Michigan State Hockey: Quick Takeaways from first Minnesota Game

After a series sweep against Wisconsin, No. 2 Michigan State hockey returned to the Ron Mason Rink at Munn Ice Arena for a two-game home series against the 8-14-1 Minnesota Golden Gophers. Before the game, MSU honored Director of Hockey Operations Dan Sturges, who unexpectedly passed away on Monday, with a brief moment of silence.

Sturges’s death rattled the Spartans as he was truly a light within the program. Sturges, a member of the 2007 National Championship team, was highly respected and always wanted his players to play 60 minutes of Knees-bent hockey.

The Spartans prevailed and dedicated their victory to the late Sturges. In the presser after the game, multiple players voiced their opinions on Sturges himself and what he meant to the program.

“Sturgy was one of the reasons I loved coming to the rink,”  junior forward Gavin O’Connell said.

“Its a hard week, especially when you lose someone like Coach Sturges,” defenseman Maxim Strbak added.

Overall an emotional game turned into an impressive victory for MSU, pushing the Spartans record to 18-5-0. Here are a couple of quick takeaways from tonight’s contest.

1. Michigan State hockey knows how to develop Goalies

Both goalies that were on the ice are some of the best within the Big Ten. Detroit Red Wings prospect and current MSU goalie Trey Augustine and Minnesota’s Luca Di Pasquo both played remarkable defense during the contest, and impressed Spartans head coach Adam Nightingale.

“Trey is a valuable member to this team. I’m proud of how he played tonight,”  Nightingale said during his presser.

Di Pasquo played at Michigan State last season, when Augustine spent time with the Team USA in the IIHF World Junior Championship. During that seven-game stretch, Di Pasquo help his Spartans win all seven games, and recorded a .933 save percentage in limited action. That included winning the MVP of the 2024 Great Lakes Invitational as Augustine was with Team USA.

Tonight, Di Pasquo recorded 40 saves on a mind-boggling 43 Spartan shots. The Minnesota netminder put in a performance that Dan Sturges would have been proud of, as Adam Nightingale said post-game.

2. The Spartans did not just look ahead, they dominated

During multiple possessions, it just seemed like the green and white were one step ahead. Michigan State had 43 shots compared to Minnesota’s 26, partly from MSU winning 59% of the total faceoffs.

The Spartans looked faster, stronger and ahead of the Golden Gophers. In general, MSU would get across the red line so quick, Minnesota could not set up their defensive package. In the final two minutes of the game, Minnesota only had a six-man attack for under 30 seconds despite Di Pasquo actively looking at the bench around the three-minute mark left in the contest.

Michigan State dominated tonight on both sides of the ice. The scoreboard may not show a blowout, but Nightingale said all that needed to be told in his presser after the game. Which, considering the situation and the blow of losing someone as beloved as Sturges, effort was what the coach wanted tonight.

“I could tell that we were giving that effort,” Nightingale said. “That’s what we want as coaches. My feeling would not have changed if the scoreboard said we lost.”

While it does not make everything magically better for Michigan State hockey, the win helped heal the Spartan hockey family a little, even if it was just during 60 minutes of action on Friday night.