MSU players fist bump after scoring a goal at the DCU center in Worcester, Mass. on March 26, 2026.
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.”
The Huskies scored just after MSU killed off its second penalty, quickly breaking the puck out to create a 2-on-2 rush. Forward Joey Muldowney found forward Tabor Heaslip in the slot for the game’s first goal at 5:27 in the first period.
Right after the goal, blocked shots and a diving save from Augustine helped kill off another penalty, which was vital to keep the Spartans in the game. Just 11 seconds after that, MSU was on the power play itself.
Lee tied the game at 1-1 after three of his teammates took shots. After getting checked near the blue line with a defender on his tail, Lee maintained the puck and took it all the way to the net, chipping a shot past UConn goaltender Tyler Muszelik before falling onto the ice.
“We knew they were going to come out hard with us on the power play,” Lee said. “We were ready for that, and I was just breaking that pressure. And I was walking downhill and saw some space to take it to the net, and thought, why not? And luckily it went in.”
Lee’s goal came with 1:05 left in the period and the 1-1 tie held entering the first intermission. The Huskies led the shot count 18-8, despite MSU holding a 13-8 faceoff advantage.
Tied in the second
The second period started even, with both sides finding the attack zone.
MSU’s penalty-kill unit went to work for the fourth time after senior center Charlie Stramel was called for goaltender interference. The Spartans cleared the puck, and senior winger Daniel Russell broke in shorthanded with a defender at his side, but missed the shot.
The whistle blew and Russell was given a penalty shot for interference from the defense. Russell, who has taken the first penalty shot in the Spartans' shootouts this season, missed his attempt.
MSU killed off its penalty and prevented goals despite a couple dangerous situations and turnovers. At 11:22, matching penalties resulted in 4-on-4 play, allowing the Spartans to score with extra space.
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Spartans take the lead
UConn forward Mike Murtagh meant to hand the puck to a teammate, but the connection missed and Martone took it instead. Martone found senior center Tiernan Shoudy, who sent it back to Martone, allowing the freshman to score on a one timer.
Despite more 4-on-4 play chances for the Spartans, and later a shorthanded opportunity from junior winger Tommi Männisto, the 2-1 score held entering the final intermission. The Huskies still outshot MSU 13-9 in the second period.
“There was a moment there in the second where we were ‘hair on fire’ a little bit,” Nightingale said. It's like, ‘Guys, take a deep breath. We're a really good hockey team. We're in really good shape. This is what we've trained to do, and we just got to go out and execute.’ And great teams find a way to win games.”
Final 20 minutes
The third period was mainly up and down the sheet.
Augustine stopped a shot from forward Ryan Tattle just a couple minutes into the period and continued to do so. The Spartans did not make a shot on goal for almost 10 minutes. MSU missed wide and missed passing connections, but its defense maintained the lead.
The Spartans went on the power play about halfway through the third period and generated a couple of shots, but did not increase their lead. They saw other chances throughout the frame, and UConn continued to showcase its competitiveness.
“I love our group's response to (when) things weren’t going our way sometimes in this game, and we just stuck with it," Nightingale said. "That’s what teams do, that's how great teams win and just continue to stick with and play our game.”
UConn pulled Muszelik from the net around the two-minute mark, and Männisto took two empty-net shots, missing wide and then nailing the pipe. The Huskies called a timeout with 1:22 left, and MSU followed suit before the faceoff.
In the final minute, Russell took MSU’s last shot. UConn maintained the puck but its last-ditch effort was denied by Augustine.
“We've been in a lot of close games this year, and we found a way to put them away,” Nightingale said. “This was another example of just staying with it. But I would say it's less of adjustments, it's more mentality.”
