SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Michigan State begins its push for a fourth straight Big Ten regular-season hockey title this week, facing Notre Dame at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, and again at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, at Compton Family Ice Arena. Both games stream on Peacock.
The Spartans (6-2) sit No. 4 in both national polls and have been inside the top four every week this season. League coaches had them finishing as runner-up in the preseason poll. Last weekend they split with No. 13 Boston University, losing the opener 6-2 before bouncing back for a 5-0 shutout.
That shutout was the first of the college career for freshman goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen, who stopped 25 shots. His .939 save percentage ranks 13th in the country. Sophomore winger Anthony Romani leads the offense with seven goals and 12 points in eight games, and sophomore center Cayden Lindstrom, the league Third Star of the Week, has scored in three straight. Freshman defenseman Chase Reid is averaging a point per game.
Coach Adam Nightingale reached 100 career wins on Oct. 31 in his 156th game, faster than any coach in program history and ahead of the 182 games Ron Mason needed. The roster also carries 17 NHL draft picks, second-most in college hockey, including nine first-rounders.
Notre Dame (4-6, 2-2 Big Ten) comes in hot after a road sweep at Penn State, winning the opener 5-4 in overtime on a breakaway goal by Evan Werner and taking the rematch 4-2. Senior forward Danny Nelson, picked as the conference top star of the week, leads the Irish with 10 points. He plays alongside brothers Henry and Sammy Nelson, one of just two trios of brothers on the same college roster this season.
Recent history belongs to Michigan State. The Spartans have taken 10 in a row from the Irish and own a 16-3-1 mark against them since Nightingale arrived. Fans in Michigan can also follow on the Spartan radio broadcast.
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