Spartans Host Nittany Lions in Key Big Ten Hockey Matchup

East Lansing, Mich. — With only two weeks remaining in the NCAA hockey regular season, the Michigan State Spartans are poised to secure another Big Ten Regular Season Championship as they host the Penn State Nittany Lions on Friday night.

The Spartans, ranked No. 1 in the country, are coming off a victory against their rivals, the Michigan Wolverines, in a thrilling Duel in the D. The Spartans, however, have faced challenges recently, managing to split four of their last five weekend series, raising questions about their dominance earlier in the season.

In contrast, the Nittany Lions are experiencing a resurgence at a crucial point in the season. After sweeping the Notre Dame Fighting Irish last weekend, Penn State has captured six victories in its last seven conference games, establishing momentum heading into the weekend.

As it stands, Michigan State leads the Big Ten standings with 39 points, holding a three-point advantage over the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Nittany Lions currently sit in fifth place, six points behind Michigan, who occupies the fourth position—a critical mark for home ice advantage in the first round of the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.

This season, the Spartans hold a 1-0-1 record against Penn State, while historically, they are 20-21-7 against the Nittany Lions in all-time meetings. Friday’s matchup will offer Michigan State an opportunity to improve its standing over the Nittany Lions and edge closer to the conference title.

The game is set to begin at 6 p.m. ET at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, and will be broadcasted on the Big Ten Network.

Michigan State boasts an overall record of 22-5-3 and is 13-4-3 in the Big Ten, while Penn State arrives with a 16-11-3 overall record and a 7-10-3 conference standing. Both teams are vying for critical points as the regular season winds down, making this matchup pivotal for their respective postseason aspirations.