MSU Hockey Enacts Revenge with Road Victory over Michigan

Rivalry victories are always sweet. That's especially so when they are gotten on the road.

Third-ranked Michigan State hockey got a massive 3-1 victory over No. 1 Michigan at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor on Saturday night. Anthony Romani scored two goals and Trey Augustine stopped 29 of the 30 shots he faced to lead the Spartans to the win.

Michigan State Spartans goalie Trey Augustine talks with a referee during a game against the Michigan Wolverines on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, at Munn Ice Arena. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

It's an admirable bounce-back performance for MSU, who had just been dominated in East Lansing on Friday night, 3-0. Getting swept seemed likely with Saturday's game being in a hostile atmosphere, but the Spartans were able to earn a massive split that will keep them ranked among the nation's best teams.

The victory improves Michigan State to 12-4-0 overall and 3-3-0 during conference play (15 points). UM had its five-game winning streak snapped, falling to 16-4-0 overall and 7-3-0 against the Big Ten (20 points).

More on Saturday's Victory

Michigan State Spartans center Eric Nilson looks towards a teammate before a faceoff against the Michigan Wolverines on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, at Munn Ice Arena. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

The Wolverines struck first during the second game of the rivalry series and led 1-0 after star player Will Horcoff converted a power play at 12:17 of the first period.

Michigan State didn't have a response in the first period, meaning that UM and goalie Jack Ivankovic had shut the Spartans out over the first four periods of the series. Ivankovic actually ended up stopping all 17 shots he faced during the first 20 minutes.

MSU's response did come very early in the second period, either. The Spartans' long-awaited first goal of the series finally came with less than two minutes to go in the middle period, when Romani found a way to get home a rebound opportunity from a really sharp angle. Assists went to Patrick Geary and Gavin O'Connell.

In the third, Romani struck again. Exactly three minutes of game time after his first goal, Romani had the puck on his stick near the blue line, and had enough space to get it in deep by himself, shooting a wrister that got through the five-hole of Ivankovic to give Michigan State the lead.

Michigan State's head coach Adam Nightingale, center, calls out to players during the third period in the game against Michigan on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It was about finishing the job from there. Augustine had become a wall in the second and third periods, stopping all 14 and 13 shots on goal that he faced, respectively.

Eventually, UM was forced to empty its net, MSU held, and Porter Martone eventually put the game away by easily slotting one in on a breakaway.

Michigan State hockey is now going to be on break for a while. The Spartans' next action isn't scheduled until Sunday, Dec. 28, against Ferris State during the Great Lakes Invitational in Grand Rapids. MSU will face either Michigan Tech or Miami (OH) the following day.

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