MSU Hockey Blows Out Notre Dame Behind Martone Hat Trick
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EAST LANSING, Mich. — No. 1 Michigan State looked more like an elite team taking on an inferior opponent at home on Friday.
The Spartans took care of last place Notre Dame on Thursday night, 4-2, but an empty-net goal at the end made the score look better than how the game went. MSU looked much sharper on Friday night, handling the Fighting Irish, 8-2.
It was all about Porter Martone in this one. One night after having a multi-point performance, including that game-sealing empty-netter, Martone came through for his first career hat trick. The former sixth overall pick of the Philadelphia Flyers scored a goal in all three periods.
There were several other multi-point performances to shout out. Ryker Lee had two goals, Tommi Mannisto had a goal and an assist, and Daniel Russell had a pair of assists himself.
This win completes both a series sweep and a season sweep of Notre Dame for Michigan State. The Spartans took two games in South Bend way back in mid-November. MSU is still trying to close in on a third consecutive Big Ten regular season title; it just needs to keep winning.
Michigan State only has four regular season games left, with both series being against unranked opponents. The Spartans host Ohio State next Friday (8:30 p.m. ET, BTN) and Saturday (8 p.m. ET, BTN), before finishing the regular season at Minnesota on Thursday, March 5, and Friday, March 6.
Game Recap
First Period
Things got out to a nice start for Michigan State again. Martone, coming off a multi-point performance on Friday, got the Spartans on the board just 76 seconds into the game with a power-play goal.
That power play opportunity materialized shortly after one skirmish. Not long after, another one broke out, and Notre Dame ended up getting its own power play as a result. The Fighting Irish converted, as Michael Mastrodomenico beat MSU goalie Trey Augustine glove side to level things at one at 9:44 in the period. Things remained that way for the rest of the period.
Second Period
Michigan State came out swinging in the second period, too. The Spartans got another early power-play chance, and Lee ended up converting just 45 seconds into the period and just 16 seconds after MSU went a man up.
It also looked like the Spartans had gone up 3-1 on a shot by Eric Nilson that went in, but Notre Dame challenged for a major penalty. The Irish got it, as MSU’s Cayden Lindstrom not only ended up getting called for the five-minute major, but he received a game misconduct. That erased the goal, too, making the game 2-1 again.
With a tripping penalty thrown in there, Notre Dame ended up getting 6 minutes and 16 seconds straight on the power play, which included 44 seconds of 5-on-3. The Fighting Irish didn’t score, which swung momentum back Michigan State’s direction.
The Spartans used it. Martone got on a breakaway, and despite drawing a would-be hooking penalty, he still found a way to get it past Notre Dame goalie Luke Pearson. For the second time, the scoreboard updated to 3-1, MSU, but it counted this time.
Goals continued to come free and easy. Penalties remained an issue for Michigan State, but Mannisto came through for a short-handed goal that made it 4-1. MSU wasn’t able to kill the rest of this penalty, though, as UND’s Pano Fimis answered back just 36 seconds later to make it 4-2.
More penalties ensued. On MSU’s fifth power play of the game, it got its third power-play goal. This one went to Owen West, who found the back of the net with just seven seconds left in the man advantage and with 1:02 left in the second to make it 6-2.
Third Period
There weren't very many stoppages in the first half of the first period, and MSU, nursing that comfortable, three-goal lead, was perfectly fine with that. Neither team had many grade-A chances, though Augustine got his right pad on the puck when Notre Dame had one breakaway.
Then the onslaught began. Martone got it going at 12:14 in the period, completing his hat trick and making it 6-2. About two minutes later, it was Griffin Jurecki who kicked in the PAT --- sorry, scored to make it 7-2. Just twenty seconds after that, Lee scored on a shifty move to make it 8-2. The previous season-high for Michigan State was just six goals.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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