Before Beaver Stadium matchup, Penn State men’s hockey has ‘biggest game of the season’

While some 65,000 fans look toward Saturday afternoon’s college hockey game at Beaver Stadium, a history-making event years in the making and months in the planning, the two-game series between two of the nation’s top five teams begins Friday night at Pegula Ice Arena.

It’s no warm-up act, either.

The opening game of the series, with a couple less variables in the form of ice condition and unpredictable weather, offers a big opportunity to earn a Big Ten Conference victory and meaningful points in the conference standings. It’ll impact national rankings, too.

“We’re grateful to have the opportunity Saturday, everybody’s looking forward to it, but we do have a game Friday that’s equal in points,” Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky said. “Our biggest game of the season is Friday, and then we’ll have a quick turnaround, refocus and get ready for Saturday.”

Michigan State swept the teams’ series earlier this year on its home ice, earning 2-1 and 5-0 victories. Standout goaltender Trey Augustine made 36 saves in that shutout. For the season he boasts a 1.78 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage.

Offensively, senior forward Charlie Stramel (30 points), freshman forward Porter Martone (28) and senior forward Daniel Russell (24) lead MSU’s offense.

Penn State’s a better team since that meeting, though, having won a school record seven consecutive conference games and playing its best hockey since the semester break.

Forward Charlie Cerrato is out for the rest of the regular season with an injury, but Penn State’s deep offensive attack includes four others who have contributed at least 20 points this season.

Both junior forward Matt DiMarsico (14 goals, 15 assists) and freshman forward Gavin McKenna (10 goals, 19 assists) have 29 points. Sophomore forward JJ Wiebusch has added 26 points and junior forward Aiden Fink 20.

Goalies Josh Fleming and Kevin Reidler have split duties this season and entering the week coach Guy Gadowsky was undecided about who would play in which game this weekend. Freshman Fleming has a 1.80 goals-against average and .944 save percentage in 12 games. Sophomore Reidler has been slightly less productive (2.80, .913) in 13 games.

Gadowsky, who needs one more victory for his 250th at Penn State, knows the importance of the series opener.

Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale knows it, too. While his team also anticipates and awaits the outdoor matchup, they’ll arrive in town Thursday, practice at Pegula Ice Arena and be ready for puck drop the next night.

Like his counterpart, Nightingale has been appropriately respectful of his opponent this week.

“They’re a really good team and have a lot of talent,” he said on his radio show earlier this week. “Their goalies have played well, as have ours. It’ll make for a good weekend.”

No. 5 Penn State (18-6, 10-4 Big Ten) vs. No. 2 Michigan State (19-5, 10-4)

Series: 6 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday

Audio/Radio: GoPSusports.com, 103.7 FM, 104.3 FM

Streaming/TV: B1G+ (Friday), B1G Network (Saturday)

Notable: The all-time series stands at 22-22-8, and Penn State has a 12-8-4 advantage in Hockey Valley. ... Penn State has the conference’s best penalty-kill unit, stopping opponents 88.6% of the time, and Michigan State has the least productive power-play unit, scoring on 22.4% of its opportunities. ... Saturday’s game is Penn State’s second outdoors. It faced off against Notre Dame (earning a 3-3 tie and enduring a shootout loss) when the conference played three games at Wrigley Field last season. ... MSU has played six outdoor games with a 2-2-2 record.

Outdoor Hockey

Belo are the five Big Ten hockey games played outdoors that attracted the largest crowds.

Oct. 11, 2010 — Michigan State at Michigan, 113,411* Result: Michigan State 3, Michigan 3 (OT)

Oct. 6, 2001 — Michigan at Michigan State, 74,554

Result: Michigan 5, Michigan State 0

Feb. 6, 2010 — Michigan at Wisconsin, 55,031

Result: Wisconsin 3, Michigan 2

Feb. 17, 2013 — Notre Dame vs. Miami (Ohio), 52,051#

Result: Notre Dame 2, Miami 1

Feb. 17, 2013 — Wisconsin vs. Minnesota, 52,051#

Result: Wisconsin 3, Minnesota 2

*-Certified Guinness World Record #-Played at Soldier Field, Chicago