Hildebrand started all 35 games for the Spartans a year ago, and led all Big Ten goaltenders with a.930 save percentage and a 2.18 goals-against average.
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The Spartans finished second in last year’s Big Ten regular season standings, just two points behind league champ Minnesota. The Badgers were sixth in the six-team league, behind fourth-place Penn State and fifth-place Ohio State. Most fans would agree to that, despite how rusty the Buckeyes have looked in their four tune-up games – and let’s be honest, that’s all they really were. Big Ten semifinalists are Indiana’s Nate Sudfeld, Iowa’s Jordan Lomax, Michigan’s Desmond Morgan, Michigan State’s Jack Allen, Minnesota’s Jon Christenson, Ohio State’s Jacoby Boren, Penn State’s Ben Kline, Purdue’s Robert Kugler, Rutgers’ Quentin Gause and Wisconsin’s Derek Watt.
By virtue of its 31-0 shutout of previously ranked BYU, Michigan entered the AP Poll for the first time this year at 22 to join Northwestern (No. 16) and Wisconsin (No. 19) to give the Big Ten five ranked teams. The Hoosiers last started a season 4-0 in 1990.
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Wisconsin officially opens practice on Saturday, with the season opening weekend coming the following Friday and Saturday, October 9 and 10 against Northern Michigan at the Kohl Center. Remember, Illinois got drilled at North Carolina, and Penn State lost to Temple. Nebraska is irrelevant at best. Minnesota won the Big Ten Tournament last season to earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes have won 12 consecutive Big Ten road games, the third-longest streak in conference history.
