COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 2/2 Michigan State hockey took on Ohio State to start conference play in 2026 on Friday. Entering the first matchup of the weekend at the Schottenstein Center, Michigan State sat third in the Big Ten standings while the Buckeyes are in sixth.
The Spartans are one of the most balanced teams in the nation and faced an opponent off to a slower start than expected this year.
Michigan State’s top offensive line combined for 60 points entering the game, led by senior center Charlie Stramel and two of the top forwards in the nation — freshman Porter Martone and senior Daniel Russell.
Defensively, the Spartans have continued to dominate, led by a pair of Buffalo Sabres prospects in juniors Patrick Geary and Maxim Strbak. Junior goaltender Trey Augustine has also excelled in net all season, leading the nation in shutouts and ranking third in save percentage.
Despite the game starting choppy with multiple stoppages early on, Michigan State couldn’t have asked for a better first period. The Spartans scored three goals in a span of just 23 seconds midway through the period — a bizarre turn of events after a slow start for both teams.
It all started when freshman center Cayden Lindstrom skated into the offensive zone and found freshman forward Anthony Romani, one of the hottest players in college hockey. Romani kept his scoring streak alive by firing a quick shot that beat junior goaltender Kristoffer Eberly to open the scoring.
After a lengthy review and an unsuccessful coach’s challenge, Romani’s goal stood, giving the Spartans a 1-0 lead.
Moments later, Michigan State went back on the attack as Stramel fired a puck past multiple Buckeye defenders to give Martone a one-on-one with the goaltender. The freshman forward buried it glove side to make it 2-0.
Michigan State hardly had time to celebrate, as seconds after Stramel and Martone found themselves in another two-on-one deep in Ohio State’s zone. Junior defenseman William Smith anticipated a similar pass from Stramel to Martone, leaving him open to shoot. Stramel took advantage, firing glove side past Eberly putting the Spartans ahead 3-0.
As a dominant first period was winding down, Michigan State went on the power play with a chance to blow the game wide open. The top line took the ice and capitalized quickly as captain Matt Basgall fired a shot from the blue line that Martone redirected past Eberly to give the Spartans a commanding 4-0 lead with 90 seconds left in the period.
Everything that could have gone right for Michigan State in the first 20 minutes did, as the Spartans dominated both the scoreboard and the stat sheet. The Buckeyes turned to freshman goaltender Sam Hillebrandt to start the second period.
Despite an explosive start, the Spartans appeared to settle down in the second period, content with their lead and playing smart as the clock wound down. The Buckeyes broke through midway through the period, as junior forward Max Montes scored his eighth goal of the season on a two-on-one with junior forward Ryan Gordon. Ohio State still trailed by three but carried some momentum into the third period.
That momentum continued early in the third, when veteran forward Davis Burnside cut the deficit to two. Junior defenseman Broten Sabo collected a puck along the boards behind the Spartans’ net and found Burnside in the left faceoff circle, who fired a quick shot past Augustine to make it 4-2.
Michigan State has had a trend in recent games of allowing teams to claw back after a dominant start, and this game was no different. But after the lead was cut to two, the Spartans turned up the pressure and spent much of the period in Ohio State’s zone.
The gamble paid off as Michigan State drew two penalties just 20 seconds apart, giving the Spartans a 5-on-3 advantage. The top line made quick work of the opportunity, as Stramel scored his second goal of the night on the power play to give the Spartans a 5-2 advantage.
With the game now out of reach, Michigan State controlled play the rest of the way. Around the halfway point of the third, freshman forward Ryker Lee added his name to the scoresheet, collecting a loose puck in the slot and spinning in front of Hillebrandt before firing a puck past him to give the Spartans a 6-2 lead.
The fans hit the exits early, and both teams appeared content to let the clock wind down. The Spartans closed out the contest with a 6-2 victory, improving to 18 points and third in the Big Ten standings in a dominant showing on both ends of the ice.
Martone recorded a career-high four-point night, while Augustine had another great night in net, finishing with 30 stops on 32 shots for an impressive .938 save percentage.
Spartans head coach Adam Nightingale praised his team’s start. “We executed at a high level and were ready to go,” Nightingale said. “We scored three goals in maybe 40 seconds, so high execution there.”
The series finale is set for 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, as the Spartans look to sweep their first road series of the year.
