At the end of the day, the team that executes more wins the game. 

With three seconds to play against UConn, Michigan State hockey junior goaltender Trey Augustine stopped one last shot, solidifying the Spartans' 2-1 victory to advance in the NCAA Tournament.

UConn scored first, outshot MSU in every period (42-22 overall) and went on five power plays — the Spartans killed off each one. When MSU broke down defensively, Augustine stepped up, saving a staggering 41 shots total, and the defense's back end took care of rebounds. 

“I thought [UConn was] the better team,” MSU head coach Adam Nightingale said postgame. “I think that's just the reality. We've been on the other side of it, where I felt that way ... I thought Trey (Augustine) was the best player on the ice by a country mile, and a ton of respect for how hard [UConn] played.”

Freshman forwards Ryker Lee and Porter Martone scored MSU's two goals, one apiece. The Spartans improved as the game went on and handled the final moments with poise despite the one-goal lead. 

MSU will stand as one of eight teams remaining after Friday night, advancing to the Worcester regional final and improving to 26-8-2 overall.

The Spartans will play for a spot in the Frozen Four on Saturday, March 28 either No. 2 seed Dartmouth or No. 3 seed Wisconsin, who compete at 5:30 p.m. today. 

A slow start

The first 15 minutes of the game were scoreless, although UConn generated the most chances. The Spartans took three penalties in the first period, the first one coming before the two-minute mark. 

“We got ourselves in some penalty trouble,” Nightingale said. “That's not a recipe to keep playing this time of year. So we got to clean that up.”