Matt Crandell Class: Senior Hometown: St. Cloud, Minn. Height / Weight: 5-10 / 195 Position: D Birthdate: 12/09/1988 Previous Team: Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)

2010-11 (Junior) Academic All-Big Ten selection ... Played in all 38 games, recording six assists ... Paired on the blueline primarily with classmate Brock Shelgren for the second straight season... Recorded a season-high two blocks twice against Maine (10/14)... Assisted on both Zach Golembiewski and Brett Perlini's goals against Alabama Huntsville (10/29)... Registered the assist on Mike Merrifield's tally against Ohio State (11/12)... Notched the helper on Brett Perlini's game-winning goal in a 5-2 victory at Minnesota (11/26) ... Assisted on Kevin Walrod's first collegiate goal, against Michigan Tech in the Great Lakes Invitational (12/30) ... Was a +2 in the win and tie at Lake Superior (1/14-15) ... Blocked three shots in the Ohio State series, and played his 100th career game against the Buckeyes (2/5) ... Finished with three blocks and was a +2 in the Alaska series ... Was also a +2 in the Bowling Green series .

2009-10 (Sophomore): Dressed in each of MSU's 38 games, paired on the blueline with either Tim Buttery or Brock Shelgren ... Emerged as a steady, reliable, stay-at-home defender ... Was credited by head coach Rick Comley as making the biggest improvement of all returning players, primarily due to being healthy ... Recorded 12 points on a goal and 11 helpers ... Second among blueliners with a +7, behind freshman Zach Josepher ... Whistled for just seven minor penalties, the fewest among the five defensemen to log at least 28 games ... Also had 33 blocked shots ... Recorded a point in each of the first two series of the season against Clarkson and Maine, delivering a bone-crushing open-ice hit against Clarkson ... Assisted on Andrew Rowe's overtime goal in an upset of top-ranked Miami (10/24) ... Had his first career multiple-point game in a 3-2 victory at Michigan (11/13), assisting on the second and third MSU tallies ... Was a +3 in the Michigan series ...Had a career-best three-point night against Michigan Tech in the Great Lakes Invitational, which included his first collegiate tally and a pair of assists. He was also a +3 ... Had one assist in the loss at Notre Dame (1/15) ... Assisted on a pair of goals in MSU's 5-2 victory over Ohio State (1/22) and was a +2 ... Assisted on Andrew Rowe's tally against Ferris State (2/20).

2008-09 (Freshman): Appeared in 32 games his first collegiate season ... Notched five assists ... Registered his first career point, an assist on Andrew Rowe's third-period goal, in Michigan State's 2-2 tie against Northern Michigan (10/24)...Assisted on Daultan Leveille's game-winning tally in 2-0 win over Northern Michigan (10/25)...Was +2 in Michigan State's 3-1 win over Western Michigan (10/31)...Assisted on Andrew Rowe's power-play strike in 2-2 tie against Ferris State (2/6)...Assisted on Jeff Petry's game-winning goal against Ohio State (2/14)...Credited an assist on Matt Schepke's power-play marker in 3-2 win over Bowling Green (2/20).

Prior to MSU: Played two seasons for the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League (USHL), where he was a teammate of sophomores Dustin Gazley and Andrew Rowe in 2006-07 ... Was a USHL All-Star and named the team's top defenseman in 2007-08 ... In his final season, potted eight goals and 21 assists for 29 points in 60 games and was the team's top-scoring blueliner ... Helped the team to a two-year overall 71-46-8 record ... Served as an alternate captain his second season in Sioux City ... Attended St. Cloud Cathedral High School (2002-06), where he was a three-year soccer letterman and starter in addition to playing hockey ... Was an alternate captain in soccer and captain of the hockey squad in his junior season (2005-06) ... Was an all-conference selection in soccer (2005, 2006) and earned all-area honors (2005, 2006), and honorable mention all-state kudos for hockey in 2005-06.

Personal: Born Dec. 9, 1988, in St. Cloud, Minn. ... Son of Marilyn and Ron Crandell ... Civil engineering major ... Sister, Teresa, graduated from St. Cloud State and played girls varsity hockey at Shattuck-St. Mary's in high school ... Cousin, Mark McDonald, was a kicker for the University of Nebraska football team in the late 1980's ... Hobbies include fishing, golfing, and motorcycles ... Favorite NHL team: Minnesota Wild ... Favorite NHL player: Ray Bourque ... Says his sister was his biggest hockey influence.