Oct. 17, 2017
ROSEMONT, Ill. - Sophomore forward Denis Smirnov (Moscow, Russia) was named the Big Ten Conference Second Star of the Week after his performance in a weekend split at No. 7 Minnesota the conference office announced earlier Tuesday morning.
Smirnov is currently riding a three-game goal streak as he scored in each game this past weekend including the game-winning goal in Penn State's 3-1 victory on Friday night marking just the second victory in program history at 3M Arena at Mariucci. Smirnov added a lone assist on Friday as well for a three-point week.
The sophomore leads the team with three goals and three assists for six points. His three goals and six points rank tied for first and second in the conference, respectively. Smirnov's 53 career points are just three shy of tying Curtis Loik '16 for tenth in program history in just 43 games played.
This marks the first weekly accolade of the season for Smirnov after being recognized four times last season including a pair of First Star nods.
The eleventh-ranked Nittany Lions return home to Pegula Ice Arena this weekend for a pair of contests against American International College. Penn State will open its home slate on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. The contest will feature a brief pre-game ceremony to honor the 2017 Big Ten Tournament Champions and the first-ever NCAA Tournament team.
A few single-game tickets remain as well as verified resale tickets. Standing room only can also be purchased by calling 1-800-NITTANY.