The No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions open Big Ten conference play this week, beginning a stretch of back-to-back series against ranked opponents.
Penn State will start with a two-game set against No. 17 Ohio State at Value City Arena on Thursday and Friday, followed by a matchup with top-ranked Michigan State next week at the Clarence L. Munn Ice Arena.
Series Information
Dates: Thursday, Oct. 30, and Friday, Oct. 31 โ both at 6:30 p.m. ET
Location: Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Broadcast: Thursdayโs game will air on Big Ten Network; Fridayโs on Big Ten Plus.
Ohio State holds a 28-23-5 edge in the all-time series, including a 17-13-2 record in Columbus. The Buckeyes are Penn Stateโs second-most common opponent, trailing only Wisconsin.
In their most recent meeting, Ohio State edged Penn State 4โ3 in overtime in last seasonโs Big Ten semifinal.
No. 4 Penn State Notes
Penn State ranks second in the Big Ten and third nationally with 4.25 goals per game. The Nittany Lionsโ 34 total goals trail only Michiganโs 46.
Forward Gavin McKenna earned the Big Tenโs Third Star of the Week after a four-point performance against Stonehill, which included his first two home goals at Pegula Ice Arena. McKenna is averaging 1.25 points per game in his freshman season.
The B-T-B Line of Matt DiMarsico, Charlie Cerrato, and JJ Wiebusch has been electric โ arguably the hottest line in college hockey. Cerrato leads the nation with 17 points, while Wiebusch tops all players with nine goals.
Together, the trio has combined for 45 points (20 G, 25 A) in eight games, averaging 5.63 points per game. Dating back to January of last season, theyโve totaled 118 points (52 G, 66 A) in 32 games โ a remarkable 3.7 points-per-game pace.
Penn Stateโs penalty kill has been outstanding, converting at 92.3 percent (36-for-39) โ second in the Big Ten and fifth nationally. The Lions have also scored two shorthanded goals, trailing only Michigan (5) and St. Thomas (4).
Goaltender Josh Fleming leads the Big Ten with a .952 save percentage and 1.34 GAA, marks that rank second and fifth nationally, respectively.
Forward Aiden Fink now has 96 career points (40 G, 56 A), placing him ninth on Penn Stateโs all-time list. Fink is on pace to become the fastest Nittany Lion to reach 100 career points, entering Thursdayโs game with 80 career appearances (the current record is held by Alex Limoges, who reached the milestone in 102 games).
No. 17 Ohio State Notes
Ohio State enters the weekend averaging 3.00 goals per game, ranking sixth in the Big Ten and tied for 29th nationally.
The Buckeyes are coming off a 24-14-2 season that ended with a double-overtime loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship and a first-round NCAA Tournament defeat to Boston University.
Although Ohio State lost five of its top eight scorers from last year, several proven contributors return โ including forwards Riley Thompson, Davis Burnside, and Max Montes.
Transfer forward Felix Caron leads the team early with six points (three goals, three assists).
In net, Kristoffer Eberly returns after a strong sophomore season (12-4-1, .915 SV%, 2.28 GAA). Against Penn State last year, Eberly went 2-0-1 with a .911 save percentage and 2.59 GAA, including one shutout.
Ohio Stateโs penalty kill ranks third in the Big Ten and seventh nationally at 90.9 percent.
