EAST LANSING, Mich. — No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions continue Big Ten play this weekend with a top-ranked test, traveling to East Lansing for a two-game showdown against No. 1 Michigan State inside Munn Ice Arena.
Penn State enters the series on a four-game road win streak and is 11-2-1 in its last 14 road contests dating back to Jan. 5 at Notre Dame. Twelve of those matchups have come against ranked opponents.
The Spartans return home following a bye week and a pair of early-season road sweeps, including one over then-No. 1 Boston University, which vaulted them to the top of the national polls.
Series Information
Dates: Friday, Nov. 7 – 7 p.m. | Saturday, Nov. 8 – 4 p.m.
Place: Munn Ice Arena | East Lansing, Michigan
Streaming: Big Ten Plus
This weekend marks the 51st and 52nd all-time meetings between the two programs, with Penn State holding a 22-20-8 edge in the series.
Inside Munn Ice Arena, the Spartans are 12-10-4 against the Nittany Lions. Ten of the last 11 meetings have been decided by a single goal, with five going beyond regulation. Penn State holds a 2–1 shootout advantage in that stretch.
Michigan State enters the weekend ranked No. 1 in both national polls, while Penn State is 3-6-2 all-time against top-ranked teams.
Penn State became the only team in college hockey history to defeat separate No. 1 teams in back-to-back weeks in 2022.
No. 1 Michigan State Notes
The Spartans (5-1-0) return home after road sweeps of then-No. 1 Boston University and Northern Michigan.
Led by All-American defenseman Matt Basgall, who has five points (2G, 3A) through six games, and goaltender Trey Augustine, Michigan State has allowed just 1.83 goals per game — second-best in the Big Ten and ninth nationally.
Augustine, the reigning Big Ten Goalie of the Year, already has two shutouts this season, boasts a 4-1-0 record with a 1.78 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.
Offensively, freshman Porter Martone, the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft (Philadelphia Flyers), leads the team with nine points (3G, 6A). Tommi Mannisto has five goals and seven points through six games, nearly matching half his total from last year.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Michigan State averages 38.0 shots per game — just behind Penn State’s Big Ten-leading 38.2.
On special teams, the Spartans rank fourth in the Big Ten on the penalty kill (83.3%) and convert 21.1% on the power play, good for fifth in the league.
No. 3 Penn State Notes
Penn State remains undefeated on the road this season (4-0-0), with all four wins coming against ranked opponents — a first in program history.
The Nittany Lions rank second in the Big Ten and sixth nationally with 4.10 goals per game, while Michigan State’s 3.83 goals per game rank 10th.
Senior Ben Schoen leads Penn State with seven points (1 goal, 6 assists) in 10 career games against the Spartans. Senior Jarod Crespo adds five points (1 goal, 4 assists) in 11 games, while junior Aiden Fink, currently sidelined with a long-term injury, has five goals in eight career meetings with MSU.
The Lions’ power play has scored in every game this season, converting 15-for-56 (26.8%) — ranking fourth in the Big Ten and 15th nationally. Their penalty kill has been even stronger, going 46-for-51 (90.2%) to lead the Big Ten and rank eighth nationally.
Penn State is 4-0-0 when trailing entering the third period after going 0-10-2 in that situation last season. The Lions have outscored opponents 17-5 in third periods, netting multiple goals in half their games.
Freshman defenseman Jackson Smith has impressed with eight points (2G, 6A) in eight games, ranking second among Big Ten freshman defensemen and seventh overall.
Goaltenders Kevin Reidler and Josh Fleming have formed a strong tandem, combining for a 2.59 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage — both ranking in the Top 25 nationally, respectively. Fleming alone owns a .939 save percentage and a 1.75 GAA both marks ranking third in the Big Ten.
Forward JJ Wiebusch earned his second Big Ten Star of the Week honor on Tuesday, extending a five-week streak of Nittany Lions earning weekly conference recognition.
Wiebusch leads the nation with 11 goals and is tied for second nationally with 18 points. He also shares the national lead with six power-play goals and three game-winners. Wiebusch has recorded points in nine of 10 games this season, including a five-game goal streak that ties his career best.
Dating back to last season, Wiebusch has tallied 20 goals and 12 assists (32 points) over his last 19 games. His six power-play goals this season are just two shy of Aiden Fink’s single-season program record of eight.
