Around the Big Ten Hockey: Week 20

Audio/Story posted February 21, 2020 in

Host Logan Bourandas and analyst Jordan Hession dive into what is a crucial weekend in hockey for the Big Ten. They visit each matchup and give their predictions.

Another disappointing outing from the first-place Penn State Nittany Lions turned into yet another change in the Big Ten standings, as Minnesota has joined Penn State in a tie for first. The Golden Gophers had a big week not only by reclaiming a first-place spot but by reentering the top 20, as they sit at No. 18. This sets up a huge match in University Park this weekend to help break yet the tie at the top of the standings.

Although they escaped Madison with a split, the Nittany Lions definitely expected better against the worst team in the conference. Ever since conference play resumed at the start of the new year, the Nittany Lions have been treading water, as the rest of the conference has started to catch up. As for the Golden Gophers, they’ve been one of the hottest teams in the conference lately, nearly sweeping Notre Dame last week, as they lost Game 1 in overtime. The last time Penn State and Minnesota met, the Nittany Lions destroyed the Golden Gophers on their own ice, but that match happened in November. This series is taking place in State College, but both teams have taken much different paths since that November meeting.

Elsewhere, Michigan has found itself back into the race, as the Wolverines have climbed up from sixth to third in the conference via a sweep of Michigan State last weekend. Aside from Minnesota, Michigan has been one of the hottest teams in the country, winning eight of the last 10 conference games with sweeps over Michigan State, Wisconsin and Notre Dame. The Wolverines will face the Fighting Irish in a rematch this weekend.

The final series matchup taking place this weekend will feature the two teams tied for fourth in the Big Ten in Ohio State and Michigan State. The Buckeyes took last weekend off and haven’t played since the Nittany Lions came to town. Although they sit at fourth in the Big Ten, the Buckeyes still find themselves ranked one spot behind Penn State at No. 12.

The Penn State-Minnesota series will likely decide the Big Ten winner, as there is only one week left before conference tournament play. The series is especially huge for the Nittany Lions, as this will be their final week of the regular season. Minnesota, meanwhile, will take on Michigan next week, so all the Golden Gophers have to do is split both series, and they will clinch the Big Ten title via an amazing season comeback.

 

Logan Bourandas is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email lxb5412@psu.edu.

About the Contributors

Jordan Hession's photo

Jordan Hession

Junior / Broadcast Journalism

Jordan Hession is a junior from Annapolis, Maryland majoring in broadcast journalism. Jordan is the co-host of CommRadio’s longest running live radio show The Sin Bin with Kyle Cannillo. In the summer of 2020, Jordan interned at SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio as a sports programmer. When Jordan is not discussing sports, he is writing various articles for collegiate and professional sports leagues and teams. Jordan has a love for all sports but has a genuine passion to spread ice hockey and baseball globally. Away from broadcast journalism, Jordan enjoys lifting weights and cooking. Jordan’s role models in the broadcast journalism industry include Doc Emrick, Gary Thorne and Mike Lange. In the future, Jordan sees himself working as a producer or host in sports talk radio and potentially television. To contact Jordan, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Logan Bourandas's photo

Logan Bourandas

Third-Year / Broadcast Journalism

Logan Bourandas is a third-year broadcast journalism major from Long Island, NY. He is a the news director for CommRadio and the host of Ducks on the Pond, which is an all-baseball talk show on CommRadio. He is also a sports writer, broadcaster and podcaster for CommRadio. He got his start as the station manager for his high school radio station WPOB in his hometown of Plainview, NY, where he hosted numerous radio shows and was involved in sports broadcasts. You can contact him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).