Major preseason praise for Michigan State hockey

Michigan State hockey is getting some major preseason praise from the Big Ten. The program has made a drastic turnaround.

While the footballs are already flying, the skates are being sharpened for what will hopefully be another historic season for Michigan State hockey, and Big Ten coaches think so, too. Preseason honors came out this week with the team was ranked No. 1 in the preseason coaches poll and three Spartans named to first-team All-Big Ten.

Let’s take a look.

The team always comes first, and in this case, the Spartans literally came first, topping Minnesota and the Ann Arbor school to earn the top spot in the poll. The Spartans are retaining arguably their best forward, best goalie, and only losing their best defenseman, Artyom Levshunov, to the NHL. However, with that loss comes many candidates to claim the spot as the leader of the Spartans’ blue line including newcomer Vladislav Lukashevich, or powerful sophomores like Maxim Štrbák and Pat Geary. The Russian-born Lukashevich might be the consensus on that topic, coming off a nearly point-per-game season in the USHL. In a final look, one could argue that the reigning champs are 95 percent intact from last season, if not more so.

Looking at the individuals, the obvious we can start with first. Trey Augustine is the leader — he’s the point guard, the quarterback, and the first-team All-Big Ten preseason goalie. Second-team All-Big Ten, All-Freshman Team, Big Ten Tournament MVP… you get the idea. Not much to say other than that the future Detroit Red Wing will be the foundation for this year’s campaign.

Isaac Howard also returns to take his spot on the first All-Big Ten preseason list. The man who goes viral for his eccentric outfits as well as his stunning playmaking ability. Isaac picks up where he left off as an honorable mention All-Big Ten in his second season in East Lansing. The dynamic left winger hopes to return to his leadership role in this spartan offense in what will (for him) hopefully be his last season with the Spartans before going pro.

Finally, Karsen Dorwart in his junior season earns his first preseason flowers as one of the team’s upperclassman leaders. After improving his game to nearly a point per game last season, the assistant captain hopes to have an even bigger impact on the Spartans’ season.

These preseason accolades are proof that hopes and dreams have turned into expectations and a bittersweet place to be. But with the team being mostly intact from last season, there is no reason to believe Michigan State hockey can’t get back, or even go further.