EAST LANSING, Mich. – The 5th-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions resume Big Ten play on the road with a weekend series against No. 17 Michigan State in East Lansing this Friday and Saturday.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Dates: Friday, January 13 | Saturday, January 14
Place: Munn Ice Arena | East Lansing, Mich.
Time: FRI: 7 p.m. | SAT: 7 p.m.
TV: FRI: N/A | SAT: B1G Network
Streaming Video: Friday | Saturday
Listen: Friday | Saturday
Live Statistics: Live Stats
Game Notes: Penn State | Michigan State
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUP
- This weekend marks the 41st and 42nd meetings all-time between the two programs with Penn State holding the 21-15-4 advantage, however, the Spartans are 10-9-1 against the Nittany Lions at Munn Ice Arena. The Nittany Lions have won eight of the last 13 meetings dating back to the start of the 2019-20 season, however, the teams have split the series in nine of the last 10 meetings including the series in Hockey Valley back in November as well as five-straight at Munn Ice Arena. The past three seasons in East Lansing Penn State has won the series opener with the Spartans following with a victory in the series finale.
- This marks just the third series all-time between the two teams with each program ranked in the top-20 as Penn State enters the weekend No. 5 and Michigan State No. 17. Prior to the series back in November at Pegula Ice Arena, the last time these teams met as ranked foes, on January 24-25, 2020, the series was split at Munn Ice Arena with the Spartans winning the opening game 4-2 before the Nittany Lions responded with a 2-1 victory in overtime the following night. Connor McMenamin scored the game-winning goal with the Spartans ranked 19th and Penn State ranked ninth.
- Michigan State enters the weekend with just one win in its last six conference games, however, the Spartans still sit fourth in the Big Ten standings and just two points back of Penn State in second. The Spartans have played the most conference games of all seven teams in the Big Ten with 14 entering the weekend.
- Senior Connor MacEachern leads all Nittany Lions with eight points on four goals and four assists in 14 career games against the Spartans while classmate Tyler Gratton has added five goals, with one in each game earlier this season including the game-winner on November 18 at Pegula Ice Arena, in 14 games against Michigan State.
- Junior Liam Souliere hasn't had the most success in his career against Michigan State posting a 2-2-0 record with a 3.72 goals-against average and an .860 save percentage in five starts.
- The Nittany Lions continued their winning ways in series openers over New Year's with a 6-1 victory to open the series against RIT as Penn State is now a perfect 11-0-0 in series openers this season. Penn State has also managed to right the ship quickly after a loss and haven't suffered back-to-back losses all season moving to a perfect 6-0-0 after suffering a loss.
- Following its sweep over RIT two weeks ago, Penn State concluded its non-conference schedule with a perfect 10-0-0 record marking the first time in program history the Nittany Lions turned in a clean sheet during non-conference play while surpassing the nine non-conference victories from a season ago for the most regular-season non-conference victories in program history.
- Entering the weekend, Penn State has faced a ranked opponent in 12 of its last 14 games posting a 7-5 record in those games.
- The Nittany Lions have won six of their last eight games since splitting with the Spartans back in mid-November.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE
- The Spartans enter the weekend having lost seven of their last eight games including five-straight after starting the season 11-4-1 including a 5-2-1 start in Big Ten play. MSU is just 1-5-0 in its last six conference games, but are still just two points behind Penn State for second in the Big Ten, however, Michigan State has played the most conference games among the seven teams with 14.
- Freshmen Karsen Dorwart and Daniel Russell pace the Spartans with seven goals, 13 assists and 20 points each. Nicolas Muller leads the team with 16 assists.
- Dylan St. Cyr has started 23 of the teams 24 games played this season posting an 11-11-1 record with a 2.61 goals-against average and .920 save percentage. His save percentage ranks fourth in the Big Ten and tied for 20th in the nation while his goals-against average ranks fourth in the conference.
- The Spartans are 8-4-0 at home this season and just 4-5-1 away from Munn Ice Arena.
- Like the Nittany Lions, Michigan State has struggled on the man-advantage this season ranking 38th in the nation at 17.3 percent including just a 1-for-17 clip over the last eight games and 0-for-10 in the last four, however, the penalty kill is tied for second in the conference and 23rd in the nation at 81.3 percent.
- Michigan State is third in the Big Ten and fourth in the nation averaging 34 shots per game trailing Penn State, Ohio State and Providence.
- Michigan State ranks fifth in the Big Ten and ninth in the nation so far this season with an average capacity of 5,438 per game.
DYNAMIC DEFENSE
- Following a 7-3 setback at the hands of the Spartans back in November, Penn State has only allowed more than three goals twice in the last eight games.
- The Nittany Lions rank second in the Big Ten behind Ohio State and 11th nationally allowing just 2.36 goals per game this season as opponents have scored just 52 goals in 22 games, a single goal more than the Buckeyes have allowed in the same number of games.
- Through 22 games last season Penn State was allowing 3.18 goals per game with opponents having scored 70 total goals.
- Penn State is a perfect 14-0-0 this season when allowing less than three goals.
LIGHT THE LAMP
- The Nittany Lions are third in the Big Ten and sixth in the nation averaging 3.73 goals per game. Penn State has regained its early season scoring touch having scored 17 goals in its last four games for a 4.25 average.
- With 5-2 and 6-1 victories over Notre Dame and RIT, respectively, Penn State reached the five-goal mark twice in the past four games after failing to do so in its previous 13 games after hitting that number in four of its first five games to start the season. The Nittany Lions are 6-0-0 this season when scoring five or more goals and 98-1-2 all-time when tallying five or more goals.
YOU'RE MY WONDERWALL
- Senior Kevin Wall was named the Big Ten First Star of the Week two weeks ago following a four-point weekend against then-No. 20 RIT.
- Wall is currently riding a career-best six-game point streak with four goals and five assists for nine points over the past six games. Wall's 11 goals and 20 points this season lead the team while ranking tied for fourth and tied for ninth, respectively, in the Big Ten. His 11 goals are tied for 18th nationally and just five shy of his career-best 16 from last season.
MAC ATTACK
- Senior Connor McMenamin has registered at least one point in four-straight games entering the weekend to tie his career-long point streak. The senior has also found the back of the net in three of the last four games marking the best stretch of his career. McMenamin's six goals this season tie his career high mark he last achieved as a sophomore in 2020-21 while his 18 points are already a new career-high surpassing the 16 he had last year.
SOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUL MAN
- Junior net-minder Liam Souliere currently leads the Big Ten and ranks second in the nation with his 15 wins, a mark good for the fifth-most in a single-season in Penn State history.
- Souliere's 2.10 goals-against average leads the conference and ranks 12th in the nation while his .923 save percentage is tied for second in the Big Ten and 10th in the nation.
LENDING A HAND
- Sophomore Ryan Kirwan is currently riding a four-game assist streak to tie his career-long. The sophomore has also registered at least one point in six of his last seven games after being a healthy scratch in game two of the series against Michigan State back in November.
- Kirwan is tied with Wall for the team lead in plus/minus at plus-18 this season to rank second in the Big Ten behind Minnesota's Jimmy Snuggerud and tied for fourth in the nation.
CONTROLLING THE DOT
- Penn State continues to lead the Big Ten in faceoff percentage while ranking fifth nationally winning 54.7 percent (769-for-1407).
- Senior Ture Linden leads Penn State with a 59.5 percent faceoff win percentage (231-for-380) to rank second in the Big Ten and 14th in the nation for true centermen who have taken more than 100 faceoffs this season. Linden's 247 faceoff wins are good for second in the Big Ten behind the national and tied for eighth in the nation.
NEXT UP
- Penn State returns home to conclude the season series with Notre Dame on Friday and Saturday. Saturday's contest will serve as the annual Wear White game.
For more information on the 2022-23 season presented by the Penn State Bookstore: 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.