Michigan State hockey (13-2-1) came through last weekend in Minneapolis to sweep Minnesota (15-3-2). The matchup was one of the most highly anticipated of the semester for the Big Ten because it put the No. 3 ranked Spartans against the No. 1-ranked Gophers.
After two great efforts by the Spartans, those rankings have now switched in the most recent polls. The Spartans didn’t technically sweep due to Friday’s game going to a shootout, they did get the extra point though.
Also, the Spartans got their first outright win in Minneapolis since 2020 on Saturday night. It was a big weekend which leaves a lot to be discussed.
Game 1 overview
If there is only one thing that is taken from this game, it is that Trey Augustine is a star and is only getting better. Augustine has been great all season, but this game specifically could very easily be one of his most memorable as a Spartan. There were too many incredible saves to recount all of them. One of the most memorable involved a blocked shot that squeaked across the net. It looked as though the Gophers had an easy goal but Augustine got his foot out to just make the kick save.
Augustine faced 44 shots and only allowed three goals. His efforts earned him the 1st star of the game and a great deal of attention. This is a game that voters should look at when considering the Mike Richter Award later this season.
Another story of this first game was the penalties. There were a total of 13 penalties called in the span of this 3-3 shootout victory for the Spartans. In the preview article for this series, it was mentioned that the Gopher powerplay is one of the better units in college hockey. The Spartans were able to hold off that hot powerplay by only allowing them to score on one of their six powerplay opportunities. The Spartans, on the other hand, were able to score two powerplay goals in the second period off of big goals by Tanner Kelly (3-5-8) and Karsen Dorwart (3-8-11).
The offense also made themselves known in this game. The offense especially came alive during the second period of this game. The Spartans struggled to outshoot the dynamic Gopher offense, but still made opportunities all game. It was in the 2nd though that the Spartans saved this game. Michigan State had the same number of shots as the Gophers but were able to capitalize for three goals in the second.
From there, it was just holding on until the shootout where the Spartans made their first two attempts. Those goals by Daniel Russell and Dorwart helped seal the deal in what went down as a 3-3 overtime tie. Michigan State hockey received an extra point for winning the shootout.
Game 2 overview
After escaping with an overtime tie on Friday night, the Saturday night rematch was primed to be a tough, gritty game. The Spartans showed everything that is great about this team, and where they still need to improve as the season progresses. For the good, the Spartans have dangerous forwards that can take over games. They also are a very tough team to play against because the team, at its best plays with an edge.
On the other side, the team needs to limit the lapses in play. This game was a perfect example of how if you blink, a great team like Minnesota can score quickly. Luckily, the Spartans fought back in the third to seal a huge 5-3 come-from-behind victory.
The Spartan first line team deserves its flowers for the effort they gave in this game. A total of six points came from just the 1st line team with points from Strbak, Howard, Stramel, and Russell. The biggest surprise came with the offensive explosion in the 3rd period with less than 9 minutes to go. The Spartans were down 3-1 when Howard, Strbak, and Stramel within three minutes gave the Spartans the 4-3 lead. That was easily the best stretch of offensive hockey the Spartans have shown this season. The team was able to reach another gear and come back and eventually win the game.
Another shoutout needs to go to the defense in this game, especially in the 3rd period. The defense led by Maxim Skrbak and Patrick Geary limited the Gophers to only six shots in the final frame. Going against one of the most electric offenses in college hockey, is incredible. The defense stepped it up and showed that they are ready to fight against the blue bloods, whether that is blocking shots, or limiting great chances. It was an all-around great defensive effort.
Overall thoughts
This team went and proved that it was ready to be a blue blood again. The Spartans went toe-to-toe with the No. 1 ranked team in the country and beat them twice. It will not be surprising at all when these two teams end up playing each other beyond their two games at Munn next semester. This team really showed in both games that because of their depth, you can never count the Spartans out.
The offense and Augustine are the big winners for the weekend. Trey was stellar in both starts and is not so quietly making his case for being the best goaltender in college hockey. The offense in general stepped it up against a team that has been doing their fair share to embarrass good programs (Ex: Michigan) without the timely goals, this series looks a lot different and a lot less positive.
Michigan State hockey will now take a break for the holidays before they begin to prep for the GLI in Grand Rapids right before New Year’s. The field this year is very tough with Michigan Tech and No. 6 Western Michigan also playing. Those games will start on December 29th from Van Andel Arena.
Stay tuned for more updates on Spartan Hockey.
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