Friday, March 29, 2024

Michigan State rises two spots to No. 15 in USCHO Poll

January 16, 2023
Freshman forward Gavin Best (27) attempts to score while his teammates watch on during a game against Penn State University at Munn Ice Arena on Jan. 13, 2023. The Spartans defeated the Nittany Lions with a score of 3-2.
Freshman forward Gavin Best (27) attempts to score while his teammates watch on during a game against Penn State University at Munn Ice Arena on Jan. 13, 2023. The Spartans defeated the Nittany Lions with a score of 3-2. —
Photo by Audrey Richardson | The State News

Michigan State has moved up two spots to No. 15 in this week’s USCHO Poll after erasing two-goal deficits on Friday and Saturday to take four points from Penn State in the Big Ten standings. 

The Spartans trailed 2-0 entering Friday’s third period, but forced overtime before fifth-year defenseman Cole Krygier scored a game-winner in overtime. PSU and MSU played to overtime again the following night thanks to a hat trick from senior forward Jagger Joshua. Michigan State scored in all three shootout attempts to grab the game’s extra point

Across the Big Ten, Minnesota stayed put at No. 2, Penn State fell one spot to No. 6 and Ohio State jumped Michigan after a split in Ann Arbor

Michigan State moved back up to No. 12 in the Pairwise rankings, which largely determine the 16-team NCAA Tournament field

The Spartans are idle this weekend before a road series against Minnesota Jan. 27-28. After that, MSU will have three remaining series against Notre Dame, Michigan and Wisconsin before the Big Ten Tournament in early March. According to playoffstatus.com, Michigan State is most likely to finish in either fourth or fifth place in the conference

Here’s how the rest of the rankings sit:

  1. Quinnipiac
  2. Minnesota
  3. Denver
  4. St. Cloud
  5. Boston University
  6. Penn State
  7. Ohio State
  8. Michigan
  9. Harvard
  10.  Western Michigan
  11.  Merrimack
  12.  Providence
  13.  Connecticut
  14.  Michigan Tech
  15.  Michigan State
  16.  Cornell
  17.  Minnesota State
  18.  Boston College
  19.  UMass Lowell
  20.  RIT

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