MSU Hosts GLI Showcase Games At Munn


Michigan State (10-7-1) vs. Western Michigan (13-5-0), Michigan Tech (10-7-0)
Dates/Times	Wednesday, Dec. 29, 7 pm vs. Western Michigan Thursday, Dec. 30, 5 pm vs. Michigan Tech
Location	Munn Ice Arena, East Lansing, Mich.
Tickets	Spartan Ticket Office
Radio	Spartan Media Network *Games air live on WJIM 1240 AM* Scott Moore (pxp) and Rob Woodward (Analysis) Broadcast on the Web: Western Michigan \| Michigan Tech
Television	none
Webstreams	(B1G+ /$): Western Michigan \| Michigan Tech
Live Statistics	Click Here
Game Notes	Michigan State \| Western Michigan \| Michigan Tech
Game Program	GLI Digital Game Program
Social Media	Facebook Twitter Instagram

SHOWCASE PARTICULARS
• After a one-year Covid-19 hiatus, the 56th annual Great Lakes Invitational returns in 2021, albeit with an altered tournament format. Michigan and Michigan State will host single games vs. Western Michigan and Michigan Tech.

• 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 in the Lansing area, as well as on the web via MSUSpartans.com.

THE GREAT LAKES INVITATIONAL
• This will be MSU's 47th all-time GLI appearance, and the Spartans have been a regular participant since 1979. MSU won four titles in a row twice (1982-85, and 1997-2000). MSU last won the GLI in 2009.

• In 2019, the Spartans finished third with a 5-2 win over Ferris State after falling to Tech in the semifinals (4-2). In 2018, the Spartans tied for third with a pair of OT games - MSU fell to Lake Superior State in OT in the semis and skated to a 2-2 deadlock with Michigan the next day.

• MSU will take on Western Michigan in the first game of the Showcase on Wednesday. The Spartans own a 65-34-9 all-time record against the Broncos, which includes a 36-7-6 mark in games in East Lansing. However, in three all-time Great Lakes Invitational meetings, WMU is 2-0-1 against MSU.

• Pat Ferschweiler is in his first season as the head coach of the Broncos, elevated from his position as Associate Head Coach at his alma mater. Western Michigan occupies the No. 4 spot in both national polls, and brings a 13-5-0 mark into the GLI. The Broncos last played Dec. 10-11 at home, splitting a series with Omaha (4-2, 0-1). WMU swept common opponents Ferris State and Miami, and split a series against Michigan.

• Michigan Tech leads the all-time series with Michigan State 85-76-4 in a rivalry that dates back to the first meeting of the teams in 1928. The Spartans hold a 33-31-2 mark on their home ice and a 23-8-1 record in GLI meetings between the teams - the most recent a 4-2 semifinal loss in the 2019 tournament.

• Tech is under the tutelage of fifth-year head coach Joe Shawhan, who has guided his team to a 10-7 record so far this season. Tech has won five of its last six, sweeping Ferris State and St. Thomas.

TEAM NOTES
• MSU has been among the teams receiving votes in the last four USCHO.com polls. This week, six of the seven Big Ten teams are ranked (Michigan, Notre Dame, Minnesota, Ohio State) or receiving votes (MSU, Penn State). In the USA Hockey poll, Ohio State is receiving votes, but MSU and PSU are not.

• Michigan State won six of its last eight games prior to the holiday break. The Spartans are playing their first home games since Nov. 20.

• MSU owned 10 victories at the holiday break, the most since the 2011-12 campaign. MSU had 10 wins at the break and 11 in the first calendar half of its season that year. 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 strength of schedule ranks ninth nationally. The Spartans have played 10 games on the road and eight at home, and are 6-2-0 at Munn Ice Arena this season.

• The Spartans have played three straight one-goal games, and on the season are 6-3 in one-goal contests. MSU is 2-1 in two-goal games - and all three had an empty-net goal for the final margin. MSU had a pair of one-goal games at Notre Dame, with the second game settled by an OT marker by Mitchell Lewandowski, the only goal of the game.

• MSU's power play is at .218, converting on 12 of 55 chances to rank fourth in the Big Ten. The penalty kill (.818, 54-66) is also fourth in the B1G.

• MSU's scoring defense, allowing 2.50 goals per game, is third in the Big Ten and 17th nationally.

• With an average of 12.72 penalty minutes per game, the Spartans rank third in the Big Ten. Only eight times in 18 games has MSU had more penalty minutes than its opponent.

• In eight of MSU's 10 wins, the game-winner has come in the third period or later. In six of the eight, the goal has been scored in the final seven minutes or OT, and five with four minutes or less remaining or in OT. The latest in regulation was a 19:40 goal that capped a three-goal third period at Ferris State, and the most recent Mitchell Lewandowski's OT game winner 0:33 into the OT period in the last game before the break..

• MSU has scored 21 third -period goals, one fewer than in the first (14) and second (8) periods combined. MSU has surrendered its fewest goals in the third period, however - allowing 13 compared to 14 in the first and 17 in the second (and one in OT). Overall, MSU has been outscored by a 44-45 margin this season.

• The Spartans sit at 5-5-0 in the Big Ten, which is fifth (14 points). Michigan leads the way with a 7-5-0 B1G record, but has played two more games than the rest of the field. Minnesota, Ohio State and Notre Dame are all 6-4, and Wisconsin and Penn State are both 3-7.

• Three out of MSU's first five Big Ten series were on the road this season, and MSU earned splits at Ohio State, Penn State and Notre Dame. The Spartans dropped both games of the home-and-home with Michigan, but swept Wisconsin in its only home series.

• 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 ninth nationally in overall attendance, welcoming 42,848 fans over eight home dates. The Spartans, who have not played at home since Nov. 19-20, rank seventh in average attendance (5,356).

PLAYER NOTES - FORWARDS
• Fifth-year senior and active career leading scorer Mitchell Lewandowski ranks fourth among active Division I players in career points (120), fifth in goals (56), third in game-winners (12), and sixth in power play goals (20).

• Lewandowski sits atop the Spartan leaderboard in points (18) and assists (11), and is a squad-best +13. He is ninth in the Big Ten in points, eighth in assists, and 10th in goals, and leads the B1G with 1.38 points per game. He has surpassed his 2020-21 totals of six goals and eight assists.

• Lewandowski has 11 points (4-7--11) in the eight games since returning from injury, which includes the OT game-winner in the most recent game vs. Notre Dame. In the first game against the Irish, he was held without a point for the first game this season.

• Jeremy Davidson leads the Spartans in goals (8), which ranks in a tie for eighth in the Big Ten. He had a goal and an assist in the Penn State series.

• Davidson's season scoring line of 8-5--13 is his career best all categories, and he also shares the team lead in power play goals with three (fourth, B1G) and has a pair of game-winners to his credit (fifth, B1G).

• Freshman Jesse Tucker has centered the line with Lewandowski and Davidson over the last eight games, and has a goal and five 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 seven assists. He tied for third on the team in helpers, tied with Josh Nodler.

• Josh Nodler is third on the team in points (11), and is tied for third in assists (7). The top-line centerman has won 51.6% of his faceoffs (163-153).

• Nodler has established a new career best with four goals and tied his career-best output with 11 assists.

• Erik Middendorf is tied for third among Spartans in goals (5) and is fifth in points (9). He scored the game-winner in the first game against Wisconsin (Nov. 19) which was his first career two-goal effort. He ranks second nationally in game-winning goals - four of his five scores on the year have sealed a Spartan victory.

• Griffin Loughran owns a 3-6--9 scoring line, with a pair of power-play markers. He is tied for second on the team in penalties (11) and penalty minutes (30). Loughran skated in his 100th career game vs. Wisconsin.

• Tanner Kelly scored his first collegiate goal at Notre Dame, getting the Spartans on the board just 1:04 into the first period in the first game. The freshman has played in 16 of MSU's 18 games this season.

• Kristof Papp has already doubled his freshman season offensive output (0-4--4) with a 1-8--9 scoring line. He scored his first collegiate goal in the Saturday game at Penn State and also had an assist on a Dennis Cesana tally at Notre Dame .

• Papp is 131-93 in the faceoff circle and owns a team-best .585 success rate.

• Jagger Joshua had an assist on Tanner Kelly's first collegiate goal, and owns a 1-2--3 scoring line with 10 blocked shots this season. He is second on the team in penalties (11) and PIM's (30).

• Adam Goodsir also had an assist on the Cesana goal at Notre Dame, giving him assists in back-to-back games. The senior has skated in all 18 games of the season and has blocked 13 shots, a total which ranks second among forwards. Nicolas Muller leads that group with 18.

PLAYER NOTES - DEFENSEMEN
• Dennis Cesana ranks third the Big Ten in blocked shots (32), four short of his career best. He scored his fifth goal of the season in the Friday game at Notre Dame and assisted on Mitchell Lewandowski's OT game-winner on Saturday, making him the only player with a point in both contests.

• Cesana is the top-scoring defenseman and ranks fourth overall for Michigan State with 10 points (5g, 5a). He has been one of the Big Ten's top-producing defensemen over the last three seasons. The two-time All-Big Ten selection has 67 points (17g, 50a) in 117 career games for the Green and White. He earned Preseason Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors this fall.

• Cole Krygier has matched his career best with a 3-3--6 scoring line, tying the identical scoring line he posted in all of 2019-20. He is a +4, with 29 penalty minutes and 22 blocks.

• Christian Krygier had a goal and an assist in the Penn State series and has doubled his single-season points total with a 1-5--6 scoring line. He has 21 blocked shots.

• Both Krygier twins scored in the Friday game at Penn State (12/4), the first time in their Spartan careers that they lit the lamp in the same game.

• First-year blueliner David Gucciardi owns a 1-4--5 scoring line, and ranks in a tie for seventh among B1G defensemen with 25 blocked shots.

• Nash Nienhuis has surpassed his freshman year point total (0-6--6). He has a pair of two-assist games this season to tie his career best.

• Powell Connor is tied for fourth among Spartan blueliners with 21 blocked shots. He has played in 11 of 18 games this season.

PLAYER NOTES - GOALTENDERS
• MSU has split its goaltending duties in six of nine weekends this season, including the two December series at Penn State and Notre Dame.

• DeRidder not only earned the overtime victory in a 1-0 win at Notre Dame, but also had the primary assist on Lewandowski's game-winner. He earned Big Ten First Star of the Week honors, his second weekly honor from the B1G this season.

• DeRidder's GAA (1.97) is second in the B1G and ninth nationally, while his .945 save percentage tops the Big Ten and is fourth nationally. He leads the B1G with 34.17 saves per game, and has tied his career best with seven victories.

• Sophomore Pierce Charleson made 25 saves in a tough 3-2 loss at Notre Dame one week after he stopped a career-best 50 pucks and earned the 4-3 victory at Penn State (Dec. 3). His 50-save effort is the second- most by a netminder in a Division I game this season, and he earned Big Ten Third Star of the Week honors.

• In six starts this season, Charleson owns a 3.18 GAA, .907 save percentage, and 3-3 record. He made three starts and appeared in seven games for Michigan State in the crease last season, and compiled a 2.57 GAA and .938 save percentage in those contests, making 210 saves in 326:49.

• Charleson's 50-save effort at Penn State ranks second by a goaltender in Division I hockey this season, while DeRidder's 48-save effort vs. Wisconsin ranks fourth.

• DeRidder owns three of the top 10 single-game save performances in the Big Ten this season. He had 48 and 40 in games vs. Wisconsin (Nov. 19-20), as well as 41 vs. Ohio State (Oct. 29). Jared Moe of Wisconsin is the only other with three 40+ save performances, and MSU has four total in the top 21.

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Players Mentioned

Dennis Cesana

Pierce Charleson

Powell Connor

Jeremy Davidson

Adam Goodsir

David Gucciardi

Jagger Joshua

Tanner Kelly

Christian Krygier

Cole Krygier

Mitchell Lewandowski

Griffin Loughran

Erik Middendorf

Nash Nienhuis

Josh Nodler

Kristof Papp

Jesse Tucker