“This was a dream come true, to be able to come here,” Travis said. “I wanted to come here when I was younger. I grew up a fan, and obviously Tiernan was here, and so this is where I wanted to be.”

Along with fulfilling a childhood dream, the season pushed Travis to become a better player. The program asked more of him than during his first three collegiate seasons. During Tiernan’s four years in the program, Travis watched MSU ascend the ranks. Travis brought the same effort as Tiernan on the ice and supported other scratches with his experience off the ice.

For Tiernan, the season gave him a chance to see his best friend every day, leaning on the person who pushes him and understands him the most. As soon-to-be graduates, the season has taught them to appreciate the little things: early practices, team meals and time spent together. It also brought a focus on the present rather than what lies ahead, something that was not always easy for them early in college.

“It was a little emotional,” Tiernan said on senior night. “To hear [Travis] say that it’s a dream come true was, it kind of got me a little bit…  When he’s off the ice he just helps everyone. I think about some of the guys that don’t play, and he’s right there, he gets it. He’s been through all that stuff, so I think that’s huge for him and he’s a huge part of the team still. It’s just been super awesome to have him here.”

Getting the Call

Last summer, Tiernan woke up at 4 a.m. to missed calls from two of his MSU hockey coaches. He was studying abroad in Australia, and was too excited to go back to sleep. 

Associate head coach Jared DeMichiel told Tiernan that there was an open seat on the team’s roster, and the coaches wanted his brother. Former MSU commit Tyson Jugnaut signed a contract with the Seattle Kraken, leaving room for another defenseman. Tiernan said DeMichiel was emotional about the conversation, highlighting his character as a coach.

Travis had committed to Colorado College after spending three seasons at Ferris State. He captained the 2024-25 squad, but entered the transfer portal when Ferris State head coach Bob Daniels retired after 33 seasons. While Tiernan had always talked to Travis about coming to MSU, Travis never thought of it as an actual possibility. Colorado College was one of the first schools that wanted him out of the transfer portal. 

After his conversation with DeMichiel, Tiernan spent several hours playing middleman between his coaches, his twin brother and his dad.

By noon in Australia, things were sorted out. Travis arrived in East Lansing and joined team practices while Tiernan was still abroad. 

“I would be getting Snapchats from him, and he's in the locker room, because he started to work out here pretty quickly,” Tiernan said. “It was a little bit weird seeing him, like, ‘Oh, he's wearing the Michigan State stuff too’… I think it hit right away. Just like, ‘Wow, that's so cool.’ I wanted to tell everyone.”

Throughout his tenure, head coach Adam Nightingale has stressed the importance of recruiting players with the right character, rather than just talent. Tiernan knew his twin would be a good fit because they were raised the same way.

“I remember, if you played a bad game, [our parents] wouldn't be that mad, but if you looked like you weren't trying, it was different. They'd be upset about that,” Tiernan said. “That’s what our program has been built on. It’s hard work, commitment and dedication… I knew Travis was gonna fit in with that so well, and I think he has.”

Reunited

The twins were reunited when Tiernan returned from Australia, but the coaches often kept them on separate teams during practice. Coaches sometimes had a hard time telling them apart, Tiernan said.

“I think it's funny when we go against each other, because I almost chuckle when I see him coming down on me,” Travis said. “I know I can hit him a little harder, too… We have a lot of inside jokes. We quote a lot of movies too. We'll just be skating by each other and quoting movies and laughing.”

The twins mostly quote comedy movies such as “Wedding Crashers,” “21 Jump Street” and “Step Brothers.”

“Growing up with two brothers, I love the passion and the rivalry,” Nightingale said early in the season. “Travis is a little taller than Tiernan, so it's easy to pick that out… They've had a couple dustups already, which isn't surprising, but it's all in good — I think the closer you get, the more you bump and you get, you know. It's fun watching those two practice against each other.” 

Travis made his official Spartan debut on Oct. 9, 2025, in MSU’s first game of the season. It was the first time the Shoudy twins competed for the same team since their 2019-20 season. It was also the first time Tiernan’s jersey included part of his first name. 

“I remember just him, like putting on the jersey in the locker room or whatever before the game. And I was like, ‘Wow, this is so cool,’” Tiernan said. “Seeing our jerseys, like the “TI” and “TR,” obviously I wouldn't necessarily want that, but it was — it's just so cool.”

While practices are fun, the twins said they would rather compete alongside each other because of their on-ice chemistry.

Senior Growth and Next Steps

As playoff hockey quickly arrives, so does the end of the Shoudy’s collegiate careers. 

“I think I've grown in a lot of ways,” Travis said regarding his time at MSU. “I’m just so grateful to be able to come here and play here. I got a season-ending injury now, but I'm still grateful for the opportunity to meet these guys, to spend so much time with these guys, these coaches, learn so much from them and grow as a player and person.”

Travis came to MSU for the environment he knew it would be, a place with high expectations, a fast pace and top-level athletes. He also came for the very culture that Tiernan helped rebuild.

Former MSU coach Danton Cole recruited Tiernan, but changes were made before the start of his freshman season after the hiring of Nightingale. Tiernan became a consistent part of the Spartans’ rebuild, along with seniors Matt Basgall and Daniel Russell. The three of them have competed in all 145 games Nightingale has coached. 

Nightingale has frequently spoken of Tiernan's dedication to winning for the team, adding that he could easily play more at another program. Still, Tiernan considers himself a small part of the revival.

 Nightingale inherited a program that only won 12 games in the season prior to his arrival. The Spartans earned their first post-season victories in nearly a decade after Nightingale’s first year, which was followed by back-to-back Big Ten Regular Season titles, back-to-back Big Ten Tournament titles and consecutive NCAA tournament appearances in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. 

Players such as Artyom Levshunov, Isaac Howard, Joey Larson and Karsen Dorwart also passed through the program, contributing to its rise.

“I’m a pretty small part in that, building back Michigan State,” Tiernan said. “It’s been super fun to be a part of that, to build the culture back up. I think without all the wins, I think we’ve built up a culture here that players want to play for… Even the first year when maybe we weren’t as good, [the fans] saw how hard we worked and I think that’s something that all of us seniors and all the guys that have come through here are super proud of.” 

Like his twin, Tiernan has grown as a person throughout his time at MSU, especially this past season.

“Figuring out how you want to be when you go into the real world has been big for me,” Tiernan said. “That's one thing I talked to [Dan Sturges] about a decent amount too: ‘Who are you going to be when you're done with hockey? Who are you going to be when you're out of this place?’ Because you kind of are in a little bubble here when you're at school, but then when you go to the real world, it's kind of figured out. I've grown a ton as a person. Off the ice more than on the ice.”

Both Tiernan and Travis hope to continue playing hockey after this season, wherever their opportunities lie. But regardless of what happens in their careers, they hope to stick with hockey and give back to their community. 

“I hope to try to play after this, but I could definitely see myself coaching in some capacity,” Travis said. “Maybe at the lower level to start and kind of grow from there. But I love hockey, and so I want to give back and just help kids reach their goals in hockey and life. The lessons off the ice can teach you too. It's not all about everybody trying, everybody going pro because that's just not realistic.”

Kris Draper, a retired Detroit Red Wings player, was a big inspiration for Travis as one of his coaches at the Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club. 

“He gave so much back to us,” Travis said. “When you're that young, it's hard to understand, but as you get older, you understand how much all your coaches sacrifice for you. I think that's pretty cool.”

Whatever the future holds for the Shoudy twins, they’ve both been focused on gratitude and enjoying the day-to-day moments throughout their senior year. Travis said he’s learned to lean into God more and know that hard times will pass. 

“It's easy to get caught up in like, ‘Oh my goodness, stuff's not going well. It's never gonna go well.’ Then you just start spiraling in the worst case scenarios,” Travis said. “Just be grateful, even when things aren't going well, you still have so much to be grateful for.

Growing Together (Separately)

This year allowed the twins to mature together, but they also grew a lot when they were first separated. The time spent apart helped them grow as hockey players and as people. It allowed them to make new friends outside of each other, and to gain an appreciation for when they were together.   

“We wanted to carve our own path,” Tiernan said. “Looking back, I guess I wish we would have done it together. But also, we grew a ton, going our separate ways, too. It was really big for us to go our separate ways and do our own thing. Being back together has obviously been awesome.”

The twins first split up for the 2020-21 season. They spent the season prior competing for the Austin Bruins of the North American Hockey League (NAHL). Travis spent two years there, while Tiernan spent one. 

“We were at different spots in our careers,” Travis said. “He was definitely better than I was, and so he was getting a lot of — he was getting recruited by Michigan State, and I was too, but I just didn't get offered. I was like, maybe we'll end up at different spots, and that's okay,”

Tiernan played for the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL before being traded to the Youngstown Phantoms. Travis eventually joined the USHL’s Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

“We'd been together for so long and practicing every single day together. So it was weird not having him to kind of mess around on the ice with and talk to every day,” Travis said. “But I still would call him all the time and text him to chat every single day. Whether it was hockey or anything else.” 

During recruitment and eventually college, Travis was Tiernan’s “rock.” He was the person he would call up and share his experiences with.

“You take it for granted a little bit because someone's always there, and so when they're not there, you realize how good you did have it,” Tiernan said. “It's just an appreciation.” 

Travis left his own legacy at Ferris State during his three seasons there. He tallied 50 points in 105 games, leading defensemen in scoring as captain his junior year. 

Separated by about an hour drive, the twins watched each other’s games during bye weeks and playoffs. They even competed against each other twice in the annual Great Lakes Invitational. Travis won with Ferris State during their freshman year, and Tiernan won with the Spartans their sophomore season, although Travis scored the only goal for Ferris State in that loss.

The two were at different schools, but they went through similar spiritual journeys. Travis started a Bible study at Ferris State during his time there and Tiernan joined Athletes in Action (AIA), a Christian ministry for MSU student-athletes.    

“We kind of grew separately with God, but together,” Tiernan said. “We didn't really talk about it. We both had our own journey, and then one time it got brought up, and it was like, ‘Oh, I'm doing that too.’”

The summer before their junior year, the twins attended a week-long camp in Colorado that  focused on athletes and their relationship with God. They spent most of the camp separated but made sure to talk each night about their day.

“That was a huge building block for us in our faith and as brothers,” Tiernan said.

Travis said AIA has been one of the most impactful parts of his time at MSU, allowing him to grow as an individual and be grateful for his relationship with God and others. The twins are both a part of MSU hockey’s team Bible study.

“[Travis is] so motivated and so hungry and makes me want to do more,” Tiernan said. “He's so committed with that stuff, too. It pushes me to be better.”

Early Days

Their senior year brought the Shoudy twins back to where it all started, playing hockey together and sharing laughs.

From the start, the twins did everything together, competing with their two older brothers, Trevor and Tristan Shoudy. 

“One of us would start wrestling with one of them, the other one would jump in on it,” Travis said. “We'd always tag it. We'd always go one [on] two in basketball or football against them. It was fun.”

After watching their brothers, the twins wanted to skate at three years old, but their dad made them wait until age four. 

“I remember when [Trevor and Tristan] played high school together, we'd always want to go to their games,” Tiernan said. “We'd always think, ‘How cool would it be? Like, if all four of us could play?’” 

While it wasn’t possible for all four of them to compete together due to the age gap, they played in a game with their brother Trevor and a cousin who is like a brother. The Shoudys grew up in Marysville, Mich., and the twins started their careers with the Port Huron Flags. 

“When we were on the Flags, I was a forward,” Travis said. “And then one game, we had a [defenseman] go down, and so somebody needed to go back and play D. And I went back, and I never came back to forward.” 

The twins joined the Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club when they were nine or 10 and competed in Joe Louis Arena. They drove to Detroit nearly everyday and stayed with the program until they were 17. 

They have played countless hockey games, and there are early memories that make them smile. Like the time Travis thought he scored a goal, but fell into the net — and definitely did not score. Or the time the twins won a state championship against the Little Caesars team before they joined the program.  

“I won the drawback, and Travis ended up scoring with like, two seconds left,” Tiernan said. “For Travis as a defense, he wasn't scoring as much either, so for him to score that goal, a game-winning goal with no time left, was something that was just so cool. He ended up getting MVP. I was just so happy for him. But it was just such a cool moment. We were also little kids, so it kind of did happen in slow motion, but it also felt like it was slow motion.”

While this season has been played at a much faster speed, it’s been filled with more memories. Memories of hard but fun practices, road games, and day-to-day moments for the twins to appreciate more, now that they’re grown up. 

“Everything about Michigan State, not even just hockey, but the whole university in general is what we relate to and what we want to be as people,” Tiernan said. “Once we realized that it was obviously the dream, and yeah, it's been awesome.”

After years apart, the Shoudy twins finally got the season they had spent so much of their childhood imagining.