Michigan Hockey welcomes Penn State to Yost for a season-defining Big Ten Tournament series. With NCAA Tournament hopes on the line, the Wolverines aim to outlast the red-hot Nittany Lions in a high-stakes showdown:
One year ago, the Michigan Wolverines were 18-13-3 entering the Big Ten Tournament , fighting for their postseason lives and preparing to face a team at Yost they had beaten three times during the regular season.
Tonight, they will do it all again.
No. 11 Michigan (18-13-3) and No. 15 Penn State (18-12-4) are set for an unofficial NCAA Tournament play-in series this weekend. The Wolverines enter having won back-to-back series over top-10 opponents and sit firmly on the bubble ranked No. 11 in Pairwise .
The Nittany Lions are the hottest team in the country, having only lost twice — once to Michigan — in their last 14 games. However, they sit three spots behind the Wolverines in the Pairwise rankings and face a non-negotiable win-or-go-home scenario in Ann Arbor.
If the Nittany Lions are going to return to the big dance, it will be due to outstanding sophomore forward Aiden Fink (23G, 24A). Fink is second in the country in points per game (1.38), and although he likely won’t win the Hobey Baker Award, no player has been more valuable to their team this season than Fink. He is 16 points ahead of the team’s next leading scorer an has turned Penn State into a top-10 scoring offense.
On the blue line, senior captain Simon Mack (3G, 23A) has been a constant bright spot, continuing to lead the team in plus/minus (+20) and has been the biggest reason why this team has found some late-season defensive consistency. In their last eight games, the Nittany Lions have only allowed one team to score more than three goals. Unfortunately for Penn State, that came in their most recent game last Saturday against Minnesota.
In net, transfer junior Arsenii Sergeev (.918 SV%) has been on a HEATER the last two months. Before last weekend’s loss to the Gophers, Sergeev had posted a .943 save percentage and an unbeaten record in his last seven games. Although peaking at the right time, he is going to have to exorcise some maize and blue demons if the Nittany Lions are going to extend their season.
Michigan and Penn State split the last time these two teams faced each other, but the Wolverines scored four and seven goals, respectively, against Sergeev. In their first series, Michigan lit up Penn State’s backup goalie, Noah Grannan, for 16 goals, including 10 in one game alone.
You know the stars for upfront for Michigan — T.J. Hughes (15G, 21A) and Michael Hage (13G, 20A) have to live up to their billing to give the Wolverines a chance. However, postseason hockey is about the dirty work. The forecheck. The ugly goals. GRIT.
This weekend is about forwards like Jackson Hallum (6G, 9A), whose ice-tilting speed can singlehandedly dismantle the opposition’s positioning and free up ice for teammates. Josh Eernisse (1G, 10A) is a one-man forecheck and could probably spell Ernest Hausmann on the football field if Sherrone Moore needed to call in a favor. Finally, Nick Moldenhaur (1G, 7A) has not let his lack of production stop him from becoming a force on the backcheck.
Defensively, Michigan will rely heavily on Ethan Edwards (5G, 15A) on both ends of the ice. Edwards could easily see 30 minutes in each game and will be responsible for quarterbacking the power play and blocking a handful of shots. If Edwards is the best player on the ice, Michigan will wrap this up before Sunday.
Despite a shaky finish in the Game 2 victory against Ohio State, senior Logan Stein (.899 SV%) has been playing his best hockey of the season with Cameron Korpi (.904 SV%) sidelined with an injury. In his last four games, Stein has posted a .921 save percentage and has come up with big saves in clutch moments. However, he has struggled against Penn State this season, posting a .859 save percentage across three games. If Michigan is going to advance to face Michigan State in the semifinals, Stein has to be a .900-level goalie all weekend.
Key to the Game
Neutral zone and blue-line turnovers. Penn State plays a 1-1-3 and generates the majority of its offense via turnovers, which leads to odd-man rushes the other way. Puck possession into and within the offensive zone is the first, second, and third priority for the Wolverines. Even further, defensemen have to be careful not to get too deep and potentially hang a forward out to dry as they attempt to defend a 2-on-1 against one of the best goal-scorers in the country.
If the Wolverines limit their turnovers, control time of possession, and of course, limit the penalty minutes, history will repeat itself — Michigan will advance to the Big Ten semifinals. Again.
Game 1
When: Friday, March 7, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, MI
How to watch: BIG+
How to listen: Varsity Podcast Network
Game 2
When: Saturday, March 8, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, MI
How to watch: BIG+
How to listen: Varsity Podcast Network
Game 3 (If necessary)
When: Sunday, March 9, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, MI
How to watch: BIG+
How to listen: Varsity Podcast Network