The schools' basketball teams will meet in the Sweet 16 on Friday in Washington, D.C. Before that, the Huskies and Spartans will take the ice in the NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament in Worcester, Mass.
In advance of the Sweet 16 basketball matchup between UConn and Michigan State on Friday, Huskies and Spartans fans can enjoy a high-stakes appetizer on Thursday. The two schools are set to meet at 1:30 p.m. ET in the first round of the men’s NCAA Hockey Tournament at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass.
This will be the first-ever game between the Huskies and Spartans.
Michigan State is the No. 3 seed in the tournament, behind No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 North Dakota and ahead of No. 4 Western Michigan.
UConn (20-12-4, 12-9-3 Hockey East) made the 16-team field as an at-large team after losing in the final of its conference tournament to Merrimack, 2-1, last Saturday.
This is the second consecutive appearance in the tournament for the Huskies – and the second trip in UConn hockey history. They defeated Quinnipiac 4-1 in the first round in 2025, then missed out on a chance to advance to the Frozen Four with a 3-2 overtime loss to Penn State.
For Michigan State (25-7-2, 16-6-2 Big Ten), this is the Spartans’ third consecutive and 30th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament. They have reached the Frozen Four 11 times and won three national championships – 1966, 1986 and 2007.
UConn and Michigan State are in a regional quadrant with Dartmouth (20-12-5) and Wisconsin (21-12-2). The latter teams will play later Thursday, with the winner meeting the victor of the UConn-Michigan State game on Saturday.
The champion of each region will move on to the Frozen Four on April 9 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The title game will be played two days later.
About the Spartans
The Big Ten champion, Michigan State led the conference in goals against average (2.23), save percentage (.927), power play percentage (.309) and penalty kill percentage (.802) in conference competition.
In the 17 games since Jan. 1, the Spartans’ power play percentage is .353 (18-for-51), good for tops in the nation. In that same span, they have averaged 4.0 goals per game, fourth-best in the nation.
The top-line forwards for Michigan State – Daniel Russell, Charlie Stramel and Porter Martone – have combined for 130 points this season on 54 goals and 76 assists.
Their head coach is Adam Nightingale, a 2005 Michigan State grad who is in his fourth season. His overall record is 94-43-11 (.672).
Michigan State's Charlie Stramel battles against Notre Dame on a face-off during the third period of a game on Feb. 19, 2026, at the Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing. Credit: Nick King/Lansing State Journal/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesAbout the Huskies
UConn is averaging 3.11 goals per game, which ranks No. 23 in the nation. Their scoring defense is No. 11 at 2.38 goals. Their power play is not as impressive as that of Michigan State; UConn’s .224 percentage (24 of 107) ranks 18th in Division I.
The Huskies are led by Ryan Tattle, who has 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists), and Joey Muldowney, whose 17 goals top the team. Tattle has won 349 face-offs.
Defenseman Tom Messineo ranks third in the nation with 84 blocked shots, contributing to the Huskies’ average of 13.19 blocks per game.
Goaltender Tyler Muszelik has a 19-10-5 season record with a 2.21 goals against average (ninth in the nation) and a .927 save percentage (16th nationally).
UConn goaltender Tyler Muszelik (30) defends against Boston University during the third period of a game Feb. 25, 2025, at Toscano Family Ice Forum in Storrs, Conn. Credit: David Butler II-Imagn ImagesThe Huskies are coached by Mike Cavanaugh, who is in his 13th season and has an overall record of 201-206-47 (.494).
Join the Conversation
Remember to join our UCONN on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Huskies fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!