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Craig Houtz

Men's Hockey Opens Second Half Slate at Michigan State


EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Nittany Lions look to keep their momentum as they take their three-game winning streak on the road against Michigan State on Sunday and Monday.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Dates: Sunday, January 3 | Monday, January 4
Place: Munn Ice Arena | East Lansing, Mich.
Time: SUN: 3 p.m. / MON: 3 p.m.
TV: BTN+
Streaming Video: Sunday | Monday
Listen: Sunday | Monday
Live Statistics: Live Stats
Game Notes: Penn State

PEGULA ICE ARENA FAN CUTOUTS

  • The Penn State Hockey season is going to be like no other. It's not going to be the same without the strength of all our fans cheering from the stands. As we prepare for the 2020 season, Penn State fans still have the opportunity to make their mark in Pegula Ice Arena by purchasing a fan cutout!
  • The cutouts are $45 and will be added to Pegula Ice Arena as purchased throughout the season. LINK TO BUY.

THIS WEEK'S MATCHUP

  • This week marks 31st and 32nd meetings in the all-time series with Penn State holding the 15-11-4 edge while the Spartans hold the slim 8-7-1 mark at Munn Ice Arena.
  • Following a two-year stretch from 2015-2017 where Penn State did not lose to the Spartans (7-0-1), MSU has evened the series a bit over the past three seasons with Penn State holding the slim 6-5-1 advantage. The two teams have split the season series the last two seasons following a three-year stretch where the Nittany Lions won the season series.
  • Only six current Nittany Lions have goals against Michigan State in their careers with only three players having multiple career goals against the Spartans. Senior Sam Sternschein leads all current Nittany Lions with four goals and three assists for seven points in 11 games. Classmate Alex Limoges has added two goals and four assists for six points in 12 career games against MSU.
  • In the first game back from holiday break Penn State is just 4-4-0 all-time but have won three-straight. The Nittany Lions are 5-7-2 in their first B1G series after break over the past seven seasons.

SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE

  • The Spartans were inconsistent in their first eight games of the season starting 2-0-1 then losing three-straight before closing the first half by taking four-of-six points at Notre Dame with a shootout loss and an overtime victory.
  • Michigan State lost four of its top six scorers from last season including leading scorer Patrick Khodorenko, however, they do return Mitchell Lewandowski who ranks second among active players in the Big Ten in career points (93) and goals (45) only behind Alex Limoges in both categories.
  • The Spartans are led by Bemidji State graduate transfer Charlie Combs with six points so far this season on a team high three goals and three assists. Sophomore Josh Nodler leads the team with six assists while Lewandowski has added a pair of goals and three assists for five points.
  • Drew DeRidder has been the lone goaltender to see action for the Spartans so far this season following the graduation of John Lethemon. DeRidder ranks second in the Big Ten and ninth nationally with a .940 save percentage this season and is also second in the Big Ten among goalies with multiple starts with a 1.96 goals-against average.
  • MSU has struggled with the man-advantage so far this season converting just two of 25 chances (8 percent) and have gone 0-for-10 in its last four games.
  • The Spartan penalty kill has fared much better ranking second in the Big Ten and 12th nationally at 84.8 percent (28-for-33).
  • Michigan State is just 1-2-1 at home this season after going 7-8-1 at Munn Ice Arena last season.

FULLY CHARGED

  • After going just 1-for-16 on the powerplay over the first five games of the season, including an 0-for-12 start, Penn State has regained its man-advantage swagger having scored at least one powerplay goal in three-straight contests going 6-for-11 in the process including a 4-for-6 mark against Michigan on December 3.
  • Following the hot stretch, the Nittany Lion powerplay currently stands at 25.9 percent (7-for-27) and has jumped from near the bottom nationally to 14th out of the 49 teams who have played games so far this season. Even with such a strong stretch with the man-advantage, Penn State still only ranks fourth out of the seven Big Ten teams.
  • Senior Alex Limoges has tallied a man-advantage goal in three-straight contests moving into a tie with Nikita Pavlychev '20 for second on the Penn State all-time powerplay goal list just one shy of four different Nittany Lions who share the record at 13.
  • Limoges' three powerplay goals this season lead the Big Ten and are tied for third nationally while his five powerplay points are tied for second in the conference and ninth in the nation.
  • For all the recent powerplay success, the penalty kill continues to struggle ranking last in the Big Ten and tied for 43rd nationally at just 70.8 percent (17-for-24). The Nittany Lions have allowed at least one man-advantage goal in six of their eight games played this season, granted the first six games of the season were against the teams with the seventh (Minnesota) and tied for eighth (Michigan and Wisconsin) best PP units in the country.

FREE HOCKEY!

  • In its last series before semester break against Arizona State, Penn State won back-to-back overtime contests for just the second time in program history and first since the 2017 Big Ten Tournament semifinal and final that each went to double-overtime.
  • It was just the seventh time in program history that Penn State has played in back-to-back overtime games and just the third time both games of a series have gone into an extra session and first time in four years. It also marked the first time ever PSU has won two overtime games in the same series.
  • The Nittany Lions' first-ever NCAA Division I series against AIC in 2012 saw both games decided in overtime with Penn State splitting the series with the Yellow Jackets while a 2016 non-conference series in South Bend also needed extra time in both games with the Nittany Lions tying the opening game before winning the series finale against the Irish on an Andrew Sturtz '20 goal.
  • Penn State is now 17-9-22 all-time in overtime contests including a perfect 3-0-4 during the 2015-16 season. The Nittany Lions are also now 3-1-2 in three-on-three overtime games with three-straight victories. The Nittany Lions are just 4-8 in games that advance all the way to a shootout.

B1G AL

  • Limoges leads all active Big Ten players in points with 112 for his career to rank third nationally. His 46 career goals are also the most among active players in the Big Ten and rank second nationally.
  • After a slow start against Minnesota in the season opening series, Limoges has registered at least one point in five of the last six games including four multi-point efforts and is currently riding a three-game goal/point streak.
  • During this hot streak, Limoges has slowly moved up the PSU record books and now ranks sixth on the all-time points and goals lists and fifth on the all-time assists list.

MAC ATTACK

  • Sophomore classmates Connor MacEachern and Connor McMenamin each scored the overtime game winning goals against Arizona State in Penn State's final games before the holiday break.
  • The goals were mirror images of each other during the 3-on-3 overtime frame as both right-handed shot forwards skated into the offensive zone, down the left wing and ripped absolute lasers short side over the blocker of Sun Devil net-minder Evan DeBrouwer and then celebrated near the Nittany Lion bench.
  • For MacEachern he is currently riding a career-best three-game point-steak with each game being a multi-point effort, the first three of his career. The sophomore is now tied for third on the team with six points this season while leading Penn State with five assists.
  • McMenamin has now scored two goals while adding two assists for four points this season and has registered four game-winning goals in his last 23 games played including a pair of overtime winners.

SOUL-Y MAN

  • Freshman Liam Souliere secured his first collegiate victory in the 5-4 overtime win against Arizona State to close out the first semester of play.
  • After allowing four first period goals, the freshman shut down the Sun Devils over the final 47:23 making 29-straight stops en route to a career-best 36 saves.
  • Souliere also picked up his first career apple with the lone assist on McMenamin's overtime game-winner. He is now the fourth different Nittany Lion net-minder to register a point.

COMEBACK KIDS

  • The Nittany Lions got in a hole early against Arizona State in its last game before the holiday break as the Sun Devils scored three goals on three shots in a 69 second span early in the first period.
  • The Nittany Lions never hung their heads coming all the way back to tie the contest just 4:21 into the second period and Penn State eventually won the game in overtime 5-4.
  • The three-goal comeback victory ties the largest comeback in program history and it was the first time Penn State has comeback from a three-goal deficit since January 23, 2015 against Northern Michigan.

NEXT UP

  • Penn State remains on the road as they face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Friday and Saturday as they open the second half of the season much like the first with four-straight road games in a one-week span.

For more information on the 2020-21 season presented by the Penn State Bookstore: the Official Bookstore of Penn State Athletics, visit the men's hockey page at GoPSUsports.com or call 1-800-NITTANY Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.