season collegiately at UMass (2019-20) and had a goal and two assists in 22 games, then returned to the USHL to play for the Fargo Force in 2020-21.

• Davidson ranks ninth in the Big Ten in points (9), third in goals (4) and is tied for second with two power-play markers. He is 12th in the Big Ten in points per game (1.00).

• Mitchell Lewandowski leads MSU with seven points (3g, 4a), which ranks fourth in the Big Ten. He one assist in last Friday's game against UMass-Lowell, the 140th consecutive game he has played in his collegiate career, the most of any active player in Division I hockey. That ironman streak was snapped when he missed last Saturday's game.

• Lewandowski is ninth in the B1G in goals (3), fifth in assists (4) and fifth in plus/minus (+5). His 1.40 points per game is fourth in the Big Ten.

• Lewandowski owns the second-highest career point total among active NCAA skaters with 107. He also ranks fifth in power-play goals (18) and is tied for first in game-winners (10).

• Griffin Loughran ranks third on the team in points (5), and recorded an assist last weekend at UMass-Lowell to push his season total to three.

• Loughran and Davidson each have two power-play strikes - tied for 16th on the national leaderboard (second in the B1G) in that category.

• Loughran is the top-scoring transfer to join the Spartan lineup this season. He scored 72 points (35 goals, 37 assists) in three years at NMU.

• Josh Nodler scored the opening goal of the 2021-22 season for MSU, and with a 1-3--4 scoring line, he is ranked second in helpers and ranks in a tie for fourth with four points on the year.

• Nodler's 55 faceoff wins ranks seventh in the Big Ten, and he has won 57% of his faceoffs on the season (55-42). In the Big Ten, his 55 faceoff victories ranks seventh.

• With an assist last weekend, Kristof Papp has tied his freshman season offensive output with four assists on the season, good for 12th in the Big Ten.

• Papp has taken 107 faceoffs on the season (the most on the team), and ranks first with a .589 success rate. Among B1G centermen, his 63 faceoffs won ranks second.

• Erik Middendorf had an assist in last Friday's game at UMass-Lowell, and owns a 1-2--3 scoring line. He, Nodler, and freshman Tanner Kelly are the three regular Spartan forwards without a penalty this season through six games.

• Middendorf played two seasons at Colorado College before returning to junior hockey for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, where he won a Clark Cup with the Chicago Steel (USHL). He came to MSU with seven goals and 13 points in 47 contests at CC.

• Middendorf played in the USNTDP prior to heading to CC, where he played for Danton Cole in 2016-17 for the U-17 team.

• Senior Adam Goodsir appeared in his 100th career game at UMass-Lowell on Friday.

PLAYER NOTES - DEFENSEMEN
• David Gucciardi scored his first career goal on Friday at UMass-Lowell.

• Gucciardi is the lone freshman on the Spartan blue line and he comes to East Lansing after two seasons with Waterloo (USHL). He has played in all six games with Christian Krygier as his D-partner. He has 12 blocked shots, which ranks second on the team.

• Christian Krygier appeared in his 100th career games on Saturday at UMass-Lowell, and twin brother Cole has played 93. Cole leads in the Big Ten in penalty minutes (19), while Christian owns team lead in penalties (6).

• Dennis Cesana is the team's top-scoring blueliner (1-2--3) and is third on the team in blocked shots (10).

• Cesana has been one of the Big Ten's top-producing defensemen over the last three seasons. The two-time All-Big Ten selection has 61 points (13g, 48a) in 105 career games for the Green and White. He earned Preseason Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors this fall.

• Nash Nienhuis had his second career multi-point game with a pair of assists in the second game against Air Force. He is a +2 overall on the season skating in the top pair with Cesana.

• Powell Connor leads the Big Ten with 15 blocked shots,and had four last weekend in the Lowell series. He has played in all six games this season.

PLAYER NOTES - GOALTENDERS
• MSU split its weekend between its two goalies for the third straight week.

• DeRidder made a season-best 37 saves in MSU's 2-2 tie last Friday, and was named the game's First Star. He earned Big Ten Second Star of the Week honors on Monday, MSU's second straight selection.

• Senior Drew DeRidder has three of the top four single-game save performances in the Big Ten this season. His 37 at Lowell ranks first, his 36 vs. Air Force in the season opener ranks in a tie for second, and he made 35 stops against Miami (10/16), which ranks fourth.

• DeRidder ranks second in the Big Ten and sixth nationally with a .947 save percentage, while ranking fifth in the B1G with a 1.92 GAA (16th among Division I goalies). He also ranks third in the B1G in saves per game (21.60)

• DeRidder was named the Spartans' MVP and winner of the most improved player award last season. The native of Fenton posted a 2.76 GAA and .923 save percentage. DeRidder led the Big Ten in total saves with 723 and saves per game at 30.12.

• Sophomore Pierce Charleson got the nod in Saturday's game and made 27 saves in a tough 4-0 setback. He ranks fifth in the Big Ten with a 2.01 GAA and is fourth in save percentage (.933).

• Charleson made three starts and appeared in seven games for Michigan State in the crease last season. He compiled a 2.57 GAA and .938 save percentage in those contests, making 210 saves in 326:49.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Chris Berger

Dennis Cesana

Pierce Charleson

Powell Connor

Jeremy Davidson

Drew DeRidder

Adam Goodsir

David Gucciardi

Jagger Joshua

Tanner Kelly

Christian Krygier

Mitchell Lewandowski

Griffin Loughran

Erik Middendorf

Nash Nienhuis

Josh Nodler

Kristof Papp