Week 10 Hockey Release
Photo courtesy of Ohio State Athletics
OFFICIAL RELEASE
• Six Big Ten teams hit the ice this week in the last action before a three-week holiday break. Five points separate the top four teams in the league standing with three series on the docket. In a renewal of college hockey’s most-played rivalry, No. 1/1 Michigan and No. 3/3 Michigan State square off for the 353rd and 354th meetings in a home-and-home set starting Friday in East Lansing. Michigan is the Big Ten’s highest scoring team (5.11 goals per game) while Michigan State features the conference’s top scoring defense (1.71 goals allowed per game). No. 2/2 Wisconsin, a point out of first, travels to Notre Dame for a pair of games to be streamed on Peacock. Wisconsin and Notre Dame have played to a 15-15-2 record over the last eight seasons, creating the only conference series that is currently tied. -/rv Ohio State returns to Value City Arena for the first time since Halloween, hosting Minnesota. The Gophers are coming off a 6-5 overtime win over No. 4/4 Denver in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game. Thursday’s season opener will be carried by the Big Ten Network, as will Friday’s contest as part of a BTN doubleheader also featuring Michigan and Michigan State.
• The Big Ten once again holds down the top three spots in the national polls with Michigan, Wisconsin and Michigan State ranking as the consensus No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 teams in the country respectively. Penn State remains at No. 9/9, giving the conference four entries in the top 10.
• Eleven players from the Big Ten have been named to the preliminary roster for the U.S. National Junior Team. Training camp will be held Dec. 15-23 in Duluth, Minn., with the final roster announced on Dec. 24. Team USA, directed by Minnesota Head Coach Bob Motzko along with Assistant Coach Steve Miller, will compete at the 50th IIHF World Junior Championship from Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in the Twin Cities. The Big Ten invitees are:
Michigan
Asher Barnett (D)
Will Horcoff (F)
Cole McKinney (F)
Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen (D)
Michigan State
Ryker Lee (F)
Shane Vansaghi (F)
Minnesota
LJ Mooney (F)
Brodie Ziemer (F)
Notre Dame
Nicholas Kempf (G)
Wisconsin
Logan Hensler (D)
Luke Osburn (D)
• Big Ten teams and players have found their way onto the NCAA statistical leaderboard as the season nears its mid-point. Michigan leads the country in scoring offense (5.11 gpg), assists (159), points (251), power play goals (23) and short-handed goals (7) while Wisconsin’s power play percentage (32.2) is tops in the country. Individually, Michigan’s Will Horcoff paces the NCAA in goals per game (1.00), game-winning goals (6) and is tied with Wisconsin’s Christian Fitzgerald for power play goals (7). Michigan’s Josh Eernisse owns an NCAA-best three short-handed goals. Trey Augustine of Michigan State is tied for the national lead with three shutouts and Penn State’s Matt DiMarsico is the hat trick co-leader with two on the season.
• Joe Pavelski, who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League with the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars, will be part of the 2025 induction class for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame on Dec. 10. Pavelski was a member of Wisconsin’s 2006 NCAA championship team and played on two U.S. Olympic teams.