Spartans Resume B1G Play at Penn State


Michigan State (8-5-1, 3-3-0 B1G) at PennState (9-6-0, 1-5-0 B1G)
Dates/Times	Friday, Dec. 3, 7 pm \| Saturday, Dec. 4, 5 pm
Location	Pegula Ice Arena, State College, Penn.
Tickets	Penn State Ticket Office
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 \| Penn State
Press Conference	Watch Danton Cole's Weekly Press Conference
Social Media	Facebook Twitter Instagram

WEEKEND PARTICULARS
• Michigan State returns to the ice after an idle Thanksgiving weekend and has the first of two straight road trips, heading to State College for a two-game set with Penn State.

• Both games in State College will have a live webstream via B1G+, the Big Ten Network's streaming system.

• Scott Moore and Rob Woodward will call the action on the Spartan Media Network. The games this week 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.

• Penn State leads the all-time series with MSU by a 18-12-4 mark since its elevation to a Division I program for the 2012-13 season and subsequent entry into the Big Ten conference for 2013-14. The Nittany Lions are 10-3-3 against MSU at Pegula Arena.

• Guy Gadowsky is in his 23rd season as a Division I head coach and his 10th behind the bench for the Nittany Lions. He owns a 173-144-23 mark in State College.

• Ohio State and Michigan are the common opponents between MSU and PSU so far this season - MSU went 1-3 with a split against the Buckeyes, while PSU lost all four games. The Nittany Lions also played MInnesota on the road, and split at Mariucci.

TEAM NOTES
• Michigan State brings a four-game winning streak into the Penn State series, sweeping a non-league home-and-home with Ferris State before a pair of wins over Wisconsin in its most recent contests.

• MSU has been among the teams receiving votes in the last two USCHO.com polls.

• The Spartans evened their Big Ten record at 3-3-0 with the sweep of Wisconsin (Nov. 19-20). MSU also split on the road at Ohio State and fell twice to Michigan in a home-and-home.

• MSU was idle Thanksgiving week, but plays back-to-back road series this weekend and at Notre Dame (Dec. 10-11). MSU will go six weeks between home games, as it next plays at Munn Ice Arena in the Great Lakes Invitational Showcase Dec. 29-30.

• MSU won eight games before Thanksgiving, surpassing the seven it had in the Covid-19 season of 2020-21. MSU had increased its winning percentage in each of Danton Cole's first three seasons behind the bench before the Covid-19 season.

• MSU's eighth win this season came on Nov. 20, the earliest the Spartans have reached eight victories since the 2009-10 campaign, when its eighth win came on Nov. 13 at Michigan (3-2). That team finished 19-13-6, a win total reached by the Spartans only once since (19, 2011-12).

• Cole won his 50th game as the Spartan head coach at Ohio State (Oct. 29). He has won more than 500 games in his 21 seasons as a head coach (522-451-60)

• MSU ranks seventh nationally in both average and overall attendance, welcoming 42,848 fans over eight home dates (5,356).

• MSU's power play is at .250, converting on 11 of 44 chances to rank 12th nationally and third in the Big Ten. The penalty kill (.811, 43-of-53) is also third in the B1G, but 29th among Division I programs.

• MSU's 11 power play markers has doubled the Spartans' total from 2020-21 (5).

• MSU's scoring defense, allowing 2.50 goals per game, is fourth in the Big Ten and 17th nationally. Over its four-game winning streak, the Spartans have allowed seven goals (1.75/gm).

• With an average of 12.00 penalty minutes per game, the Spartans rank third in the Big Ten. Only six times in 14 games has MSU had more penalty minutes than their opponent, however.

• MSU ranks second in the Big Ten in blocked shots (196, 14.0 per game).

• In six of MSU's eight wins, the game-winner has come in the third period. In five of the six, the goal has been scored in the final seven minutes, and four with four minutes or less remaining. The latest? A 19:40 goal that capped a three-goal third period at Ferris State.

• MSU has scored 18 third -period goals overall, one more than in the first (10) and second (7) periods combined. MSU has surrendered its fewest goals in the third period, however - allowing nine compared to 12 in the first and 13 in the second (and one in OT).

• The Spartans have had fairly even scoring across its top three classes - the seniors have 30 points among six players (11-19--30) and the juniors have 35 over five skaters (14-21--35). The sophomores (7) have contributed 25 points (8-17--25), while the freshmen (with only three skaters) have a 2-10--12 scoring line.

PLAYER NOTES - FORWARDS
• Fifth-year senior and active career leading scorer Mitchell Lewandowski returned to the lineup against Ferris State after missing the previous five games, snapping a streak of 140 consecutive career games played, the most of any active player in Division I hockey. He ranks fifth among active players in career points (115) and goals (54), sixth in game-winners (11), and seventh in power play goals (19).

• Lewandowski sits atop the Spartan leaderboard in points (13) and assists (8), and is a squad-best +10. He is tied for eighth in the Big Ten with Kevin Wall of Penn State for points, and his eight assists is tied for fifth. His 1.44 points per game would rank in a tie for first in the league (with nine games played, he falls just short of the threshold of participating in 66.7% of MSU's games to be ranked among statistical Big Ten leaders).

• Lewandowski has six points (2-4--6) in the four games since his return, which includes the game-winning goal in the first game against Ferris and assists on two of the other three game-winners.

• Jeremy Davidson has certainly seen the benefits of his linemate Lewandowski returning to the lineup. He potted three goals and an assist in the Wisconsin series, and is the Spartan leader in goals (7), which is the third-highest total in the Big Ten.

• Davidson's season scoring line of 7-4--11 is his career best all categories, and he also shares the team lead in power play goals (3, third B1G) and has a pair of game-winners to his credit. His 11 points is 12th in the B1G.

• Freshman Jesse Tucker has centered the line with Lewandowski and Davidson over the last four games, and has a goal and four assists in that stretch. He scored his first collegiate goal in the second game vs. Wisconsin (Nov. 20), and also had his first career multiple-point effort in the same contest (1-2--3).

• Tucker is the team's top-scoring freshman with a goal and six assists. He is third on the team in helpers, tied with Kristof Papp.

• Erik Middendorf is second among Spartans in goals (5) and fourth in points (11). He scored the game-winner in the first game against Wisconsin, which was a two-goal effort.

• Middendorf is tied for eighth in the Big Ten in goals (5) and leads the country in game-winning goals - four of his five scores on the year have sealed a Spartan victory.

• Josh Nodler is tied with Davidson for second on the team in points (11), and is second in assists (7). His 124 faceoffs won is sixth in the Big Ten. He has won 52.5% of his faceoffs (124-112).

• Griffin Loughran owns a 3-5--8 scoring line, with a pair of power-play markers. He is second on the team in penalties (9) and penalty minutes (27). Loughran skated in his 100th career game vs. Wisconsin.

• Nicolas Muller scored his first goal of the season in the home game against Michigan (11/6) and has a 1-4--5 scoring line on the year. He has 12 blocked shots this season, which is first among forwards on the team.

• Kristof Papp has already surpassed his freshman season offensive output with six assists on the season. He is 113-79 in the faceoff circle and owns a team-best .589 success rate.

PLAYER NOTES - DEFENSEMEN
• Cole Krygier owns the team's second-longest point streak, with 1-3--4 over the last three games. He had three assists in the Wisconsin series, and on the year owns a 2-3--5 scoring line. He is a +3, with a team-high 27 penalty minutes. His 14 blocked shots is 10th in the Big Ten.

• Dennis Cesana leads the Big Ten lead in blocked shots (26). He scored his third goal of the season in the Saturday game vs. Wisconsin to bump his scoring line to 3-3--6, and leads all Spartan defensemen in scoring.

• 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 63 points (15g, 48a) in 113 career games for the Green and White. He earned Preseason Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors this fall.

• First-year blueliner David Gucciardi owns a 1-4--5 scoring line, and ranks third among B1G defensemen with 21 blocked shots.

• Christian Krygier had assists in both games against Ferris, and now has career bests in both assists (4) and points (4). He leads MSU in penalties (11) and is fourth among defensemen in blocks (16).

• Nash Nienhuis picked up his two assists in the most recent game vs. Wisconsin, and has surpassed his freshman year point total (0-5--5). He has a pair of two-assist games this season to tie his career best.

• Powell Connor is fourth in the Big Ten with 18 blocked shots. He has played in nine of 14 games this season.

PLAYER NOTES - GOALTENDERS
• MSU has split its goaltending duties in four of seven weekends this season, with Drew DeRidder getting starts in the last five games overall.

• DeRidder is third in the B1G and 14th in Division I with a 2.08 GAA, and is second in the Big Ten and fifth nationally with a .943 save percentage. He leads the B1G in saves per game (28.75), and has the third-most minutes between the pipes (6:05.44).

• DeRidder had a pair of 40-save performances against Wisconsin, posting 40 and 48 saves on Friday and Saturday, respectively. He now has three 40+ save performances on the season.

• DeRidder owns six of the top 10 single-game save performances in the Big Ten this season, and each of the top three. He had 48 and 40 in games vs. Wisconsin, 41 vs. Ohio State (Oct. 29), 37 at Lowell (Oct. 22), 36 vs. Air Force in the season opener (Oct. 8) and 35 stops against Miami (Oct. 16).

• Sophomore Pierce Charleson has made four starts this season, the most recent the Nov. 5 game at Michigan. His four starts is one more than he had as a freshman. He owns a 3.26 GAA, .895 save percentage, and 2-2 record.

• 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.

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Players Mentioned

Dennis Cesana

Pierce Charleson

Powell Connor

Jeremy Davidson

Drew DeRidder

David Gucciardi

Christian Krygier

Cole Krygier

Mitchell Lewandowski

Griffin Loughran

Erik Middendorf

Nash Nienhuis

Josh Nodler

Kristof Papp

Jesse Tucker