The inaugural Big Ten Hockey Tournament kicks off on Thursday in Saint Paul at the Xcel Energy Center, home of the NHL's Minnesota Wild. Michigan and Penn State face off at 3 p.m. while Ohio State and Michigan State will play the second game at 8 p.m.
#3 MICHIGAN WOLVERINES VS #6 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
*Rankings above indicate the
team's seed in conference tournament
TALE OF THE TAPE
|
|
MICHIGAN
|
PENN STATE
|
|
First Year
|
1922
|
2012
|
|
All-time Record
|
1,609-1,024-145
|
20-39-2
|
|
All-time Record vs
Opponent
|
2 wins 2 losses
|
2 wins 2 losses
|
|
Conference Regular Season
Titles
|
14 (3 – WCHA, 11 – CCHA,
2011)
|
0
|
|
Conference Tournament
Titles
|
9 (CCHA, 2010)
|
0
|
|
NCAA Tournament
Appearances
|
35 (2012)
|
0
|
|
Frozen Four Appearances
|
24 (2011)
|
0
|
|
NCAA Championships
|
9 (1998)
|
0
|
*most recent year in parenthesis
THIS SEASON
|
Record this Season
|
18-12-4 overall, 10-8-2 Big
Ten
|
7-25-2 overall, 3-16-1 Big
Ten
|
|
Record vs Opponent
|
2 wins 2 losses
|
2 wins 2 losses
|
|
Leading Scorer (Points)
|
JT Compher – 31
|
Eric Scheid – 20
|
|
Goals Leader
|
Andrew Copp – 15
|
Eric Scheid – 11
|
|
Assists Leader
|
JT Compher – 20
|
David Goodwin – 10
Luke Juha – 10
Dylan Richard – 10
|
|
Between the Pipes
|
Zach Nagelvoort
(11-8-3)
2.26 GAA, .925 save%
Steve Racine
(7-4-1)
2.91
GAA, .912 save%
|
Matthew Skoff (7-12-2)
3.17 GAA, .898 save%
PJ Musico (0-4)
4.16 GAA, .873 save%
|
There are
probably two things that went through your mind when you read the top
part of the “Tale of the Tape”. The first was, “I'm well aware
that Penn State is a new program, why would you put those facts
there?” The second was most likely, “Why in the hell would he put
the NCAA Tournament facts there? This is the Big Ten tournament. Is
he belittling Penn State? Is he trying to create a 'David vs Goliath'
scenario?”
It's simple. I
put them there because this is a beautiful thing we get to
experience. The matchup on Thursday between the No. 12 ranked
Michigan Wolverines and the Penn State Nittany Lions represents more
than just the first ever Big Ten Tournament game.
Michigan.
The name alone is on college hockey's Mount Rushmore. The legendary
coaches: Vic
Heyliger, Al Renfrew, Red Berenson. The legendary players: Hobey
Baker winners Brendan Morrison and Kevin Porter, as well as NHL stars
Marty Turco, Mike Komisarek, Jack Johnson, and Max Pacioretty, just
to name a few. Also, who can forget, arguably college hockey's finest
cathedral, Yost Ice Arena. Since 1973, the building's first season,
over 4 million fans have been inside the famous building. It provides
the embodiment of a college hockey atmosphere, one that has allowed
its Wolverines over 500 victories within its hallowed walls.
Penn
State. A program in its second year, building its identity. A coach
in Guy Gadowsky, looking to build his program and take it to heights
at a rapid pace. A team, with players like Tommy Olczyk, Taylor
Holstrom, and Eric Scheid, paving the way for the bright future that
is Nittany Lion hockey. A gift from Terry Pegula, the most generous
in Penn State University history, in the amount of $102 million,
allowed Nittany Lion hockey to emerge onto the NCAA Division I scene.
Pegula
Ice Arena (named after Terry), was a blessing not just for Penn
State, but for hockey fans in the midwest. Along with the birth of
Penn State hockey came the birth of Big Ten hockey.
It
has taken zero time for the conference to emerge as arguably the best
in the nation. Three teams (Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan) are
ranked in the top fifteen in the country and they are all locks to
receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament come Sunday.
Nationally, the Big Ten Conference dominates in attendance, with all
six of its members in the top fifteen in the country. This season,
Minnesota and Penn State exceeded the maximum capacities of their
home arenas on the average night.
The
introduction of “Frozen Friday” doubleheaders on the Big Ten
Network allowed fans to experience the excitement the Big Ten had to
offer each and every week on television. Needless to say, the first
year of Big Ten hockey was an astounding success.
So
here we are. Michigan, representing tradition in college hockey,
matching up with Penn State, representing the “new guys” in the
first game of the inaugural Big Ten Conference tournament. A program
known for its dominance in the CCHA, a program who just had a
remarkable streak of 22 straight years in the NCAA tournament snapped
last season, a program with nine national titles, the most of all
time, will play a program destined for great things in the years to
come.
If
there was any time for Penn State's offense to come alive, now would
be the time. Coming off of a win against Ohio State last Saturday,
they will have some momentum offensively going for them as well. They
will be facing a Michigan defense giving up just over two and a half
goals per game this season. Defense has come few and far between when
the two teams met this year, as they racked up a combined 30 goals in
their four games against each other.
The
Nittany Lions will be looking to do something only No. 1 ranked
Minnesota has done this year, beat Michigan for a third time. Penn
State had three wins in Big Ten Conference play this season, and two
of them came against the Wolverines. Guy Gadowsky seems to have a
formula to beat Michigan, and he will need it in full force come
Thursday.
As
for the Wolverines, with the win over Minnesota last Saturday, they
are a lock to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
However, the Maize and Blue would love nothing more than to add the
first ever Big Ten Conference Tournament championship to their
already majestic resume.
Michigan
boasts the second best record in the Big Ten outside of their home
barn (behind Minnesota) with an 8-9-1 record which bodes well for
them given the raucous crowds expected in Saint Paul this weekend.
It's
history vs newcomer, Ann Arbor vs Hockey Valley, Michigan vs Penn
State.
*rankings above indicate the
team's seed in conference tournament
TALE OF THE TAPE
|
|
OHIO STATE
|
MICHIGAN STATE
|
|
First Year
|
1963
|
1922
|
|
All-time Record
|
819-840-140
|
1,248-945-143
|
|
All-time Record vs
Opponent
|
29-82-11
|
82-29-11
|
|
Conference Regular Season
Titles
|
1 (CCHA, 1972)
|
7 (CCHA, 2001)
|
|
Conference Tournament
Titles
|
2 (CCHA, 2004)
|
11 (CCHA, 2006)
|
|
NCAA Tournament
Appearances
|
6 (2008)
|
27 (2012)
|
|
Frozen Four Appearances
|
1 (1998)
|
11 (2007)
|
|
NCAA Championships
|
0
|
3 (2007)
|
*most recent year in parenthesis
THIS SEASON
|
Record this Season
|
16 – 13 – 5
|
11 – 17 – 7
|
|
Record vs Opponent
|
1-0-3 (2 shootout wins)
|
1-0-3 (1 shootout win)
|
|
Leading Scorer (Points)
|
Ryan Dzingel – 43
|
Greg Wolfe – 30
|
|
Goals Leader
|
Ryan Dzingel – 20
|
Greg Wolfe – 12
|
|
Assists Leader
|
Ryan Dzingel – 23
|
Jake Chelios – 19
|
|
Between the Pipes
|
Christian Frey
(7-3-3)
2.29
GAA, .930 save%
Matt Tomkins
(6-7-2)
2.78
GAA, .911 save%
|
Jake Hildebrand
(9-14-7)
2.46
GAA, .923 save%
Will Yanakeff
(2-3)
2.77
GAA, .910 save%
|
The first meeting between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan
State Spartans was back in 1964. Since that year the Spartans have
dominated the all-time series. If you just started paying attention
to these two teams this year, you wouldn't be able to tell that
that's the case. This season the two teams have had to battle for
more than 60 minutes in three of their four contests.
In game one between the Buckeyes and the Spartans, Big Ten leading
scorer, junior Ryan Dzingel stole the show, netting the first ever
Big Ten Conference hat trick en route to a 5-3 Ohio State victory.
The goalies must've gotten sick of the red light going on behind
them, because there were only 10 goals allowed in the next three
games combined. All three of those games went to shootouts, with the
Bucks taking two out of three extra points.
Expect the same excitement of each regular season game between the
two with added incentive this time around. Not only is a shot to play
Minnesota in the semi finals at stake, but more importantly both
team's seasons are on the line. With “Selection Sunday” quickly
approaching, each team will need to win the Big Ten Conference
Tournament in order to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Ohio State
needs to quickly regroup after a 4-2 loss to Penn State last
Saturday. Michigan State on the other hand is seeming to peak at the
right time. After beating Michigan in the final game of their series
ten days ago, the Spartans made greater strides by splitting the
series with a very good Wisconsin Badger team last weekend.
With the pressure on both freshman Christian Frey and sophomore
Jake Hildebrand, don't be surprised to see a low-scoring game either.
Frey was recently named to the Big Ten Conference All-Freshman team
for his efforts since being called to play for the Buckeyes over
winter break from the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL.
It's been awhile since Ohio State and Michigan State have seen a
conference tournament championship trophy. The Buckeyes last playoff
championship was in 2004 while the Spartans last won a championship
in 2006. That was when both teams were part of the Central Collegiate
Hockey Association (CCHA). As for right now, both teams are focusing
on the first ever Big Ten playoff championship.
For Ohio State, first-year head coach Steve Rohlik and his crew
are looking to build a program set to compete not just for Big Ten
titles, but for NCAA titles. On the opposite end for head coach Tom
Anastos and his men from East Lansing, they are seeking to get their
program back to the glory that Spartan hockey fans are used to.
Each of those things have the potential to start this weekend.
Collegiate
hockey has its conference playoffs at the end of every season and the
major conferences before the Big Ten (CCHA, WCHA, and Hockey East)
held great attendance marks. Watch out. Given the attendance marks
during the regular season, the Big Ten Conference Tournament at the
Xcel Energy Center is set to dominate all other conference
tournaments. Conveniently, the biggest fan base in the country right
next door is all set to go. Mariucci Arena is just 12 minutes from
Xcel Energy Center, the home of the NHL's Minnesota Wild and the site
where the games are taking place this weekend. They call it the
“State of Hockey” for a reason. We shall see if it lives up to
its name this weekend.
The
Big Ten Tournament will be loud, it will be exciting, and it will be
something college hockey fans can look forward to for years to come.
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