Michigan
Michigan State
Wolverines to Wrap Up 54th GLI Against Michigan State
12/31/2018 10:50:00 AM | Ice Hockey
NEXT EVENT (Great Lakes Invitational Third-Place Game)
Monday, Dec. 31 -- vs. Michigan State (Detroit, Mich.), 11:30 a.m.
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan ice hockey team will conclude the 54th annual Great Lakes Invitational on Monday (Dec. 31) with a consolation-game matchup with Michigan State in Detroit. Puck drop is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at Little Caesars Arena.
Michigan at the GLI
Michigan is 59-36-2 all-time in the GLI. Michigan's 59 wins are the most in GLI play, with Michigan State's 50 being the second most.
U-M in the 313
Michigan is 115-64-7 (.543) all-time in the city of Detroit, dating back to the 1922-23 season (first year of varsity competition) when U-M was defeated by Assumption, 4-1 on Belle Isle. Little Caesars Arena is the fifth rink at which the Wolverines have played in Detroit (Belle Isle, Olympia Stadium, Joe Louis Arena and Comerica Park).
The Michigan State Series
Michigan and Michigan State will meet for the 317th time since 1925, with U-M holding a 159-134-23 record over MSU in the all-time series. The two teams first met on Jan. 24, 1925, as the Wolverines defeated the Spartans by a score of 6-3. On the road, the Wolverines trail 50-68-11 in the all-time series, while holding a 74-44-5 record at home.
Earlier this season MSU took five of six points, winning 4-3 in East Lansing before securing a tie and shootout B1G point the following night in Ann Arbor. Last season, U-M went 3-1-1 against the Spartans. The Maize and Blue split the first weekend series last December, with both teams earning a win at home. The two teams then met at the annual Great Lakes Invitational, where U-M came out victorious, 6-4. Last February, the teams tied (1-1) in East Lansing with Michigan earning the shootout win, and then the following night the Maize and Blue earned a 3-2 win in Detroit in the annual Duel in the D.
Scouting the Spartans
The Spartans are led by head coach Danton Cole, who is in his second season behind the bench for Michigan State. From 2010 through 2017, he coached for the U.S. National Team Development Program with the U-17 and U-18 teams. Prior to that, Cole spent three seasons in the NCAA as the head coach of Alabama-Huntsville, where he went 23-59-12.
Michigan State was picked to finish seventh in the Big Ten this season in the league's preseason poll. Michigan State comes into this rivalry matchup after falling to Lake Superior State last night in overtime, 4-3, in a GLI semifinal matchup.
Leading Michigan State
Michigan State's offense is led by their 'KHL' line of Taro Hirose, Mitchell Lewandowski and Patrick Khodorenko, who combine for 59 points. Hirose leads the squad with 27 points (7g, 20a), while Khodorenko has the team lead in goals with 11.
In net, the Spartans are led by sophomore goaltender John Lethemon, who has played in 10 games. Lethemon has posted a .902 save percentage and a 3.04 goals-against average. Freshman Drew DeRidder has appeared in eight games with an .898 save percentage and a 3.23 goals-against average.
Up Ahead
Saturday, Jan. 5 -- at Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.), 3:30 p.m. -- Outdoor game at Notre Dame Stadium
