2018-19 Men's Ice Hockey Roster
Jersey Number 22
Dennis Cesana
- Position:
- D
- Height:
- 5-9
- Weight:
- 189
- Class:
- Freshman
- Hometown:
- Providence, R.I.
- Prev School:
- Brooks Bandits (AJHL)
Bio
CAREER CAPSULE: Twice earned All-Big Ten honors (second team as a sophomore,honorable mention as a junior) ... Three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree ... Appeared in 135 career games in Green and White, with 20 goals and 73 points, 66 penalty minutes, and 130 blocked shots ... Signed with the Florida Panthers/Charlotte Checkers after the completion of his senior season.
2021-22 (Senior): Earned the Dr. John Downs Outstanding Defensive Player Award and was also the team’s Outstanding Senior Award recipient ... Academic All-Big Ten selection ... Scored a career-best eight goals and had a 8-8--16 stat line in his final collegiate season, with career bests of 52 blocked shots (10th, B1G) and three power play markers ... Scored a highlight-reel goal in the second game of the Air Force Series (10/9) ... Posted a pair of assists in the opening game vs. Miami (10/9) ... Had seven blocked shots in the Michigan series (11/5-6), the most in a two-game series this season ...Blocked three shots in MSU’s home win over Ferris (11/11) and had a goal, an assist, and one block in the road tilt (11/13) ... Scored his third goal of the season in a victory over Wisconsin (11/20) ...Had a goal and an assist in a split at Penn State (12/3-4) ... Assisted on Mitchell Lewandowski’s OT game-winner at Notre Dame and had a goal of his own the previous night (12/10-11) ... Had five combined blocked shots in the GLI vs. Western Michigan and Michigan Tech (12/29-30) ... Scored a goal against Wisconsin and blocked four shots in the series (1/14-15) ... Scored a goal and added a pair of assists in the Michigan series (2/11-12) ... Had one assist in the Notre Dame series at home (2/18-19) ... Scored a power play goal in the first B1G quarterfinal game at Michgan (3/4) ...2020-21 (Junior): All-Big Ten honorable mention … Had a team-high 10 assists, which tied for seventh most among the league’s defensemen … His 12 points ranked second on the team … Academic All-Big Ten … Had points in three straight games from Dec. 4-20, which included a goal vs. Minnesota (Dec. 4) and assists in both games of tie and win at Notre Dame (Dec. 19-20) … Had a season-high two assists in a win over Penn State (Jan. 4) … Assisted on Josh Nodler’s game-winning goal in the third period of a 3-2 win over No. 9 Michigan (Jan. 9) … Had assists in back-to-back games vs. Wisconsin (Jan. 30) and Arizona State (Feb. 14) … Scored in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal OT loss to Minnesota (March 14).
2019-20 (Sophomore): Voted to the All-Big Ten Second Team … Academic All-Big Ten … Ranked second on the team in points with 22, which was third most among all Big Ten defensemen … His 15 assists were second most on the team, while his career-high seven goals tied for second among the league's blueliners … Tied for second on the team and first among B1G defensemen in power-play goals with three … Scored his first goal of the season in a win at Northern Michigan (10/11) … Had his first of five multi-point games on the year with a goal and assist vs. No. 4 Cornell (11/1) ... Picked up a goal and assist at No. 6 Penn State (11/9) ... Assisted on Sam Saliba’s game-winning goal in the third period vs. No. 3 Notre Dame (11/23) ... Had two assists, including on the overtime game-winner, in a 5-4 win vs. No. 19 Wisconsin (12/6) ... Assisted on Mitchell Lewandowski’s overtime winner vs. No. 15/16 Arizona State (12/15) … Tied a career high with three points (1g, 2a) against Ferris State (12/31), earning a spot on the GLI All-Tournament team ... Had two assists in the 4-2 win over No. 9 Penn State (1/24) ... Scored the first (power play) of three MSU goals in the third period in a 4-2 win at Minnesota (2/8) ... Had points (1g, 1a) in both games vs. Michigan (2/14, 17) to extend his point streak to a season long three games … Scored his first-career game-winning goal in a 3-1 win at Notre Dame (2/28) and picked up an assist the following night in a tie with the Irish.
2018-19 (Freshman): Voted to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team … Led all Big Ten rookies in assists (21) and was second in points (24) … Voted the winner of the team’s outstanding rookie award … His 21 assists were sixth most among all freshmen nationally and second among defensemen … His 24 points were the most by a Spartan freshman defenseman since Jeff Petry had the same amount in 2007-08 … Only Spartan freshman to play in all 36 games … Recorded seven multi-point games, including three three-point games … Recorded his first-collegiate goal and added an assist in the Spartans’ 5-2 win over Cornell (10/26) … Had his first two-assist game at ASU (11/9) … Tallied an assist on Mitch Lewandowski’s game-winning goal in the third period vs. Michigan (11/30) ... Had two three-point games in a week, the first of which came vs. LSSU (12/31) with a goal and two assists, earning a spot on the GLI All-Tournament Team … Recorded two assists and then scored the game-tying goal with 47 seconds left in a 7-7 tie with Ohio State (1/4) … Had his third three-point game of the season with three assists in a win over Minnesota (1/19) ... Picked up two assists in the Spartans’ 4-1 victory over Wisconsin (2/1) … Had two assists in the series vs. Michigan (2/8-9) ... Had his seventh multi-point game of the season with two assists in a 3-2 win at Ohio State (3/2) ... Got his first-collegiate point with an assist on Taro Hirose’s goal vs. NMU (10/13).
Prior to MSU: Ranked fourth among all players and first among defensemen in the AJHL in points with 75 points in 60 regular-season games in 2017-18 … Had a league-high 61 assists – 14 more than any other player – in his second season playing for the Brooks Bandits … Fifteen if his assists came on the power play, which was third best in the league … Recorded 12 points (4g, 8a) in 15 playoff games to end the season … Team captain … Produced 52 points (12g, 40a) in 59 games for Brooks in 2016-17, which ranked second among all defensemen in the AJHL … His 40 assists were 12th most in the league … Recorded 16 points (6g, 10a) in 13 playoff games in helping lead the Bandits to the 2017 AJHL’s Centennial Cup title … Played for Kimball Union Academy and the Boston Jr. Bruins Selects U18 team in 2015-16 … Had 34 points (7g, 27a) in 35 games for Kimball Union and then eight points (4g, 4a) in 14 games for the Jr. Bruins … Also played for Kimball Union in 2013-14 and 2014-15.
Personal: Born April 4, 1998 in Providence, Rhode Island … Son of Dennis and Barbara … Father, Dennis, played hockey at RPI … Lists former Spartan defenseman Torey Krug as his favorite NHL player and the Boston Bruins as his favorite NHL team … His dad is his biggest hockey influence because “he coached me from the time I was 2 until I was 12.”
2021-22 (Senior): Earned the Dr. John Downs Outstanding Defensive Player Award and was also the team’s Outstanding Senior Award recipient ... Academic All-Big Ten selection ... Scored a career-best eight goals and had a 8-8--16 stat line in his final collegiate season, with career bests of 52 blocked shots (10th, B1G) and three power play markers ... Scored a highlight-reel goal in the second game of the Air Force Series (10/9) ... Posted a pair of assists in the opening game vs. Miami (10/9) ... Had seven blocked shots in the Michigan series (11/5-6), the most in a two-game series this season ...Blocked three shots in MSU’s home win over Ferris (11/11) and had a goal, an assist, and one block in the road tilt (11/13) ... Scored his third goal of the season in a victory over Wisconsin (11/20) ...Had a goal and an assist in a split at Penn State (12/3-4) ... Assisted on Mitchell Lewandowski’s OT game-winner at Notre Dame and had a goal of his own the previous night (12/10-11) ... Had five combined blocked shots in the GLI vs. Western Michigan and Michigan Tech (12/29-30) ... Scored a goal against Wisconsin and blocked four shots in the series (1/14-15) ... Scored a goal and added a pair of assists in the Michigan series (2/11-12) ... Had one assist in the Notre Dame series at home (2/18-19) ... Scored a power play goal in the first B1G quarterfinal game at Michgan (3/4) ...2020-21 (Junior): All-Big Ten honorable mention … Had a team-high 10 assists, which tied for seventh most among the league’s defensemen … His 12 points ranked second on the team … Academic All-Big Ten … Had points in three straight games from Dec. 4-20, which included a goal vs. Minnesota (Dec. 4) and assists in both games of tie and win at Notre Dame (Dec. 19-20) … Had a season-high two assists in a win over Penn State (Jan. 4) … Assisted on Josh Nodler’s game-winning goal in the third period of a 3-2 win over No. 9 Michigan (Jan. 9) … Had assists in back-to-back games vs. Wisconsin (Jan. 30) and Arizona State (Feb. 14) … Scored in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal OT loss to Minnesota (March 14).
2019-20 (Sophomore): Voted to the All-Big Ten Second Team … Academic All-Big Ten … Ranked second on the team in points with 22, which was third most among all Big Ten defensemen … His 15 assists were second most on the team, while his career-high seven goals tied for second among the league's blueliners … Tied for second on the team and first among B1G defensemen in power-play goals with three … Scored his first goal of the season in a win at Northern Michigan (10/11) … Had his first of five multi-point games on the year with a goal and assist vs. No. 4 Cornell (11/1) ... Picked up a goal and assist at No. 6 Penn State (11/9) ... Assisted on Sam Saliba’s game-winning goal in the third period vs. No. 3 Notre Dame (11/23) ... Had two assists, including on the overtime game-winner, in a 5-4 win vs. No. 19 Wisconsin (12/6) ... Assisted on Mitchell Lewandowski’s overtime winner vs. No. 15/16 Arizona State (12/15) … Tied a career high with three points (1g, 2a) against Ferris State (12/31), earning a spot on the GLI All-Tournament team ... Had two assists in the 4-2 win over No. 9 Penn State (1/24) ... Scored the first (power play) of three MSU goals in the third period in a 4-2 win at Minnesota (2/8) ... Had points (1g, 1a) in both games vs. Michigan (2/14, 17) to extend his point streak to a season long three games … Scored his first-career game-winning goal in a 3-1 win at Notre Dame (2/28) and picked up an assist the following night in a tie with the Irish.
2018-19 (Freshman): Voted to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team … Led all Big Ten rookies in assists (21) and was second in points (24) … Voted the winner of the team’s outstanding rookie award … His 21 assists were sixth most among all freshmen nationally and second among defensemen … His 24 points were the most by a Spartan freshman defenseman since Jeff Petry had the same amount in 2007-08 … Only Spartan freshman to play in all 36 games … Recorded seven multi-point games, including three three-point games … Recorded his first-collegiate goal and added an assist in the Spartans’ 5-2 win over Cornell (10/26) … Had his first two-assist game at ASU (11/9) … Tallied an assist on Mitch Lewandowski’s game-winning goal in the third period vs. Michigan (11/30) ... Had two three-point games in a week, the first of which came vs. LSSU (12/31) with a goal and two assists, earning a spot on the GLI All-Tournament Team … Recorded two assists and then scored the game-tying goal with 47 seconds left in a 7-7 tie with Ohio State (1/4) … Had his third three-point game of the season with three assists in a win over Minnesota (1/19) ... Picked up two assists in the Spartans’ 4-1 victory over Wisconsin (2/1) … Had two assists in the series vs. Michigan (2/8-9) ... Had his seventh multi-point game of the season with two assists in a 3-2 win at Ohio State (3/2) ... Got his first-collegiate point with an assist on Taro Hirose’s goal vs. NMU (10/13).
Prior to MSU: Ranked fourth among all players and first among defensemen in the AJHL in points with 75 points in 60 regular-season games in 2017-18 … Had a league-high 61 assists – 14 more than any other player – in his second season playing for the Brooks Bandits … Fifteen if his assists came on the power play, which was third best in the league … Recorded 12 points (4g, 8a) in 15 playoff games to end the season … Team captain … Produced 52 points (12g, 40a) in 59 games for Brooks in 2016-17, which ranked second among all defensemen in the AJHL … His 40 assists were 12th most in the league … Recorded 16 points (6g, 10a) in 13 playoff games in helping lead the Bandits to the 2017 AJHL’s Centennial Cup title … Played for Kimball Union Academy and the Boston Jr. Bruins Selects U18 team in 2015-16 … Had 34 points (7g, 27a) in 35 games for Kimball Union and then eight points (4g, 4a) in 14 games for the Jr. Bruins … Also played for Kimball Union in 2013-14 and 2014-15.
Personal: Born April 4, 1998 in Providence, Rhode Island … Son of Dennis and Barbara … Father, Dennis, played hockey at RPI … Lists former Spartan defenseman Torey Krug as his favorite NHL player and the Boston Bruins as his favorite NHL team … His dad is his biggest hockey influence because “he coached me from the time I was 2 until I was 12.”
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