EAST LANSING – Ranked No. 13 nationally and second place in the Big Ten standings are the Michigan State Spartans. 

Who’s first in the Big Ten? The Minnesota Golden Gophers. Both of them will clash this Friday and Saturday for the top spot in the conference.

MSU (11-4-1) is coming off a red-hot November, winning seven out of its last eight matchups. The only loss coming on the road against No. 6 Penn State. Last month, MSU averaged 4.625 goals per game. The best in the nation for the time period. 

Meanwhile, No. 4 ranked Minnesota (11-5-0) has won seven of their past nine contests and is coming off a split against the Arizona State Sun Devils. 

Dylan St. Cyr, starting goalie and graduate transfer for the Spartans, is putting up great numbers in his first season for the green and white. He’s currently sitting at a 2.13 goals allowed average and a 0.934 save percentage which is fourth best in the nation. However, the Spartans face their hardest offensive test of the season as they face a Golden Gopher team that scores 3.90 goals per game, third best in the nation. 

Jimmy Snuggerud, a freshman forward for the Golden Gophers and first-round draft pick of the St. Louis Blues, is leading the charge with 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 16 games played. He’s been an offensive dynamo for Minnesota in his young career. Look for him to put some points up this weekend. 

Coming off a hat trick last weekend against Miami (OH) and 10 points (6 goals, 4 assists) in his past six games, MSU freshman Karsen Dorwart is somebody to keep an eye out for. His 17 points on the season is second on the team, just one point behind his freshman linemate Daniel Russell.

Minnesota dominates the all-time series 129-50-16 and have won the past nine matchups, but MSU has only lost two out of nine games on home ice this season. 

Impact Staff Predictions 

Ryan Radosevich: Series split. MSU will break its losing streak against the Gophers. Minnesota is a very talented team especially with freshman Logan Cooley and Snuggerud putting up big numbers early on. Both teams’ play styles match each other well, and I do not see a world where one team wins both games. Should be a great series.  

Jacob Stinson: Series split. Minnesota is a young team with really talented freshmen in Cooley and Snuggerud, but they’re 4-3-0 on the road. Meanwhile, MSU has won its last six in a row at home. While Minnesota is a more talented team, the Spartans play great team hockey, making this an exciting matchup. 

Jacob Phillips: Series split. Both teams have performed well up to this point, and neither has proven themselves undeniably better. If Minnesota and MSU both play its best, each can take a game away from this weekend. 

Puck drop is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. on Saturday. Both games will take place at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing.