“It’s tough to win a regular season championship,” MSU head coach Adam Nightingale said. “I think that is the best test of the health of your program. And for our guys to do it three times in a row is pretty special.”

MSU played with the detail and effort needed to secure the title, executing offensively, finishing checks and trusting teammates to follow. The Spartans’ penalty kill went a perfect 3-for-3 against Minnesota’s No. 3-ranked power-play unit.

The Spartans scored four goals in the second period, and junior goaltender Trey Augustine remained perfect, giving MSU a 5-0 lead entering the final period.

“The second was as good as we played this year,” Nightingale said. “We did a lot of things we try to do as a hockey team.”

Augustine finished with 23 saves, stopping every shot he faced until roughly eight minutes remained.

His shutout bid ended when Minnesota winger Tanner Ludtke scored from the left faceoff circle for the Gophers’ lone goal.

MSU outshot Minnesota in every period, and three Spartans finished with two goals: freshman forwards Ryker Lee and Porter Martone and senior center Tiernan Shoudy. Martone now has 23 goals this season, moving into third place for goals scored by a freshman in program history.

“[Seniors Matt Basgall, Daniel Russell and Shoudy] really started this program from the bottom,” Martone said. “I'm lucky enough to come as a freshman and join it. They’ve been great leaders to all the freshmen in this class. They really know what it was at rock bottom and they grinded and now we have three Big Ten championships in a row so that’s gotta be saying something.”

The title comes after a loss and shootout win against Ohio State last weekend. Nightingale called the loss one of the toughest games during his time at MSU, but the team responded well, playing some of its best hockey of the season. 

“We’ve responded every single time we lost a game this year,” Shoudy said. “We know that, and that's what our program is built on, getting above the mat when things don't maybe go your way.”

Each of its championships has been different, Nightingale said. Two seasons ago, the Spartans trailed from the middle of the conference and rose to the top down the final stretch. Last season, MSU stayed atop the rankings and finished on top, too. 

“This year, we were picked to finish first, and at one point we were fourth this year, and there's no panic,” Nightingale said. “That speaks to our seniors. That's who they are. They’re a resilient group. And we know we got a chance to be a good hockey team. We got to play our game, and I thought tonight you saw that.”

MSU improved to 16-6-1 in the Big Ten (25-7-1 overall) with 50 points, clinching the conference title with one game remaining against Minnesota.

Puck drop is set for Friday, March 6 at 8 p.m. EST on Big Ten Plus. 

Solid Start

The Spartans took a 1-0 lead five minutes into the game following a turnover by Minnesota’s Luke Mittelstadt. Senior center Charlie Stramel intercepted the pass and found Martone up ahead, who buried the shot.

“Tight game in the first,” Nightingale said. “I thought [Augustine] was really good.” 

Augustine faced the first shot of the night, helped the early penalty kill and performed timely stops in transition, despite only facing eight shots. 

MSU continued to wear down Minnesota's defense. The Spartans tried to force pucks past crowded nets several times in the first frame, outshooting the Gophers and holding a faceoff advantage. 

Second Period Scoring

Lee scored his first goal of the night 8:36 into the second period. Freshman forward Anthony Romani assisted Lee with three Gophers on him. The two have not been linemates since the first half of the season. Nightingale said the team was looking for more scoring depth, prompting the change. 

“[Romani] and Ryker (Lee) have scored on the power play, but maybe not a ton five on five,” Nightingale said, adding that other lines have been consistent. “If we want to keep playing hockey, we got to have some depth scoring. I thought you saw that tonight.”

Shoudy scored MSU’s third goal of the night at 13:38 into the period. Shoudy deked Minnesota goaltender Luca DiPasquo and scored behind his back off a pass from junior winger Gavin O’Connell, who won the puck battle along the boards.

MSU’s lead extended to 4-0 at 17:07 with a man advantage. Martone scored his second goal of the night just 18 seconds on the power play from the right faceoff circle. 

Lee followed suit about a minute later, taking a 5-0 lead for MSU after scooping up a loose puck in front of the net and firing it with his forehand. The Spartans outshot the Gophers 19-8 in the second period alone.

Final Period

Freshman center Cayden Lindstrom scored the Spartans’ sixth goal less than two minutes into the final period. Lindstrom scored from the slot off a dish from O’Connell, marking his second goal of the season. 

“He’s been really good for us,” Martone said about Lindstrom. ”Maybe hasn’t showed up on the scoresheet all the time but he’s playing his game… It’s been coming. He’s getting his chances, and it was about time it was gonna go in, so it was great to see that one.”

After several missed chances and saves by the Spartan defense, Minnesota scored its lone goal off the stick of Ludtke with 7:49 remaining.

“Even in the third, when the game gets that way, we got to keep getting better,” Nightingale said. “I thought the guys stayed with it.” 

MSU finished the game with poise, and Shoudy scored his second goal of the game with about a minute left, as the Spartans held two man advantages in the final minutes, after Minnesota penalties.   

With the title secured, the series finale provides another opportunity for the Spartans to sharpen their game before tournament play begins.

“We got to enjoy this,” Martone said. “It’s not everyday you’re gonna win a championship, especially a league championship and that’s tough to do, but it’s also a big game tomorrow. I know we’re gonna enjoy this and celebrate it, but we’re gonna be ready to play tomorrow.”