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The Michigan State hockey team will play its third straight weekend away from Munn Ice Arena, traveling to Austin, Texas, for a marquee non-conference matchup against North Dakota in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game on Saturday, Oct. 31, at the H-E-B Center, home of the AHL's Texas Stars.
The Spartans dropped to No. 4 in the USCHO poll after splitting a series at New Hampshire, while the Fighting Hawks fell to No. 8 following a sweep by rival Minnesota last weekend. The game will feature 13 first-round NHL draft picks (nine for MSU, four for UND), the most ever in a collegiate game, according to NCAA records.
MSU coach Adam Nightingale expressed gratitude for the opportunity. "We're thankful that we're part of this game with North Dakota down in Austin. We have a ton of alumni who will be at the game and can't wait to get down there," Nightingale said. "This was scheduled when I first got the job here, so we've been waiting for it and looking forward to it."
North Dakota opened the season 4-0 with sweeps of Bemidji State and Bentley before being outscored 10-? by Minnesota in two losses. Sophomore forward Cole Reschny leads the Fighting Hawks with four goals and four assists. Other offensive threats include Will Zellers, a former World Juniors teammate of MSU forwards Ryker Lee and Shane Vansaghi, along with Jack Kernan and Hudson Malinoski. UND's blue line is young but talented, featuring first-round picks Carson Carels and Keaton Verhoeff, and sophomore Jan Spunar, one of the top goaltenders in the NCAA last season, is expected to start in net.
Nightingale acknowledged the challenge ahead. "They're a really good team, a ton of talent and really organized, so it'll be a really good test," he said. "We want to have success based on the way we work. I think talent will take over, you know, but you have to be ready to sweat and work. It should make for a great matchup."
In total, 31 NHL draft picks will participate in the game, including 17 on MSU's roster. One of MSU's first-round selections, freshman forward Mason West, scored his first collegiate goal in the Spartans' 2-1 win over New Hampshire on Oct. 24. With that goal, every MSU newcomer who has played this season has recorded at least one point.
"The coaches have been really harping on me to go to the net and drive in, and (MSU forward) Jimmy (Clark) made a really good play to make a 2-on-2 into a 2-on-1, then made a really good pass over to me," West said. "It's been great here. I feel the growth from July to now has been tremendous for me, going through some adversity in the summer with hard practices and what not, but overall, I love it here."
Puck drop is scheduled for 8:07 p.m. ET. The game can be streamed with a subscription to NCHC TV or watched on the Great Lakes Sports Network. Radio coverage will be available on the Spartans Media Network, including WVFN 730-AM.
Originally reported by yahoo.