when: Saturday 8pm.
where: Mann Ice Arena in East Lansing.
tv set: Big Ten Network.
∎ Box score
How did the Spartans get here?Michigan State hockey team advances to first Big Ten title game with 2-1 home win over OSU
Game notes: Hockeytown will be relocated to East Lansing for one night as the state's two Big Ten teams compete for the conference title at Mann Ice Arena. No. 4 seed Michigan is aiming for its third straight Big Ten title, having defeated top seeds (Minnesota and Minneapolis) in each of the past two seasons. Michigan State, this season's top seed, is looking for its first title in 10 seasons of Big Ten hockey. The Spartans' last conference tournament title was won in his 2006 CCHA.
How long ago was that? MSU star goaltender Trey Augustin was just over a year old when the Spartans hoisted the Mason Cup at Joe Louis Arena. Augustin, of course, is second-team All-Big Ten and was the youngest netminder in the conference this season, posting a 2.86 goals-against average and .919 save percentage. That includes stopping 37 of 38 shots in last week's semifinal win over Ohio State.
The Spartans have another star player. Belarusian Artyom Levshunov made first-team All-Big Ten and earned his spot as the league's top freshman. He has nine goals and 23 assists in 37 games this season and is projected to be a top-10 pick in this summer's NHL Draft.
It's not like the Wolverines are lacking in awards. UM had three players on the All-Big Ten first team – defenseman Seamus Casey, forward Rutger McGroarty (captain of the Wolverines) and forward Gavin Brindley, who earned 24 points on the year. Forward Gavin Brindley, who was also named Most Valuable Player, had a goal and 27 assists in 36 games.
The game between the Spartans and Wolverines was the fifth of the season, with MSU winning the last three. But those were Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor and Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The Wolverines won the only game played in Mann in January, 7-1 in a penalty-filled brawl.
Regardless of tonight's result, there will be more hockey games for both teams next week, as the Spartans and Wolverines are guaranteed to play in the NCAA Tournament, with the 16-team field announced Sunday night. Dew. Michigan State could earn the No. 1 seed with a win and support from other conferences, but it won't fall below the No. 2 seed. The Wolverines look likely to earn the No. 3 seed when the teams pack up at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU. Michigan Tech has already clinched a spot with a win over Bemidji State in Friday night's CCHA final, and Western Michigan will also get a big shot if the favorites advance in Saturday's conference championship. there is a possibility.
The regional competition will be held in Maryland Heights, Missouri. Providence, Rhode Island. Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It will also be held in Springfield, Massachusetts, March 28-31.
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