Spartans Start 2019 By Hosting No. 7/5 Ohio State

No. 7/5 Ohio State (11-4-3, 4-2-2-2 B1G) vs. Michigan State (6-10-2, 2-5-1-1 B1G)
Dates | Times: Friday, Jan. 4 | 7 p.m. // Saturday, Jan. 5 | 8 p.m.
Location: Munn Ice Arena | East Lansing
Tickets: MSUSpartans.com
Promotions: Friday – Stanley Cup at Munn, MSUFCU Night, Family 4 Pack // Saturday – 4 seats, 4 treats
TV: BTN
Web Stream: BTN2Go
Radio: Spartan Sports Network | Local: WJIM-AM 1240
Live Stats: MSUSpartans.com
Game Notes: Michigan State | Ohio State | Big Ten
Social Media: @MSU_Hockey

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On The Fly
• Michigan State will play its first games of the new calendar year as it resumes Big Ten play on Friday and Saturday at home against No. 7/5 Ohio State.

• It's a quick turnaround for the Spartans as they are coming off playing in the Great Lakes Invitational in Detroit on Sunday and Monday.

• Including the GLI, the Spartans will play eight straight weekends (16 games) before an off weekend (Feb. 22-23).

• Taro Hirose picked up assists in both games of the GLI to boost his nation-leading assist total to 21 – two more than any other player ... Hirose ranks third in the country in points with 28, which is just one shy of co-leaders Evan Barratt and Alex Limoges of Penn State.

• Hirose has points in eight of the last nine games with 14 (2g, 12a) over the span … He has been held without a point in just three of 18 games this season.

• Patrick Khodorenko scored on the power play the last time out, giving him 12 goals on the year, which ranks fourth in the country and second in the Big Ten ... He has 10 points (7g, 3a) over the last 10 games.

• Khodorenko's six power-play goals are tied for the Big Ten lead and are fourth most nationally.

• Dennis Cesana was named to the GLI All-Tournament team after his three-point game (1g, 2a) against LSSU … It was the first three-point game by Spartan defenseman this season and first by an MSU blueliner since Jerad Rosburg on Feb. 24, 2018 at Notre Dame.

• Cesana, who ranks fourth on the team in points with 11 (2g, 9a), is tied for third among all Big Ten rookies in points and second among league's freshmen defensemen.

• Freshman Wojciech Stachowiak led the Spartans in the GLI by scoring the first three goals of his career … He scored twice vs. LSSU and then scored on the power play the following day against Michigan.

• The Spartans had their best two-game series in the faceoff circle with a .602 winning percentage in the dot in the GLI … MSU ranks sixth nationally in faceoff winning percentage at .541.

• Tommy Apap is second in the Big Ten in faceoff winning percentage at .596 (199-135) among centermen that have taken at least 100 draws.

• Freshman goaltender Drew DeRidder made a season-high 45 saves the last time out aganist Michigan on Dec. 31.

Stanley Cup at Munn on Friday
The Stanley Cup®, will be on hand for Friday's game at Munn. Fans can get their photo with the trophy beginning when the building doors open at 6 p.m. through the end of the second intermission.

About Ohio State
The Buckeyes are tied for the Big Ten lead with 16 points and a 4-2-2-2 record in league play … OSU is coming off a sweep of Mercyhurst at home (3-1, 5-4) on Dec. 28-29 and is unbeaten in its last five games (3-0-2) dating back to November 24 … Ohio State leads the Big Ten and ranks seventh nationally in goals allowed per game at 2.06 … Senior Mason Jobst leads the Buckeyes in goals (11) and is tied with junior Tanner Laczynski for the team lead in points (16) … Goaltenders Tommy Nappier (6-1-2, .941 Sv. %, 1.70 GAA) and Sean Romeo (5-3-1, .916 Sv. %, 2.19 GAA) have split time in net … OSU is 32nd nationally in power-play percentage at .183 (15-for-83) and is 30th in penalty-kill percentage at .808 (59-of-73).

Against the Buckeyes
MSU leads the all-time series, 90-43-12, including a 45-16-6 mark at home … Patrick Khodorenko (4-5--9) and Sam Saliba (7-2--9) are the Spartans' active leaders in points against Ohio State as each has nine in 11 career games… Five of Saliba's seven goals vs. OSU have come on the power play.

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Of Note from the GLI
With both games requiring OT, five of the Spartans' last eight games in the GLI have gone into overtime … Wojciech Stachowiak's three goals were second only to GLI MVP Diego Cuglietta's (LSSU) four in the tournament … Drew DeRidder's 45 saves vs. Michigan were the most since Drew Palmisano made the same number in both games of the 2011 tournament … The Spartans notched at least two power-play goals in game (vs. Michigan) for the first time since Nov. 2 vs. Ferris State.

Hirose Among The Nation's Best
Junior Taro Hirose has proven to be one of the most consistent offensive producers in the country. Hirose enters this weekend with a nation-leading 21 assists, while ranking third in the country in points with 28 – just one off the lead.

Hirose has points in 15 of 18 games this season, including eight of the last nine. Over the last nine games (since Nov. 17), he has produced 14 points (2g, 12a), which is second most in the country over the span, while his 12 assists are tied for the most nationally in the stretch. His plus-8 rating since November 17 leads the Big Ten.

Over the nine-game stretch since November 17, Hirose helped spur the Spartans' comeback at Minnesota on November 24 with a goal and then assists on the tying and game-winning goal. He also assisted on each of the Spartans' final three goals in the 4-3 victory over Michigan (November 30), and then scored the lone goal the following night in a tie and shootout win.

Dating back to the end of last season, he has points in 22 of the Spartans' last 27 games.

Khodorenko's Scoring Touch
Patrick Khodorenko is on one of the best stretches of his career with 10 points (7g, 3a) over the last 10 games, which included a four-game goal scoring streak. His team-leading 12 goals, which is just one shy of his total from last year, rank fourth in the country and second in the Big Ten.

The native of Walnut Creek, California, who played for Danton Cole with the USNTDP has found a good amount of success on the power play as his six goals on the man-advantage are tied for the Big Ten lead and are fourth in the nation. He scored the last time out vs. Michigan on the man-advantage as 15 of his 32 career goals have come on the power play.

Khodorenko was the Big Ten First Star of the Week on Nov. 6 for the first time in his career after his four-point game (3g, 1a) on Nov. 2 in a win over Ferris State.

Hirose's Career Numbers Piling Up
Taro Hirose's offensive pace is placing him among some of the best Spartan point-producers since 2000. With 94 points in 88 games, he is just six points shy of becoming the first Spartan to hit the 100 point mark since Tim Crowder (106 points, 151 games; 2005-09). With 69 career helpers, Hirose has surpassed the assist totals of several of the most offensively-inclined Spartans of the 2000s, including Bryan Lerg (60a, 169 GP 2004-08); David Booth (60a, 134 GP 2002-06) and Tim Kennedy (63a, 113 GP 2005-08).

Hirose's 69 helpers are the most by a Spartan Tyler Howells had 70 in 154 games from 2003-07.

In his career (88 games), Hirose has just one more game without a point (26) than games with multiple points (25). Hirose has eight multi-point games this season, including six three-point games.

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Cesana Leading Spartan Rookies
Rookie Dennis Cesana has made an immediate impact on the Spartan blue line as he ranks fourth on the team with 11 points (2g, 9a). He's tied for third among all Big Ten rookies in points and second among league's freshmen defensemen.

The native of Providence, R.I., who led all defensemen in the AJHL in points (75) last season, had the first three-point game by Spartan defenseman this season with a goal and two assists against Lake Superior State in the GLI on December 30. He has three multi-point games and scored his first-career goal on Oct. 26 in a win over No. 8 Cornell.

Cole Krygier Back in the Lineup
Freshman Cole Krygier, who missed 10 games with an injury from Nov. 9-Dec. 8, returned to the lineup December 30 vs. LSSU and played in both games of the GLI. Cole has appeared in eight games, while twin brother Christian, has played in 16 games, having missed two due to illness.

Young on the Back End
For the second straight year, the Spartans have just one senior defenseman in Zach Osburn. While Osburn is the Spartans' active leader in games played at 123, he is surrounded by youth with three freshmen – Dennis Cesana, Cole Krygie and Christian Krygier – and a sophomore – Tommy Miller – in the regular playing group. Redshirt junior Jerad Rosburg has played in all 18 games, while junior Butrus Ghafari has played in 16.

DeRidder the Nation's Youngest Goaltender
Freshman Drew DeRidder, the youngest goaltender in college hockey (DOB: 5/1/00), has made nine starts this season, sporting a .908 save percentage and 3.06 GAA. DeRidder turned away 45 shots – the most by a Spartan netminder this season – the last time out on December 31 vs. Michigan.

The native of Fenton was named the Big Ten Second Star of the Week the first week of December after turning away 78 of 82 shots against Michigan, Nov. 30-Dec. 1. His 43 saves in the 4-3 victory were the most by a Spartan goaltender since Ed Minney's 47 at Penn State in January 2017 and the most by an MSU netminder vs. Michigan since Jake Hidlebrand's 45 in March 2015. The following night, he stopped 35 shots, including the final 31 shots in regulation and the five minute overtime. In the 3-on-3 OT, he made four more saves and then turned away all four U-M attempts in the shootout.

All KHL
Since playing together in the first game of last season, Patrick Khodorenko (12-5--17), Taro Hirose (7-21--28) and Mitchell Lewandowski (5-11--16) have combined to form one of the Big Ten's – and college hockey's – most dangerous lines. Last season, the unit produced a total of 108 points (44 goals, 64 assists) in playing together in all 36 games. This season, the trio has combined for 61 of 125 (48.8%) of the Spartans' total points this season.

Khodorenko – Has a team-high 12 goals – one of just nine players in college hockey to have at least 12 goals … His team-leading six power-play goals rank fourth in the nation and are tied for tops in the league ... MSU's active career leader in goals (32) ... Ranked 12th in the Big Ten and third on the team in points (32) last season.

Hirose – Leads the nation in assists (21) and is third in the country in points (28) … Has two game-winning goals ... Has points in 22 of 27 games dating back to last season ... Has eight multi-point games this season and 25 in his career ... Has 94 points (25g, 69a) in 88 career games ... 2018 All-Big Ten second team … His 42 points last season were the most by a Spartan since Corey Tropp had the same number in 2009-10 … His 30 assists were the most since Jim Slater in 2004-05 (32).

Lewandowski – Started the season with a career-best five-game point streak (3-6--9) ... Had a season-high three points (1g, 2a) at Cornell (10/27) ... 2018 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and only unanimous selection to the Big Ten All-Freshman team … Led all rookies nationally in goals (19) and tied for the most in the Big Ten (among all players) during the regular season … Was the first MSU freshman to score at least 19 goals since 1997-98 (Rustyn Dolyny).

Strong in the Dot
Michigan State is sixth in the country and second in the Big Ten in faceoff winning percentage at .541. The Spartans have won more faceoffs than their opponents in 14 of 18 games this season.

Tommy Apap, who was second in the Big Ten in faceoff winning percentage last season at .582, is currently second among league centermen that have taken at least 100 draws at .596. Sam Saliba is sixth among the same group of Big Ten centers at .572. Apap ranks 14th in the country in faceoff wins (199), Patrick Khodorenko is 15th (196) and Saliba is 20th (187).

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Players Mentioned

Tommy Apap

Dennis Cesana

Drew DeRidder

Butrus Ghafari

Taro Hirose

Patrick Khodorenko

Christian Krygier

Cole Krygier

Mitchell Lewandowski

Tommy Miller

Ed Minney

Zach Osburn

Jerad Rosburg

Sam Saliba

Wojciech Stachowiak