UNH gets No. 2 Michigan State in Durham, a year after stealing one
The Spartans are third in the NPI and UNH is 20th, so one win at the Whittemore Center would be worth more than it looks.
Michigan State was the No. 2 team in the country when New Hampshire visited East Lansing last October, and the Wildcats still took a game off the Spartans. This weekend the rematch comes to Durham, and UNH needs a similar result to make anybody outside New England pay attention.
The Spartans are 3-0-0 and No. 2 in the USCHO poll, with two first-place votes. They're third in the NPI. UNH is 2-1-1 and 20th in the NPI.
That gap is the Ferda number for the weekend. A split against a top-three NPI opponent does more for UNH's tournament résumé than a sweep of most of its Hockey East schedule.
The games are Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Whittemore Center.
Rivalry file: These programs opened last season against each other at Munn Ice Arena. UNH won the first night 4-3 when Marty Lavins scored with five seconds remaining, and Kyle Chauvette made 34 saves in his Wildcats debut.
The next night Michigan State won 2-0, with Chauvette making 36 more saves. Two nights, one goal of difference across the weekend, and a 70-save introduction for a goaltender. That's the template for New Hampshire.
What Michigan State brings: Anthony Romani has three points in three games, and defenseman Chase Reid has five. Ryker Lee and Eric Nilson have five points each.
Freshman goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen was the Big Ten's third star last week after a 25-save performance in a 5-1 win at RIT, including 15 saves in the third period. Coach Adam Nightingale is 98-44-11 at Michigan State, two victories from 100.
The read: UNH can't trade chances with this group. It has to keep the Spartans on the perimeter, win the special-teams battle, and make its own goaltender the best player on the ice for six periods. It worked for one night last year in a hostile building. It can work at home on a Friday.
Kessler's call: Michigan State sweeps, and Nightingale collects his 100th victory on Saturday night at the Whittemore Center. I'll be happy to be wrong, because UNH has done this before.
