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No. 1 Michigan State welcomes No. 3 Penn State to Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, MI for a two game series this weekend, Nov. 7-8.
Here is the weekend schedule and how to watch the men’s hockey series between Michigan State vs. Penn State:
Penn State and Michigan State are two of the nation’s top teams through five weeks of the men’s college hockey season. But how do the numbers stack up? Let’s break it down.
Penn State comes into the weekend with the sixth-best scoring offense in the country, scoring at a 4.10 goals per game pace through ten games. The Nittany Lions’ defense has been shaky at times, but it’s still ranked 22nd, giving up an average of 2.60 goals per game. Penn State is led by a pair of sophomore forwards in JJ Wiebusch and Charlie Cerrato, each tied for second in the nation with 18 points. Wiebusch is the leading goalscorer in the country coming into the weekend, scoring 11 goals in 10 games for a 1.10 goals per game average. His linemate Cerrato leads the nation with 14 assists as the pair have proven to be one of the most dangerous offensive duos in college hockey right now.
Michigan State also boasts a potent offense, sitting just a few spots behind Penn State at 10th with 3.83 goals per game. But the Spartans’ defense is where they really shine, coming in at No. 9 with 1.83 goals against per game. Michigan State’s leading scorer is Porter Martone, who has three goals and six assists for nine points in six games. Tommi Männistö is the Spartans’ leading goal scorer with five goals in six games.
Penn State
The Nittany Lions haven’t had a defined starter this season, instead rolling with a tandem of freshman Joshua Fleming and sophomore Kevin Reidler. Here’s how they stand through 10 games:
Michigan State
Junior Goaltender Trey Augustine has proven himself as the No. 1 guy in East Lansing, starting the majority of games for the Spartans so far this season, though freshman Melvin Strahl looked solid in his one appearance. Here are their stats through six games:
Michigan State tops the Week 5 USCHO rankings, earning 42 first place votes to hold the No. 1 spot for the third-straight week. The Spartans’ 5-1-0 record features just one hiccup in a 4-3 loss to unranked New Hampshire on Oct. 10, but two wins over then-No. 1 Boston University give MSU a major boost in the rankings.
Meanwhile, Penn State has steadily climbed its way into the top three, moving up one spot each week after falling to No. 6 in the Oct. 13 poll. The Nittany Lions’ one loss came in their home opener against Clarkson, where the unranked Golden Knights stole a 6-4 win at Pegula Ice Arena.
Below is the UCSHO poll for Week 5:
This weekend is the renewal of a storied rivalry between these Big Ten foes. Since Penn State made the jump to Division I in 2012-13, the Nittany Lions and the Spartans have played 50 times, with Penn State leading the overall series, 22-20-8. Penn State won the most recent matchup, 3-2 back on Feb. 22. Two of the last three meetings have ended in a tie with Penn State winning the shootout. Michigan State has the advantage in the 10 most recent matchups, going 5-1-4.
Below is a history of the previous 10 meetings between these conference rivals.
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