Saturday, February 3
South Bend, Ind.
6 PM
Michigan State University
4
at
0
Notre Dame
Augustine Backstops MSU To 4-0 Road Win at Notre Dame
2/3/2024 9:55:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
South Bend, Ind.. – Michigan State got a 30-save shutout from freshman Trey Augustine and goals from four different scorers to post a 4-0 road victory at RV/No. 20 Notre Dame on Saturday evening in South Bend.
Augustine recorded his third shutout in Big Ten play, making him the conference leader (both Notre Dame's Ryan Bischel and Kyle McClellan from Wisconsin have one in B1G play). Augustine has not made less than 27 saves in any conference game this season, and he improved his season save percentage to .914 with a 16-6-2 overall record.
MSU had a 1-0 lead at the first intermission and tacked on two more in the second, as Karsen Dorwart scored his career-best 11th goal with under three minutes to go in the opening period and the Spartans doubled their lead with a Jeremy Davidson wraparound goal at 13:06 of the second period. Artyom Levshunov gave MSU a 3-0 lead with just five seconds remaining in the period, as he ripped home a power play goal, his eighth marker of the season. MSU's final strike came at 11:59 of the third, when a wicked shot from Gavin O'Connell tipped off Red Savage en route for the junior's career-best ninth goal of the year.
MSU poured 42 shots on Bischel, posting double-digit efforts in each frame (including a 19-shot barrage in the second period).
MSU is now 18-7-3 overall and 12-4-2 in the Big Ten. The Spartans now own a program-best number of victories in Big Ten Conference play, bettering the 11 victories it posted in both 2014-15 and 2019-20. MSU has as many or more wins than it has recorded in 10 of the last 11 seasons, matching its 18 wins from a year ago.
The Spartans play both games away from home again next weekend, heading to Ann Arbor for a showdown with Michigan before meeting the Wolverines at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday evening for the Duel in the D.
STATISTICS OF NOTE
First Period: MSU came out with a ton of jump in its step, looking to set the pace for an up-tempo game. The teams seemed destined for another scoreless tie at the end of the first period to match the Friday tilt, but Matt Basgall set up the first score of the game by poking the puck free along the far wall in the defensive zone to get it free for Karsen Dorwart. The sophomore high-tailed it through the neutral zone and over the offensive blue line with his linemates, cut to his left and into the left circle, and snapped home his 11th goal of the season with 2:
Second Period: MSU maintained its frenetic pace, forcing the Irish to keep up and peppering Bischel with shots – the final count was 19-8 in favor of the Spartans by period end. MSU doubled its lead at 13:06, as Reed Lebster fed Jeremy Davidson along the right wall. Davidson circled behind the net and backhanded it home at the right post for his seventh goal of the season. With the Spartans picking up a late power play opportunity, freshman Artyom Levshunov made it 3-0 with his shot from the high slot with four seconds remaining in the period to send MSU off with a backbreaker goal.
Third Period: MSU kept up its high-tempo effort into the third period as Notre Dame kept pressing to break up the shutout – but as good as the Spartans were offensively (11 shots), Augustine was as stout defensively, turning away each of the eight shots he faced. The Spartans scored a fourth goal as it continued to push the pace. Joey Larson carried the puck across the offensive blue line and tried to get a drop pass back to Gavin O'Connell. It caromed off the stick of a defender, but O'Connell was able to glove it down and quickly got off a shot high in the right circle. His offering tipped off Red Savage en route, giving the junior his ninth goal of the season and the freshman O'Connell his ninth assist of the season. A late power play for the Irish gave the home crowd some hope, but Augustine was up to the task and held on for his third collegiate shutout.
Augustine recorded his third shutout in Big Ten play, making him the conference leader (both Notre Dame's Ryan Bischel and Kyle McClellan from Wisconsin have one in B1G play). Augustine has not made less than 27 saves in any conference game this season, and he improved his season save percentage to .914 with a 16-6-2 overall record.
MSU had a 1-0 lead at the first intermission and tacked on two more in the second, as Karsen Dorwart scored his career-best 11th goal with under three minutes to go in the opening period and the Spartans doubled their lead with a Jeremy Davidson wraparound goal at 13:06 of the second period. Artyom Levshunov gave MSU a 3-0 lead with just five seconds remaining in the period, as he ripped home a power play goal, his eighth marker of the season. MSU's final strike came at 11:59 of the third, when a wicked shot from Gavin O'Connell tipped off Red Savage en route for the junior's career-best ninth goal of the year.
MSU poured 42 shots on Bischel, posting double-digit efforts in each frame (including a 19-shot barrage in the second period).
MSU is now 18-7-3 overall and 12-4-2 in the Big Ten. The Spartans now own a program-best number of victories in Big Ten Conference play, bettering the 11 victories it posted in both 2014-15 and 2019-20. MSU has as many or more wins than it has recorded in 10 of the last 11 seasons, matching its 18 wins from a year ago.
The Spartans play both games away from home again next weekend, heading to Ann Arbor for a showdown with Michigan before meeting the Wolverines at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday evening for the Duel in the D.
STATISTICS OF NOTE
- MSU has now split each of its last three Big Ten series.
- The Spartans win the season series with Notre Dame with three victories in four tries. MSU has won five of the last six games against the Irish.
- The Spartans have matched their 2022-23 win total with 18 victories.
- MSU's 12 Big Ten wins is its most in program history. The Spartans have won 11 games in both 2014-15 and 2019-20.
- The Spartans killed off all six power play chances against in the game and were a perfect 8-for-8 on the kill over the weekend. MSU's kill improved to .818 on the season.
- MSU remains above .500 in road games with a 7-5-1 mark in true road games. The Spartans are 8-5-2 away from Munn overall.
- Trey Augustine stopped 57 of 60 shots against this weekend, allowing just three Friday goals. He leads all B1G netminders with three shutouts in conference play, In Conference games only, Augustine owns a .921 save percentage, 2.75 GAA< and="" a="" league-best="" 12="">
- Karsen Dorwart's first-period goal is his career-best 11th of the season. He is tied for second on the team in goals.
- Artyom Levshunov scored his eighth goal of the season and now has 27 points in 28 games. He leads the squad with a +24 and is tied for second on the team with three power play goals.
- Matt Basgall had a two-assist effort, his first multiple-point game since Nov. 4 against Ohio State. He is the 10th player to reach double-digit assists this season.
- Red Savage's ninth goal of the season in the third period is his career best. He is third on the team in both points (25) and assists (16).
- Joey Larson reached the 30-point mark with his two assists on the night. He has 15 goals and 15 assists on the season.
First Period: MSU came out with a ton of jump in its step, looking to set the pace for an up-tempo game. The teams seemed destined for another scoreless tie at the end of the first period to match the Friday tilt, but Matt Basgall set up the first score of the game by poking the puck free along the far wall in the defensive zone to get it free for Karsen Dorwart. The sophomore high-tailed it through the neutral zone and over the offensive blue line with his linemates, cut to his left and into the left circle, and snapped home his 11th goal of the season with 2:
Karsen Dorwart gets this one for his 11th of the season - what a shot from the left circle to get the Spartans on the board first. pic.twitter.com/4qCB39TKe0
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) February 3, 2024
Second Period: MSU maintained its frenetic pace, forcing the Irish to keep up and peppering Bischel with shots – the final count was 19-8 in favor of the Spartans by period end. MSU doubled its lead at 13:06, as Reed Lebster fed Jeremy Davidson along the right wall. Davidson circled behind the net and backhanded it home at the right post for his seventh goal of the season. With the Spartans picking up a late power play opportunity, freshman Artyom Levshunov made it 3-0 with his shot from the high slot with four seconds remaining in the period to send MSU off with a backbreaker goal.
Starts with the stretch pass by Basgall, set up by Lebster, and the wraparound backhander by Davidson. That's a 2-0 MSU lead here in the second. pic.twitter.com/yDvrjGvIRr
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) February 4, 2024
Third Period: MSU kept up its high-tempo effort into the third period as Notre Dame kept pressing to break up the shutout – but as good as the Spartans were offensively (11 shots), Augustine was as stout defensively, turning away each of the eight shots he faced. The Spartans scored a fourth goal as it continued to push the pace. Joey Larson carried the puck across the offensive blue line and tried to get a drop pass back to Gavin O'Connell. It caromed off the stick of a defender, but O'Connell was able to glove it down and quickly got off a shot high in the right circle. His offering tipped off Red Savage en route, giving the junior his ninth goal of the season and the freshman O'Connell his ninth assist of the season. A late power play for the Irish gave the home crowd some hope, but Augustine was up to the task and held on for his third collegiate shutout.
Laser from O'Connell in the right circle bounces off Savage and past Bischel. pic.twitter.com/DTcvHPAsbc
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) February 4, 2024
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Ice Hockey
D
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
D
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice Hockey
F
/ Men's Ice HockeyAdam Nightingale Postgame Comments | New Hampshire
Friday, October 10
Adam Nightingale Postgame Comments | New Hampshire
Thursday, October 09
Adam Nightingale | Hockey Press Conference | October 7, 2025
Tuesday, October 07
Adam Nightingale Postgame Comments | Windsor
Friday, October 03