Lansing Sun

East Lansing, Mich. -- Junior forward Isaac Howard has been recognized as the Big Ten First Star of the Week following a standout performance in a series against Penn State. Howard, from Hudson, Wisconsin, contributed significantly with five goals and an assist over two games.

In Friday's 6-4 win, Howard scored four goals and added an assist. He also netted one of Michigan State University's two goals in Saturday's 2-2 tie with the Nittany Lions. His four-goal achievement was close to the school record of five goals in a game, last reached by Mike Donnelly against Ohio State in December 1985. It marked MSU's first four-goal game since Erik Middendorf's performance against Wisconsin in November 2022 and was the Spartans' first five-point effort since Lee Reimer's performance on October 29, 2011.

Howard is emerging as a potential candidate for the Hobey Baker Award due to his impressive season statistics. He leads nationally in several categories: goals (18), goals per game (0.82), points (33), and points per game (1.5). Additionally, he ranks ninth in assists per game within the Big Ten at 0.68. This goal tally matches Patrick Khodorenko's record from the 2018-19 season for an MSU skater.

The Spartans are currently on a nine-game unbeaten streak dating back to December 6th, during which Howard has accumulated a scoring line of 12-6-18. His contributions include goals in each of MSU’s last seven games and points in 18 out of their 22 contests this season.

Howard is nearing his sophomore year total of 36 points with his current tally of 33 and has achieved ten multiple-point games this season—a career high. He has more than doubled his previous single-season best of eight goals from his sophomore year and surpassed his career total of twelve scores from his first two seasons.

This recognition marks the fourth time this season that Howard has received weekly honors from the Big Ten, equaling a school record for most Three-Star designations for an individual player within a single season—a record previously held by goaltenders Jake Hildebrand, Dylan St. Cyr, and Trey Augustine.