Spartans Open Four-Game Homestand Against Notre Dame

Michigan State (11-18-1, 5-15-0 B1G) vs. [12/11] Notre Dame (21-9-0, 13-7-0 B1G )
Dates/Times	Friday, Feb. 18, 7 pm \| Saturday, Feb. 19, 7 pm
Location	Munn Ice Arena, East Lansing, Mich.
Tickets	Spartan Ticket Office Ph: 517-355-1610 \| Gameday Answers
Promotions	Friday: Love Your Melon / MSUFCU Night
Radio	Spartan Media Network *Games air live on WJIM 1240 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 \| Notre Dame
Press Conference	Watch The Coach Cole Press Conference
Social Media	Facebook Twitter Instagram
Game Program	Download this week's digital game program

Effective January 1, 2022, Michigan State athletics will require spectators at all indoor athletic events to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the event.
Michigan State's indoor mask mandate remains in effect for all home athletic events.
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WEEKEND PARTICULARS
• Michigan State returns home for the final four games of the regular season, and hosts No. 12/11 Notre Dame on Friday and Saturday.

• A webstream for both games will be available on B1G+.

• 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 NOTRE DAME SERIES
• The Spartans lead Notre Dame in the all-time meetings of the teams by a 66-54-15 margin, and are 37-21-5 in games played in East Lansing.

• MSU split the December games with the Irish in South Bend and was 1-2-1 against Notre Dame last season. Over the last 10 games, the record between the teams is 4-3-3 in favor of MSU, with five of the games going to overtime.

• In December, the Irish came back from an early 2-0 deficit to post a 3-2 victory on Friday before the teams skated through a scoreless regulation on Saturday. Mitchell Lewandowski played the role of OT hero, scoring the game-winner. Dennis Cesana and Tanner Kelly had the MSU goals on Friday, with Pierce Charleson making 25 saves. Drew DeRidder made 30 stops in Saturday's OT shutout, and also had an assist on Lewandowski's game-winner. (previous series box scores on pp. 44-47)

• Lewandowski is MSU's leading scorer against the Irish, with a 4-4--8 scoring line in 20 games. Dennis Cesana is 2-6--8 in 16 games, while Josh Nodler has 1-4--5 in 10 contests. Drew DeRidder has played six games against the Irish all-time, with a .958 save percentage and 1.46 GAA.

• Jeff Jackson is in his 17th season at Notre Dame, after six years as a head coach at Lake Superior State (1990-96). He won a pair of National Championships at LSSU (1992, 1994), and had the Irish in the NCAA title game in 2008 and 2018.

• Notre Dame has won four of its last five games, and split last weekend's series at Wisconsin (3-5, 3-2).

TEAM NOTES
• MSU Is looking to snap a 10-game skid which dates back to the start of the 2022 portion of the schedule. The Spartans have lost home series to Minnesota and Ohio State, road pairs at Wisconsin and Minnesota and most recently to Michigan at Yost and Little Caesars Arena.

• MSU went 5-7-0 in the first half of Big Ten play, suffering two losses to Minnesota and Michigan, sweeping Wisconsin, and splitting with Ohio State, Penn State, and Notre Dame. The Spartans sit in seventh place in the Big Ten standings with 14 points, three points behind Wisconsin and Penn State, which are tied for fifth.

• The Spartans will play the final two B1G series of the year at home, hosting Notre Dame this weekend, and Penn State (Feb. 25-26). MSU's last home game was on January 22 against Ohio State, putting nearly a month between home dates for the Spartans.

• With a 7-7-0 mark at Munn Ice Arena, the Spartans have as many wins at home as MSU has earned in any of the last three seasons. MSU won seven home games in both 2018-19 and 2019-20, and just five in 2020-21.

• The Spartans last had double-digit victories in their home rink in 2011-12, winning nine home games in 2013-14 and 2014-15 and eight in 2012-13 and 2017-18.

• MSU's strength of schedule (through 2/13) is rated as the ninth toughest among Division I teams. MSU's strength of schedule ranks seventh nationally overall. The seven Big Ten schools all occupy top-26 spots in the overall SOS rankings in Division I.

• The Spartans are 7-5 in one-goal contests and 2-4 in two-goal games - and four of those six had an empty-net goal for the final margin. Ten of MSU's last 16 games were either one- or two-goal efforts.

• MSU is 7-2-0 when scoring three or more goals and is 4-14-1 when held to two or less. Meanwhile, the Spartans are 7-0-1 when allowing two goals or fewer.

• MSU's power play is at .220, converting on 20 of 91 chances to rank second in the Big Ten and 18th nationally. MSU had its best weekend of the season on the power play against Michigan, scoring four times on eight chances. MSU had been 2-for-20 with a man advantage over the first eight games of 2022.

• The Spartan penalty kill (.815, 97-119) is fourth in the Big Ten and 30th among D1 programs. MSU was 14-for-15 (.933) against Ohio State (1/21-22) and Minnesota (2/4-5), but surrendered four power play markers (and two shorthanded tallies) to Michigan last weekend.

• MSU's scoring offense is at 2.23 goals per game. Since the start of 2022 the Spartans have 19 goals in 10 contests (1.90), but five of those 19 came last weekend against the Wolverines.

• MSU has surrendered 1,121 shots on net, the second-most in the country behind Mercyhurst, which has also played 30 games.

• MSU ranks second behind Wisconsin (15.41) in the Big Ten in blocked shots (14.23 per game). The Spartans had 33 blocks in last weekend's series against Michigan, the third highest total in a series this weekend behind the two series vs. Wisconsin in November (35) and January (34).

• With an average of 12.80 penalty minutes per game, the Spartans rank second in the B1G (14th nationally). MSU has had more penalty minutes than its opponent just 14 times in 30 games this season.

• In nine of MSU's 11 wins, the game-winner has come in the third period or later. In seven of the nine, 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. MSU's last two wins came in OT: at Notre Dame and at home against Michigan Tech in the GLI.

• Danton 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 (529-464-60).

• MSU ranks ninth in overall average attendance among Division I hockey programs, welcoming 75,012 fans over 12 home dates. Its 5,358 average attendance ranks seventh nationally.

• MSU has a pair of alums in Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Justin Abdelkader is an alternate for Team USA, and is representing the US for the fifth time in his hockey career: he played for the US in the 2016 World Cup and the 2012 and 2014 World Championships, as well as capturing a bronze medal at the 2007 World Junior Championships. Meanwhile, blueliner Jake Chelios will be a member of Team China - China will utilize the roster of Kunlun Red Star, a Beijing-based entry in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for which Chelios is in his third professional season.

PLAYER NOTES - FORWARDS
• MSU shook up its forward lines between games of the first series in 2022 (vs. Minnesota 1/8-9), and it gave the newly-formed top line a bit of a jump start. Erik Middendorf and Jeremy Davidson are centered on that line by freshman Jesse Tucker. The trio has seven goals and 14 assists in the nine games since its formation.

• Jeremy Davidson had three assists in last weekend's Michigan series, and has established career bests in all offensive categories. He leads MSU in goals (10), points (21), and power play markers (4, third B1G), and ranks second in assists (11).

• Davidson has at least one point in each of the team's last four games, the longest active point-scoring streak on the team. Twice this season he has tallied a point in five consecutive games.

• Jesse Tucker is the team's top-scoring freshman with two goals and 17 assists and ranks second on the team in points. He is MSU's leader and ranks seventh in the Big Ten in assists per game (0.57).

• Tucker was held off the scoreboard in the Michigan series, but had points in six of the previous seven MSU games and four points in the previous three (1-3--4). He has 11 points in his last 12 games after eight points in his first 18 collegiate contests.

• Erik Middendorf has four goals and two assists in his last nine games. He is second on the team in goals (9) and fourth in points (9-6--15). With four game-winning goals this season to his credit, the junior ranks seventh nationally in that category.

• Middendorf has established career bests in all offensive categories. His freshman season at Colorado College, he had a 7-4-11 scoring line.

• Freshman Tanner Kelly scored his first collegiate goal in December at Notre Dame, and has appeared in 28 of 30 MSU contests this season. He has scored three goals.

• Josh Nodler centers the line with Kelly on the right and Jagger Joshua on the left. Nodler ranks fifth on the team among forwards in points (5-7--12) and has won 53% of his faceoffs on the year (260-223, 10th B1G), including a 21-11 record in the Michigan series (65.6%). He has taken the fifth-most draws of any centerman in the league (483)

• Nodler has established new career bests with five goals and surpassed his career-best output with 12 points. He also has earned career bests in power play goals (3), and doubled his penalty minutes (2-for-4).

• Joshua, one of the team's top defensive forwards, has earned time on the power play in addition to his penalty kill duties. He had a goal and an assist in the Michigan series and owns a 2-5--7 scoring line. He ranks second on the team in penalties (18) and leads the squad in penalty minutes (60). He has 24 blocked shots this season, the most among forwards.

• Kristof Papp has more than tripled his freshman season offensive output (0-4--4) with a 2-11--13 scoring line in 2021-22. He had a goal and an assist in the Michigan series.

• Papp has won better than 60% of his draws (61.5%, 233-146) and leads the Big Ten in faceoff winning percentage. He ranks sixth among Division I centermen in faceoff winning percentage, (minimum of nine faceoffs taken per game). Papp went 27-14 (.659) at the dot in the Michigan series.

• Nicolas Muller has a 1-4--5 scoring line in 2021-22, and is second among MSU forwards with 20 blocked shots.

• AJ Hodges has skated in 26 of 30 games this season, and has earned three assists in those games. He surpassed the two assists he had last year as a freshman.

• MSU's fourth line features senior Mitchell Mattson flanked by classmate Adam Goodsir on the left and sophomore Kyle Haskins on the right.

• Goodsir has played in all 28 games this season, and scored his first goal of the season at Wisconsin (1/15). He has blocked 18 shots, a total which ranks third among Spartan forwards.

• Mattson has a goal and two assists on the year. He was 13-6 on faceoffs in the most recent Michigan series, and owns 13 blocked shots.

• Haskins has skated in 21 games, and has one assist and 11 blocked shots.

• Fifth-year senior and active career leading scorer Mitchell Lewandowski has yet to skate in a game in 2022. A player who never missed a game (135 consecutive games played) in his first four seasons, he has missed 15 games with injury this year.

• Lewandowski has skated in just 15 games, but owns a 7-11--18 scoring line and remains a squad-best +11. He had 11 points (4-7--11) in the 10 games after an early-season five-game injury hiatus, but has not played in a game since the GLI.

• Lewandowski ranks sixth among active Division I players in career points (120), and goals (56), seventh in game-winners (12), and eighth in power play goals (20) in 150 career games.

• Griffin Loughran owns a 3-9--12 scoring line with a pair of power-play markers. With 84 career points, he is for second among active Spartan players (38g, 46a). He skated in his 110th career game on Jan. 7 vs. the Gophers, but has not played since the second semester began.

PLAYER NOTES - DEFENSEMEN
• Eight of MSU's 15 points in the Michigan series came from defensemen, including three of the five goals.

• Nash Nienhuis had a hand in all five Spartan goals against the Wolverines, with a pair of goals and three assists. He had a career-best two goals and one assist in the game at Little Caesars Arena.

• Nienhuis owns a 3-10--13 scoring line this year, and has more than doubled his freshman year point total (6). He has skated in all 30 games, is second on the team among blueliners in scoring, and has 25 blocked shots.

• Senior captain Dennis Cesana ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 26th nationally in blocked shots (48), his career best. He recorded a goal and two assists against the Wolverines last weekend. He is fifth among Spartans in points (14) and has tied his career best with seven goals on the season.

• Cesana has been one of the Big Ten's top-producing defensemen over his career, skating in 129 career games and has compiled a 19-51--70 scoring line. He earned Preseason Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors this fall.

• Cole Krygier has surpassed his career-best point total (11), posting four goals and seven assists. He has surpassed his scoring line he posted in all of 2019-20 (3-3--6) and has compiled 41 penalty minutes and 44 blocked shots..

• Christian Krygier has doubled his single-season career best points total with a 2-5--7 scoring line, scoring on a breakaway in the first game of the Minnesota series (2/4). He has 41 blocked shots, ranked third on the team behind Cesana and his brother.

• Both Krygier twins scored in the first game at Penn State (12/3), marking the first time in their Spartan careers that they lit the lamp in the same game.

• Sophomore Aiden Gallacher has appeared in 26 games for MSU this season after skating in 25 as a freshman. He has a 1-1--2 scoring line and tallied his first collegiate goal at home against Ferris State (11/11), and has 21 blocked shots.

• David Gucciardi has four goals and six assists for 10 points on the season, with 38 blocked shots. He ranks fourth among defensemen on the team in points and is tied for second in goals.

• Powell Connor has earned significant time as the season has worn on. He has played in 22 games for MSU and is fifth among Spartans with 31 blocked shots.

• Five of MSU's seven regular defensemen average at least one blocked shot per game, compiling between 21-48 blocks on the year. In addition, four of the six (non-freshmen) have posted career bests in points (both Krygiers, Nienhuis, and Gallacher) and both Krygiers, Cesana, and Nienhuis have career-topping goal numbers.

PLAYER NOTES - GOALTENDERS
• MSU has split its goaltending duties in nine of 15 weekends this season. Drew DeRidder played both games against Michigan.

• Drew DeRidder is fourth in the B1G and is eighth nationally with 709 saves, his average of 33.76 is first both in the league and among Division I goaltenders. He ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 14th nationally in save percentage (.923).

• DeRidder's two shutouts are the second-most in the Big Ten behind Jakub Dobes of Ohio State, who has three.

• DeRidder stopped 61 shots in the most recent series against Michigan.

• DeRidder not only earned both of MSU's OT wins in the crease this season, but picked up assists on the game-winning goals in each contest.

• In his career, DeRidder's .921 save percentage ranks 17th among active Division I netminders, and his 2,043 saves ranks 11th.

• Pierce Charleson averages 35.33 saves per game. He is the only goaltender in the country with two 50+ - save efforts this season: he stopped 50 at Penn State (12/4) and a career-best 54 vs. Minnesota at home (1/8). His effort against the Gophers is the most saves for a Division I netminder in a game this season, and his 50 saves against the Nittany Lions ranks in a tie for fourth.

• Charleson last start came in the Friday game at Minnesota (2/4) and he made 36 stops, including 14 in the first period and 17 in the second. In two games against the Gophers this season, he's made 80 saves.

• In nine starts this season, Charleson owns a 3.58 GAA, .909 save percentage, and 3-6 record. He made three starts and appeared in seven games for Michigan State in the crease last season as a freshman, and 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

Aiden Gallacher

Adam Goodsir

David Gucciardi

Kyle Haskins

Jagger Joshua

Tanner Kelly

Christian Krygier

Cole Krygier

Mitchell Lewandowski

Griffin Loughran

Mitchell Mattson

Erik Middendorf

Nash Nienhuis

Josh Nodler

Kristof Papp

Jesse Tucker