B1G Title On The Line In Wisconsin Series

No. 6/6 Michigan State (21-8-3, 15-5-2 B1G) at No. 4/5 Wisconsin (24-8-2, 15-6-1 B1G)
Dates/Times	Friday, March 1, 2024; 8 pm CT/9 pm ET Saturday, March 2, 2024; 8 pm CT/9 pm ET
Location	Kohl Center \| Bag Policy/FAQ's
Tickets	Wisconsin Ticket Office
Radio	WJIM 1240 AM (Friday) \| WVFN 730 AM (Saturday) Listen Online: Click "Spartan Media Network" Scott Moore (pxp) and Rob Woodward (analysis)
Webstreams	BTN+ Friday \| Saturday
Live Statistics	Click Here
Game Notes	Michigan State \| Wisconsin
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THE ORIGINAL SIX
What you need to know about Spartan Hockey
Click "Game Notes " above to see the entire notes packet for the weekend.

• Michigan State heads to Madison, Wis. for its largest regular-season weekend in recent memory. MSU (49 points) and Wisconsin (47 points) both have an opportunity to clinch a Big Ten title - the Spartans need to claim two points to share the crown and three points to earn the title outright. Michigan State owns a slim edge in the all-time series with the Badgers, 66-63-4, which includes an MSU sweep in November, 4-2 and 3-2.

• MSU has scored 127 goals this season with scoring depth runing through all four forward lines, with every regular forward having at least 10 points. Despite being a top-six offense in the country, MSU does not have an individual in the national top 55 in points or in the top 30 in goals or assists. MSU has three 30-point scorers for the first time since the KHL line in 2018-19.

• On the year, MSU's power play unit ranks second in the Big Ten and third nationally at .277 (26-for-94). The Spartans have a power play goal in 21 of 32 games, including both against the Buckeyes last week. MSU's 3-for-4 effort in Saturday's win was its most power play goals in a game this season.

• Freshman Gavin O'Connell is the Big Ten's Third Star of the Week, leading the Conference in goals (3) and points (4) over last weekend's games. His 14 goals (T-ninth, B1G), and 11 assists puts him tied for seventh on the team in points (25). O'Connell's 14 goals is the most for a first-year player since Mitchell Lewandowski posted 19 in 2017-18, which is fifth all-time by a first-year player. He skates with Joey Larson (15-15-30) and Red Savage (10-16-26), which is MSU's top goal-producing trio and is tied for the team lead in points (81).

• The all-sophomore line of Karsen Dorwart centering Isaac Howard and Daniel Russell was MSU's highest producing line against Ohio State with a combined 3-6-9. On the year, the trio has a combined 31-50-81 scoring line. Howard had four points against OSU which included a power play goal and three-point night in Saturday's victory. He is MSU's only player at a point per game (8-22-30, 30 GP) and shares the team lead in both points (T-11th B1G) and assists (T-fifth, B1G). He owns career bests in all three offensive categories and has doubled his assist total from his 6-11-17 scoring line last year as a freshman. Dorwart is third on the team in goals (13, T-12 B1G) and fourth in points (29, T-15th B1G), while Russell (10-12-22) is among MSU's eight 20-point scorers, and was one of two 30-point players a year ago.

• Artyom Levshunov averages just below a point per game (8-22-30), and is fifth in the country and atop the B1G with a +24. He ranks in a tie for eighth among defensemen nationally in points, and fifth in goals, and second among first-year rearguards. In the B1G, Levshunov ranks in a tie for fifth overall in assists and for 11th in points. He is second among league freshmen in points, trailing only Penn State forward Aiden Fink (15-18-33). Levshunov MSU's first 30-point freshman blueliner since Jason Wooley tied MSU's all-time freshman defenseman scoring mark of 37 points in 1988-89. Wooley shares the mark with Pat Betterly (1974-75).

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Players Mentioned

Karsen Dorwart

Isaac Howard

Joey Larson

Artyom Levshunov

Gavin O'Connell

Daniel Russell

Red Savage