Sat Mar 08 02:00:00 UTC 2025: **Michigan Wolverines Face Penn State Nittany Lions in Big Ten Hockey Quarterfinals**

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (March 5, 2025) – The University of Michigan Wolverines (18-13-3) will host the Penn State Nittany Lions (18-12-4) in a best-of-three Big Ten hockey quarterfinal series this weekend at Yost Ice Arena. The fourth-seeded Wolverines, ranked #11 nationally, will face the fifth-seeded Nittany Lions (#15) in a rematch of a regular season series that saw each team win twice.

Games are scheduled for Friday, March 7th and Saturday, March 8th at 7 p.m., with a potential game three on Sunday, March 9th, also at 7 p.m. All games will be streamed live on B1G+.

Michigan holds a slight edge in the overall series history (31-18-1), and boasts a strong tournament record, having reached the Big Ten Championship game for the past three seasons. Head coach Brandon Naurato holds the best Big Ten Tournament winning percentage in history (87.5%).

The Wolverines’ offense is led by junior T.J. Hughes (36 points), freshman Michael Hage (33 points, including four game-winners), and Evan Werner (22 points). Penn State counters with Aiden Fink (47 points), Charlie Cerrato (31 points), and Reese Laubach (29 points). The Nittany Lions boast the ninth-best scoring offense in the NCAA, averaging 3.41 goals per game. Goaltender Arsenii Sergeev has a solid .918 save percentage and a 2.57 goals-against average.

Both teams have strong special teams, although Michigan holds a slight advantage with a 25% power play and an 81.7% penalty kill compared to Penn State’s 21.4% and 79.4%, respectively. Michigan’s experience in overtime games (6-1-3) may also prove crucial. The series promises a thrilling clash between two evenly matched teams vying for a Big Ten Championship berth.

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