Spartans ignite offense, secure decisive wins against Colgate. Russell shines with two goals, Augustine solidifies victory in net.
After a brutal sweep at the hands of Wisconsin last weekend, the Spartans found themselves back on the right side of a series result—this time completing a sweep of their own in a quick midweek turnaround against Colgate.
Michigan State opened the series Wednesday with a strong 5–2 win, snapping their two-game skid and reclaiming momentum heading into the holiday. After a snow-filled Thanksgiving Day, the Spartans returned to the ice for Game 2 and delivered again, earning a 4–1 victory and the sweep.
A crowd of 6,555 packed Munn Ice Arena—many still nursing Thanksgiving leftovers—to cheer the Spartans back into form. And cheer they did.
Fast Start, Steady Control
Michigan State dominated early, outshooting Colgate 11–6 in the first period. With Trey Augustine back between the pipes, the Raiders’ early attempts were manageable, while the Spartans peppered Colgate’s net with pressure. It took until just over three minutes left in the period for MSU to break through, when Eric Nilson buried the opening goal off a feed from Shane Vansaghi.
Just 38 seconds into the second period, the Spartans struck again as Daniel Russell tallied his first of the night, assisted by Porter Marton and Maxim Strbak, pushing the lead to 2–0.
Colgate answered a few minutes later—the lone blemish on Augustine’s night—but the Spartans quickly regained control. Augustine stopped 13 of 14 shots in the second and five more in the third, finishing with 24 saves on 25 shots (.962 save percentage) and securing his ninth win of the season.
Later in the second, Ryker Lee extended the lead to 3–1, with Russell and Charlie Stramel picking up the assists.
Russell All Over the Scoresheet
Russell continued his standout performance in the third. Nearly five minutes into the period, he added his second goal of the night on the power play, with assists from Lee and Matt Basgall, sealing the 4–1 win.
"Nighty was getting on me a little bit last week for not getting in front of the net and being a net presence," Russell said after the game. "So that was a really big focus for me this week. I was able to get in front of the net and get a stick on the first and second goals."
Back to Spartan Hockey
Head coach Adam Nightingale praised the team’s response and structure.
“Good finish to the weekend,” Nightingale said. “I liked the way we started. I thought Eric Nilson’s line was really good—probably our best line and consistent. We asked our D to be better. I thought they were better. We'll get some rest here and have a great week of practice coming up.”
Next Up: Rivalry on Deck
The Spartans return to the ice next Friday at Munn for an 8:30 p.m. showdown with top-ranked Michigan, live on Big Ten Network. Expect some of the best hockey you’ll see all season—a rivalry that’s a brawl from puck drop to final buzzer.
Stick around all week for full coverage leading up to the rivalry series.