Top-ranked Michigan State defends its nine-game win streak against Wisconsin's potent offense. Can the Spartans' stellar goalie maintain their dominance?
The number one ranked Michigan State Spartans will play host to conference foe Wisconsin this weekend in a massive two-game showdown between Top-10 teams.
No. 1 Michigan State (9-1-0, 4-0-0 B1G) vs. No. 7 Wisconsin (8-2-2, 4-2-0 B1G)
Dates / Location:
Friday, Nov. 21 – 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22 – 7:00 p.m.
Ron Mason Rink at Munn Ice Arena
Radio:
MSUSpartans.com • MSU Athletics App • WJIM AM 1240 • WJIM FM 106.9 • WVFN AM 730
Scott Moore (PxP) / Rob Woodward (Color)
Live Stream B1G+ (Friday | Saturday)
Michigan State Spartans
The Spartans remain anchored by junior goaltender Trey Augustine, the Big Ten First Star of the Week for the second straight week after dominating Notre Dame. Augustine held the Irish to just two total goals on 54 shots, posting a conference-leading .963 save percentage and a 1.01 GAA. He was the only goalie in the Big Ten to finish the weekend under a 2.00 GAA.
On the season, his 1.32 GAA and .948 save percentage both rank third nationally. Two wins last weekend also pushed him to 50 career victories, making him just the fourth active Division I goalie to hit that mark. He becomes the ninth Spartan ever to reach 50 wins and now sits only 12 behind Bob Essensa for eighth all-time in program history.
Freshman forward Gavin Martone earned Big Ten Third Star honors after tying for the conference lead with three goals last weekend—each one huge. He scored the game-winner in both victories over Notre Dame, netting two in the first period Friday and another in the second period Saturday. Stramel assisted two of Martone’s goals. Through 10 games, Martone leads the Spartans with 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists).
Michigan State enters the weekend ranked:
- #2 nationally in scoring defense (1.40 GA/G)
- #8 in scoring offense (3.70 GPG)
- #3 in scoring margin (+2.30)
The Spartans also carry the longest win streak in the nation, riding nine straight victories.
Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin rolls into East Lansing with one of the most explosive offenses in college hockey. The Badgers have outscored opponents 48–29 and rank third nationally with a blistering 4.00 goals per game. They’ve scored four or more goals in seven of their last eight.
Sophomore defenseman Logan Hensler is emerging as a major two-way threat. He recorded his first career three-point night last Saturday (one goal, two assists), already surpassing last year’s goal total. His seven points rank second among UW defensemen, and his three goals lead all Badger blue liners—two of which were game-winners.
History says Wisconsin plays its best hockey against elite competition. When ranked in the top 10, the Badgers are 9-2-2 against No. 1 teams, including 8-0-2 in their last 10 such matchups.
Their last four games vs. ranked opponents all came against Michigan State last season, where UW went 1-3-0—but each loss was by a single goal, including two in overtime. Their most recent meeting was the outdoor showdown at Wrigley Field, a 4-3 OT win for MSU with 1.4 seconds remaining.
Special teams and faceoffs are two more areas where Wisconsin thrives:
- #2 power play in the nation (17-for-52, 32.7%)
- #1 faceoff percentage nationally (57.1%)
Prediction / Final Thoughts
These two games have all the makings of nail-biters and very likely overtime contenders. It’s elite offense vs elite goaltending, streak vs streak, and two programs that know each other extremely well.
Michigan State owns the nation’s longest winning streak, while Wisconsin has been scoring at will for a month and historically shows up in a big way against No. 1 teams.
This weekend delivers a true heavyweight matchup—one of the nation’s best offenses against one of the nation’s best goaltenders.
An unstoppable force meets an immovable object. Tune in to see who budges.
My predictions are:
Friday: Michigan State - 4 / Wisconsin - 2
Saturday: Michigan State - 5 / Wisconsin - 4 (OT)