Minnesota vs. Michigan State Series Preview

We have reached the height of the college hockey season and are starting to see some really important games.

One of the biggest series we will see this weekend is going to be Minnesota vs Michigan State.

The No. 4 ranked Golden Gophers travel to East Lansing, MI to play the No. 2 ranked Spartans.

When these two teams played earlier in the season Michigan State took both games. A tie in game one led to the Spartans taking the win 4-3 in a shootout, and in game two the Spartans would come out victorious again by a score of 5-3.

Despite Michigan State's success this year, Minnesota has dominated the all-time series. The Golden Gophers have won 37 of the 59 matchups, while the Spartans have only won 13. Nine games have also ended in a tie.

Michigan State is coming off a series against rival Michigan. The Wolverines defeated the Spartans 3-2 in overtime in game one. Michigan State would rebound and win game two of the series 4-1 the next day.

Multiple players have led the Spartans’ success this season. The most obvious is Isaac Howard. Since coming over from Minnesota-Duluth, he has been great for Michigan State.

He has taken it to another level this year having 36 points in 24 games. He not only leads the Spartans but also leads the NCAA in points.

Alongside Howard have been Charlie Stramel and Daniel Russell. These three have made up the best line in college hockey this year and he shows as they are the top three in scoring for the Spartans

Stramel has 21 points, while Russell has 18.

Michigan State is solid in goal with two great options. Trey Augustine returned against Penn State two weeks ago and took a loss in his first game back in a shootout, but has been great all season.

He’s posted a .932 save percentage and a 1.97 goals against average in seventeen starts for Michigan State.

Behind him is another great option in Luca Di Pasquo who has not lost a game this season for the Spartans with a 7-0-0 record. His numbers look outstanding in his seven starts with a .933 save percentage and a 1.70 Goals Against Average.

Minnesota also offers two great options in net. Liam Souliere transferred from Penn State this year and has played great for the Golden Gophers.

He’s posted a .932 save percentage and a 1.78 goals against average.

Nathan Airey is the other option for Minnesota. He has not had as good of a season as Souliere but has posted a solid season with a .908 save percentage and 2.24.

Jimmy Snuggerud has been with the Golden Gophers for a long time and has been a great player for them. This season he has 33 points which leads the Gophers.

He won Big Ten First Star of the Week last week for his three-goal weekend against Notre Dame.

Connor Kurth has been another great player for Minnesota. He has 28 points on the season which puts him second on the team.

Matthew Wood has been another player who has shined for the Golden Gophers. He has 27 points this season

Minnesota split their last series against Notre Dame. They took game one by a score of 5-2 before falling to the Fighting Irish the next day 4-3 in overtime.

We will get to see many future NHL players in the lineups for both teams.

Both teams offer a high-powered offense and great goaltending.

It’s always a great game when two Big Ten teams plate each other.

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday at Ron Mason Rink at Munn Ice Arena.

Andrew Matz is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email atm5759@psu.edu