Fresh off a Halloweekend sweep over Ohio State, No. 3 Penn State travels to East Lansing to take on No. 1 Michigan State. The Nittany Lions will be in a battle of two top five teams for the first time
in program history. While Penn State’s 9-1 start has been bumpy at times, this is likely to be the first litmus test of where the team stands in the Big Ten.
How to Watch
Who: Michigan State Spartans
When: Friday, November 7 and Saturday, November 8
Where: Munn Ice Arena, East Lansing, MI
Times: 7pm (Friday), 4pm (Saturday)
TV: Big Ten Plus (both games)
Radio: Penn State Sports Network
Projected Lines
Matt DiMarsico-Charlie Cerrato-JJ Wiebusch
Gavin McKenna-Ben Schoen-Reese Laubach
Lev Katzin-Luke Misa-Shea Van Olm
Dane Dowiak-Nic Chin-DeGraves-Braedon Ford
Jackson Smith-Jarod Crespo
Nick Fascia-Mac Gadowsky
Carter Schade-Casey Aman
Josh Fleming
Kevin Reidler
Opponent Preview
Michigan State is coming off a bye week after starting the season 5-1. The Spartans dropped their season opener to New Hampshire but have been perfect since, including two road wins against a struggling- but uber-talented- Boston University. This weekend’s games mark the Spartans first home games since the opening series against New Hampshire.
Michigan State has 14 NHL Draft picks on its roster, by far the most of any team Penn State has faced this season. First-round selections Porter Martone (3 goals, 6 assists) and Charlie Stramel (3 goals, 3 assists) have had a strong start to the season. Tommi Mannisto leads the team with five goals so far. Thirteen different skaters have scored a goal for the Spartans, giving this roster a bevy of scoring options. Cayden Lindstrom is off to a bit of a slow start (1 goal, 1 assist), but like Gavin McKenna at Penn State, is likely to find his groove eventually. Michigan State is 10th in the NCAA in scoring (3.8 goals/game) and tied for 4th in shots on goal per game (38).
The Spartans boast a strong defense, led by senior Matt Basgall (2 goals, 3 assists). As a team, Michigan State allows only 23 shots on goal per game, good for 9th in the NCAA. Trey Augustine has been outstanding in his third season as the Spartans’ starting goaltender, posting a .923 save percentage and 1.78 GAA in his first five starts. Penn State has never scored more than three goals in a game against Augustine.
Michigan State is tied for 27th in the NCAA on the power play (21.1%) and tied for 20th on the penalty kill (83.3%). Penn State was able to crack open a tough Ohio State penalty kill last weekend, and the power play will need to stay hot for the Lions to win this series. Penn State (22.3 PIM/game) and Michigan State (20.2 PIM/game) are two of the three most penalized teams in the country. If trends hold, we will see plenty of man advantages for both teams.
News & Notes
- Penn State leads the all-time series 22-20-8.
- Penn State is 3-6-2 all-time against No. 1 ranked teams, including a regulation win against No. 1 Michigan State last February.
- Aiden Fink is out for the foreseeable future with an injury. While Penn State mustered a win in Columbus without him, Michigan State will be a far more difficult test.
Around the Big Ten
- Wisconsin swept Minnesota in regulation last weekend, placing the Badgers in an early tie for first place in the conference standings with Penn State.
- Michigan took five of six points from Notre Dame.
- Minnesota will host Notre Dame this weekend in what has suddenly become a must-win series for the struggling Gophers.
- Wisconsin will hit the road to face Michigan in a key series between two teams rebounding from disappointing 2024-25 seasons.
Key Games This Weekend
- No. 10 Wisconsin at No. 2 Michigan- Friday at 7pm (Big Ten Plus) and Saturday at 7pm (Big Ten Plus)
- No. 6 Maine at No. 13 UMass- Friday at 7pm (ESPN+)- Maine won Thursday’s game 6-2
- No. 9 Denver at No. 4 Western Michigan- Friday at 7pm and Saturday at 6pm
- No. 15 Providence vs. No. 11 UConn- Friday at UConn (7pm on ESPN+) and Saturday at Providence (7pm on ESPN+)
Prediction
Penn State’s 9-1 start has been more smoke and mirrors than I might like to admit. The depth scoring and defense have been inconsistent. Michigan State is certainly the team’s biggest test so far, and Munn Ice Arena is not an easy place to play. The defense will need to play its best games of the season for Penn State to win the series. Without Aiden Fink, the offense beyond the Cerrato line needs to pick up the pace.
As is often the case in hockey, goaltending will be the key. Arsenii Sergeev was able to steal two wins for Penn State in East Lansing last year. Josh Fleming and Kevin Reidler have been quietly solid in net for Penn State, but are they ready for this type of environment?
Michigan State 4-2, Penn State 4-3
