Michigan to Head to Penn State for Road Battle With Nittany Lions

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The No. 14-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team (14-11-3, 7-9-2 Big Ten) looks to make a move upward in the Big Ten standings when they travel to State College, Pa., to battle Penn State (12-13-3, 4-11-3 Big Ten) on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 16-17) at Pegula Ice Arena. Both games are slated to begin at 7 p.m., with Friday’s (Feb. 16) game streamed live on B1G+ and Saturday’s (Feb. 17) contest broadcast live on Big Ten Network.

Notes

• Michigan and Penn State split the first series this season at Yost Ice Arena with the Wolverines winning a 6-4 game on Nov. 17 before the Nittany Lions won 5-3 on Nov. 18. Michigan owns a 27-16-1 advantage in the all-time series with Penn State, includung a 9-9-1 record at Pegula.

• Michigan dropped to No. 14 in this week’s USCHO national poll after falling to Michigan State in a pair of games last weekend.

• The Wolverines are fifth in the Big Ten standings with 25 points, two points out of fourth place where Notre Dame has two games in hand. Penn State is sixth with 17 points.

• Michigan boasts the top six scorers in the league, led by Rutger McGroarty at 1.57 points per game. His points-per-game average is good for fourth in the nation. He is followed by Gavin Brindley (1.30), Dylan Duke (1.21), T.J. Hughes (1.21), Seamus Casey (1.21) and Frank Nazar III (1.21).

• With six players averaging more than a point per game, Michigan’s scoring offense ranks second nationally, averaging 4.47 goals per game.

• Michigan had a five-game streak in which it scored five goals or more, the longest of any team in the nation this season.

• McGroarty earned his second Player of the Month honor in January with 16 points in six games during the month. This season, he has 10 goals and 26 assists. He ranked third nationally in assists, had two game-winning goals and was a +14. The last Wolverine to earn two national monthly honors was 2023 Hobey Baker Award winner Adam Fantilli.

• Dylan Duke paces the team in power-play goals with 10 to his name. He ranks first in the Big Ten and fifth in the nation in the category. Duke also had the longest streak in the nation this season at seven games. He had 13 points (nine goals, 14 assists, 23 points) from Dec. 2-Jan. 27.