Top-ranked Michigan State Hockey prepares for No. 10 Michigan

It’s Hate Week, Michigan State hockey fans.

This week, No. 1-ranked Michigan State (18-2-2) are preparing for the No. 10 Michigan Wolverines (13-8-1). The most storied rivalry in college hockey will add two more editions this weekend as these two rivals meet for the first of four times this season.

Series history

The rivalry between the Spartans and the Wolverines needs no introduction. This weekend will mark the 344th and 345th all time meeting between these two teams. The rivalry dates back to 1922 and is the most played rivalry in all of college hockey. Michigan has the historical edge in the rivalry with a record of 177-142-24.

Over the past 10 games, the Spartans lead the series at 5-5 and looks to remain highly-contested this season.

Last season, the Spartans dominated the Wolverines through most of the season. The two teams played each other a record six times last season. The Spartans took five of the six matches, only losing in the regional final of the NCAA hockey tournament. That regional game was the last time that these two teams faced off and it was a game that the Spartans should use to fuel themselves as we move into this seasons matchups.

Michigan overview

The Michigan Wolverines (13-8-1) have carved a solid case for themselves this year already for the NCAA Tournament. The team currently is ranked No. 10 in the nation and have a number of solid wins in the first half of the season. Looking at their season so far, their most impressive series of the season was a sweep of No. 11 Boston University. If there has been one thing that has held the Wolverines back this season, it has been their struggle to string together wins. Their record shows that while they do have good wins, they aren’t able to get many of the sweeps to put them higher in the rankings.

Another big struggle for the Wolverines has been their play in conference games. Going into the series against the Spartans, the Wolverines have a 7-5 record. Most of those wins have come against Notre Dame and Penn State. The wins against these schools are the only thing keeping Michigan out of last place in the conference. It is important to note that the Wolverines only have conference games remaining including 4 games against the Spartans and two against the Golden Gophers.

As far as the team itself goes, the Wolverines have a lot of high end talent as usual. Their best player this season has been freshman Michael Hage (11-13-24). Hage is a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens, has come as advertised. His best skill currently is his shot. He is able to pinpoint spots of the net very well for his age which makes him dangerous.

Another player to keep an eye on this weekend is freshman Will Horcoff (1-3-4). He made the rare move of enrolling early and joining the team halfway through. Considering that this will cost him a year of eligibility, it is clear he doesn’t plan on staying long in Ann Arbor. He is currently ranked No. 28 on the NHL Central Scouting Rankings for prospects. Horcoff is coming to Ann Arbor from the USNTDP program in Plymouth. So far in his four games, he is averaging a point per game. This quick impact will need to be addressed by Michigan State hockey going into this series.

Spartan keys to success

The Spartans will be looking to build off of a tough series last weekend. While there were a lot of good moments in the series against Penn State, the games were a bit closer than they probably should have been. Easily the toughest part of last weekend was losing in the shootout.

The second game was not Augustine’s best, but it was his first game back with the team.

One of the biggest keys to success this weekend will be solid play by Trey Augustine in net. After a week of practice with the team, fans should expect a better result than last Saturday. Augustine also has a chip on his shoulder considering the last time that he played the Wolverines, he gave up five goals. On top of that, this series will always be emotional for him. Once Coach Adam Nightingale was hired at Michigan State, he was able to convince Augustine to flip to Michigan State hockey from Michigan. Expect Augustine to be locked in for these matchups.

Another key to success this weekend will be the continued push on offense from the Spartans. Both teams are among the highest scoring in the NCAA. Michigan state averages 3.45 goals per game and the Wolverines average 3.14 goals per game. After an offensive explosion from Isaac Howard last weekend, hopefully he has some more to give this weekend. If not, the offense will rely on guys like Joey Larson and Charlie Stramel. This is one of the biggest strengths that the Spartans have, a wealth of depth scoring.

The Spartans have four solid scoring lines that make it hard for team to match up with. Look for the depth to provide a solid edge this weekend.

Where to watch/listen

These marquee matchups will be split between Ann Arbor and East Lansing this weekend. On Friday, the game will be in Ann Arbor at Yost Ice Arena. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. ET and will be streaming on BTN+. For Saturday, the game will be in East Lansing at Munn. Puck drop will be at 8 p.m. ET and will be airing on the Big Ten Network. As always the game will also be airing on the Spartan Media Network. Follow me @ikerss98 and @MSUShadowsPod for more great content on MSU Hockey.