College Hockey Series Of The Week: No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 4 Minnesota

A huge college hockey series awaits us as these Top 10 teams will be clashing this upcoming weekend.

Both teams have been playing great hockey as of late, as both teams are in striking distance of a Big Ten crown.

Minnesota currently sits first in their conference, and holds a 13-2-1 record.

They’re yet to lose a conference matchup this season with a 5-0-1 record on home ice.

For the Golden Gophers, their leading goal scorer is Brody Lamb.

Lamb has 10 goals this season to go along with seven assists and 17 total points. He has been the primary option for the No. 4 team in the country.

Another key player for the Golden Gophers is St. Louis Blues draft pick Jimmy Snuggerud.

Snuggerud, who is ninth in Minnesota history for single-season points by a freshman (50), is currently leading the Golden Gophers in points with 20.

Minnesota has scored a lot of goals this season, and that comes from their 4.1 goals per game average.

Liam Souliere and Nathan Airey have been splitting time net-minding for the Golden Gophers. Souliere is 5-2-0 and has a .936 save percentage. Airey has an 8-0-1 record with a .906 save percentage.

Heading over to Michigan, they remain at No. 6 in the latest edition of the USCHO poll after splitting with No. 7 Western Michigan in a home-and-home series last weekend.

The Wolverines now sit at 10-3-1 on the season, as they are tied with Wisconsin for third in the Big Ten standings with 11 points, but have four games in hand over the Badgers as well as Minnesota, which has 17 points in six games.

Michigan is also undefeated in the conference with a 4-0-0 record, but have dropped a couple road games. That record is 5-1-1.

Both teams have similar stats in regards to the power play. Michigan's power play is at 25.5%, slightly higher than Minnesota's 24.6% conversion rate. The Wolverines' penalty-kill percentage is 83%, also better than Minnesota's 76.5%.

Michigan’s 3.64 goals per game ranks eighth in the nation and third in the Big Ten. Minnesota’s aforementioned 4.1 goals per game leads the conference.

Talented rookie forward Rookie Michael Hage leads the team with 17 points in 13 games, netting a team-high nine goals and eight assists and averaging 1.30 points per game.

Evan Werner is right behind him in points with 13. He has six goals and seven assists this season.

T.J. Hughes is also another star on the Wolverines to watch out for. He is carrying 12 points with five goals on seven assists. Hughes is also six points away from 100 total in his career.

Logan Stein and Korpi continue to split playing time in net. The graduate transfer has a 6-2 record with a .910 save percentage and a 2.45 goals-against average. Korpi is 4-1-1 with an .895 save percentage and a 2.82 GAA.

Both teams have produced quality numbers this season. This series will be a matter of who can step up in the big moments in this must-watch weekend showdown.

Ben Barker is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email bsb5566@psu.edu.