Spartan Goaltender Named Finalist for Major Award
Michigan State sophomore goaltender is on the verge of another monumental award as he has been deemed one of five finalists for the AAU Sullivan Award, given to the best amateur athlete in the country across all sports of collegiate athletics.
The other finalists are Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Duke freshman guard Cooper Flagg, figure skater Ilia Malinin and Nebraska volleyball player Lexi Rodriguez. There is no doubt that based on how Augustine performed this season, he deserves to be among those names.
The sophomore netminder held the best record of any goalie in the conference this season at 17-6-4 and has the second-fewest losses in the country. He also had the Big Ten's best goals-against average (GAA) at 2.09, which ranks sixth in the nation.
Very few skaters were able to find the back of the net against Augustine, as he allowed just 57 goals in 27 contests, ranking third-fewest amongst Division I netminders. Augustine has wracked up the accolades this season, and for good reason.
He has also been a national staple, winning back-to-back Gold medals in the IIHF Junior Hockey Championships as the starting goaltender. He is the winningest goalie in USA History at that level with 12 total victories in the Red, White, and Blue.
Augustine is just the second Spartan hockey player to be nominated for the award, joining former goaltender Jeff Lerg, who was named a finalist in 2007.
The Sullivan Award is not the only prestigious honor that Augustine has gathered this season as he is a semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award, given to the nation's top Division I goaltender, as well as the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year. The South Lyon native is wracking up the accolades.
Fan voting is a huge part of the decision process as to who will take home the award. You can vote for who you think should win the 2025 AAU Sullivan Award once every 24 hours through Thursday, March 20., when you CLICK HERE.
The Spartans are gearing up for another Big Ten tournament run after clinching back-to-back regular season titles for the first time in program history. Augustine and the Spartans will take the ice Saturday night, facing the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal.
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