When: 8 p.m. Saturday.
The place: Munn Ice Area in East Lansing.
TV: Massive Ten Community.
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HOW THE SPARTANS GOT HEREMichigan State hockey headed to first Massive Ten title sport after 2-1 residence win over OSU
Recreation notes: Hockeytown shall be relocated for an evening to East Lansing, because the state’s two Massive Ten groups go head-to-head for a convention title at Munn Ice Area. Michigan, the fourth seed, is searching for its third straight Massive Ten title, having knocked off the highest seed (Minnesota in Minneapolis) in every of the previous two seasons. Michigan State, the highest seed this season, is searching for its first title in 10 seasons of Massive Ten hockey play; the Spartans’ final convention event title got here in 2006 within the CCHA.
How way back was that? Star MSU goalie Trey Augustine was simply over a 12 months outdated when the Spartans lifted the Mason Cup at Joe Louis Area. After all, Augustine, the All-Massive Ten second-teamer, was the youngest netminder within the convention this season, posting a 2.86 goals-against common and a .919 save share. That included stopping 37 of 38 pictures in final week’s semifinal victory over Ohio State.
The Spartans have one other star freshman on the blueline, with Artyom Levshunov of Belarus making first-team All-Massive Ten and incomes the nod because the league’s high freshman. He’s anticipated to be a top-10 decide on this summer time’s NHL draft after posting 9 objectives and 23 assists in 37 video games this season.
Not that the Wolverines are missing in awards: U-M positioned three gamers on the All-Massive Ten first group — defenseman Seamus Casey, ahead Rutger McGroarty (U-M’s captain) and ahead Gavin Brindley, who additionally nabbed Participant of the Yr along with his 24 objectives and 27 assists in 36 video games.
This would be the fifth sport this season between the Spartans and Wolverines, with MSU successful the previous three. However these had been at Yost Ice Area in Ann Arbor and Little Caesars Area in Detroit. The Wolverines received the lone sport performed at Munn, 7-1, in January in a penalty-filled brawl.
There’ll be extra hockey subsequent week for each squads, no matter tonight’s final result, because the Spartans and Wolverines are assured spots within the NCAA event, whose 16-team area shall be launched Sunday evening; Michigan State might seize a 1-seed with a win and a few assist from different conferences however received’t fall beneath a 2-seed. The Wolverines appear prone to seize a 3-seed when the groups are despatched packing at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU; the regionals are set for Maryland Heights, Missouri; Windfall, Rhode Island; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Springfield, Massachusetts.
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