B1G POW-Minnesota, Ohio State and Wisconsin Capture Weekly Honors
Star Awards handed out to Scarfone, Airey and Eberly
First Star
Tommy Scarfone, Wisconsin
Sr. – G – Montreal, Quebec — RIT (NCAA)
- Made 26 saves in a 4-0 shutout win over top-ranked Michigan State on Dec. 6 in Madison, Wis.; moved into second place for wins (60) among active NCAA goalies
- Followed with 33 saves on Saturday, including four in overtime, in a 3-2 loss to the Spartans
- Finished the Big Ten series with a .952 save percentage (59-of-62) and 1.46 goals-against average
- The RIT transfer secures his first Big Ten weekly award
- Last Wisconsin First Star: Simon Tassy (First Star, Jan. 3, 2024)
Second Star
Nathan Airey, Minnesota
So. – G – Cochrane, Alberta – Cranbook (BCHL)
- Shutout the nation’s eighth-ranked scoring offense in Minnesota’s 6-0 win over No. 6/6 Michigan on Dec. 6 in Minneapolis, Minn.
- Made 32 saves and killed all three Wolverine power play opportunities in recording his first career shutout
- Remains unbeaten on the year with a 9-0-1 record
- The Minnesota letterwinner earns his first Big Ten Star accolade
- Last Minnesota Star recipient: Brody Lamb (Third Star, Dec. 3, 2024)
Third Star
Kristoffer Eberly, Ohio State
So. – G – Pinckney, Mich. — Green Bay (USHL)
- Allowed just two goals as No. 17/16 Ohio State earned a home sweep of Penn State in Big Ten action
- Opened the series with a 22-save shutout in the Buckeyes’ 4-0 win on Dec. 5
- Stopped 49-of-51 shots for a .961 save percentage and 1.00 goals-against average on the weekend
- The OSU Scholar-Athlete collects a Star Award for the first time
- Last Ohio State Star honoree: Riley Thompson (First Star, Nov. 19, 2024)
BIG TEN HOCKEY– News
• Big Ten Hockey teams take part in their last action before the holiday break with three conference series and a nonconference showdown on the docket this weekend. The top two teams in the USA Hockey/The Rink Live Poll clash as No. 3/2 Michigan State takes on No. 1/1 Minnesota at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The Golden Gophers, the lone undefeated team in Big Ten play, are the new No. 1-ranked team in the country after Michigan State held that distinction for the past two weeks. The series opener will be carried by the Big Ten Network. No. 8/8 Michigan plays host Wisconsin with Friday’s contest being the first game of a BTN doubleheader. Notre Dame encounters Ohio State in Columbus — Saturday’s game will be televised by BTN. Penn State meets Army in the inaugural Capital Hockey Classic on Thursday, taking place at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
• Minnesota ran its conference win streak to eight games by outscoring Michigan, 8-0, last weekend in Minneapolis. Nathan Airey (Friday) and Liam Souliere (Saturday) kept the visitors off the board as the Wolverines suffered back-to-back shutouts for the first time since the 1942-43 season. Defense reigned last week with four of six conference games producing shutouts. As a result, goaltenders swept Big Ten Three Stars of the Week accolades for just the fifth time in 232 weeks the awards have been issued.
• Michigan State’s nine-game win streak was halted in a 4-0 loss to Wisconsin Friday in Madison, marking the third-straight season the Badgers have defeated a No. 1-ranked team. The Spartans managed a split in the series with a 3-2 overtime win on Saturday. Wisconsin holds a 23-22-1 edge versus MSU dating to the first season of Big Ten Hockey in 2013-14.
• Michigan forward Michael Hage was named national Rookie of the Month on Dec. 5 by the Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA). A Mississauga, Ontario native, Hage led all NCAA rookies with a 1.43 points per game average in November, compiling five goals and five assists in seven games. He helped Michigan to a 7-1-0 record that included games against three ranked opponents. Hage is the highest-drafted player in the Big Ten this season after being selected in the first round (21st overall) by the Montreal Canadiens last summer.
• A total of six Big Ten alumni will take part in the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, a best-on-best international tournament scheduled for Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston. The United States squad will feature F Kyle Conner (Michigan, 2015-16), D Quinn Hughes (Michigan, 2017-19), F Dylan Larkin (Michigan, 2014-15), D Zach Werenski (Michigan, 2014-16) and D Brock Faber (Minnesota, 2020-23) while Finland’s roster will include F Erik Haula (Minnesota, 2010-13).
• Tickets for the Frozen Confines: Big Ten Hockey Series, taking place Jan. 3-4, 2025 at Wrigley Field, are on sale at Cubs.com/BigTenHockey. Tickets start at $15.
