BTN Hockey Report: 3 big conference series ahead this weekend

A monumental moment occurred in Big Ten hockey over the weekend as Michigan's Red Berenson earned his 800th win after Michigan swept No. 9 Minnesota. He is one of four college hockey coaches to win 800 games. The Big Ten completed two conference series, a non-conference matchup, and an exhibition game.

Here?s how the weekend played out:

FRIDAY, JAN. 9
Ohio State def. Penn State, 5-4 (OT)
Michigan def. No. 9 Minnesota, 4-3 (OT)
Wisconsin tied No. 2 Boston University, 3-3
Michigan State def. U.S. Under-18 Team (exhib.), 4-1

SATURDAY, JAN. 10
Penn State def. Ohio State, 4-1
Michigan def. No. 9 Minnesota, 7-5
No. 2 Boston University def. Wisconsin, 6-1

There?s a pure Big Ten weekend coming up and here are the matchup previews:

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WISCONSIN AT NO. 16 MINNESOTA
When: Friday Jan. 16 9 p.m. ET; Saturday Jan. 17 7 p.m. ET.
How to watch: Friday?s game airs live on BTN, Saturday?s game airs live on FSN and BTN2GO
Players to watch: Look for Wisconsin?s Jedd Soleway to pose an offensive threat to the Gopher defense. Minnesota?s Travis Boyd is also a force to be reckoned with and scored in both contests for the Gophers over the weekend against Michigan.
The latest on the Gophers: Minnesota is 3-6-1 in their last 10 games after getting swept in Ann Arbor last weekend. All-American goaltender Adam Wilcox has been feeling the heat lately with a 2.51 GAA (as compared to the 1.88 GAA he posted his freshman season or the 1.97 GAA from his sophomore year).
The latest on the Badgers: Wisconsin has shown that they can play amongst the top-contenders in the nation, it?s just a matter of which team shows up. After a tie and a loss to No. 2 Boston University, the Badgers continue to rely on the consistency of goaltender Joel Rumpel. He earned 36 saves against BU Friday night, but allowed six goals on Saturday.
In Summary: Despite Wisconsin?s infamous rough season so far, this is an unmatched rivalry in college hockey that won?t disappoint this weekend. This is not a guaranteed sweep for Minnesota if the Badgers come to play as they did against top ranked teams like Michigan Tech and BU.

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No. 19 MICHIGAN AT OHIO STATE
When: Friday Jan. 16 7 p.m. ET.
How to watch: Friday?s game will air live on Fox Sports Detroit and BTN2GO
Players to watch: Buckeye forward Anthony Greco scored the game-winning goal in overtime for OSU on Friday night. After his solid performance with the World Juniors, Dylan Larkin has fully come into his own for the Wolverines. He scored twice on Saturday against Minnesota.
The latest on the Buckeyes: Ohio State will continue to test its consistency after a weekend split against Penn State. The Buckeyes' line of freshmen Luke Stork and Christian Lampasso and senior Nick Oddo contributed three goals and seven points in Friday?s victory. The Buckeyes enter the weekend 2-3 in conference play.
The Latest on the Wolverines: Michigan earned a conference sweep against Minnesota over the weekend, which put them atop the conference standings. Head coach Red Berenson earned his 800th career win after Saturday?s victory. The Wolverines have now won 10 of their last 12 games.
In Summary: The Ohio State vs. Michigan rivalry lives in every sport. This weekend will be no different for college hockey. Michigan is sure to be tested on the road in a tough environment after enjoying a slew of home games. The Wolverines are 1-5 on the road.

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MICHIGAN STATE AT PENN STATE
When: Friday Jan. 16 7 p.m. ET; Saturday Jan. 17 5 p.m. ET
How to watch: Friday?s game will air live on BTN Plus and Saturday?s game will air live on ESPNU
Players to watch: Penn State?s Casey Bailey earned a hat trick in the heartbreaking loss to OSU in overtime Friday night. Spartan forward Matt Deblouw is coming off a dominant performance over the weekend tallying a goal and an assist in an impressive 4-1 victory.
The latest on the Spartans: Michigan State received offensive contributions from four different players in its 4-1 exhibition victory over the United State National Team Development Program U-18 squad. Two USDP alums had a chance to earn some time and have an impact Friday night; Dylan Pavelek and Ed Minney both played pivotal roles in the victory over their former team.
The Latest on the Nittany Lions: Penn State is trying to establish themselves as a legitimate contender in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions proved their resiliency Friday night against OSU after coming back from a four-goal deficit in the third period. They fell in overtime, but then they would battle back Saturday night, taking down the Buckeyes by a final score of 4-1. A sweep against the Spartans could warrant Penn State the legitimacy they desire.
In Summary: We?re entering the heart of college hockey season and this conference matchup is crucial for both teams to distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack.