BIG TEN HOCKEY Weekend of 11.21/22
• Six Big Ten schools, with the exception of Notre Dame on a bye week, will play their last conference games for November when action unfolds this weekend. There is a three-way logjam at the top of the standings involving Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin. Penn State is a point behind in fourth place. Michigan State is the only undefeated team left in conference play (4-0-0), having captured 11 of a possible 12 points while outscoring their opponents, 14-3.
• Two of the teams tied for first place will square off when No. 1/1 Michigan State plays host to No. 7/8 Wisconsin in a top-10 battle. The Spartans own a 24-23-1 series edge dating to the 2013-14 season as the teams meet for the first time since their Wrigley Field encounter (MSU, 4-3, OT) in January. Adam Nightingale’s squad is currently riding a nine-game win streak. Wisconsin, when ranked in the top 10, is unbeaten over its last 10 games (8-0-2) versus No. 1-ranked teams.
• While the renewal of their gridiron rivalry is still a week away, No. 2/2 Michigan and Ohio State will clash on the ice this weekend in Ann Arbor. The schools split last season, 2-2-0, and crossed paths at the Frozen Confines at Wrigley Field, a 4-3 win by the Buckeyes. Michigan’s 70 goals leads the country and is the most after 14 games since the 1994-95 team lit the lamp 83 times. All of Ohio State’s losses this season have been by one goal, including two decided in overtime.
• No. 5/5 Penn State travels to Minnesota with Friday’s contest being carried nationally on FS1 and on TSN2 in Canada. The series will mark PSU’s last action for 2025 as Coach Guy Gadowsky’s team will be off from competitive action until Jan. 3. Freshman Gavin McKenna leads Big Ten rookies in scoring with 15 points (4 goals, 11 assists) and is tied for the national freshman lead. Minnesota, which swept its last conference series two weeks ago, has won six-straight against Penn State at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
• Big Ten schools have been involved in community outreach on many fronts this season. A sampling of recent events includes a Teddy Bear toss at Penn State on Saturday that collected 2,175 stuffed bears for donation to local charities. Minnesota will conduct its own Teddy Bear Toss on Saturday with all items gathered going to a local children’s hospital. Last Saturday was designated “Phil Night” at the Kohl Center as Wisconsin honored the late Phil Dzick, an avid supporter who started leading cheers at home games in the 1980s. Last Friday, Michigan State collected canned goods and non-perishables in support for the Greater Lansing Food Bank, and on the same night, Notre Dame hosted its annual Military Appreciation Night.
• Former Michigan State defenseman Duncan Keith was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Nov. 10. Keith, who played at MSU from 2001-03, scored a goal in his Spartan debut at the Cold War outdoor game which set a world hockey attendance record. Keith went on to play 17 seasons in the National Hockey League and won three Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks.
