Three Spartans Earn Pre-Season All-B1G Accolades, MSU First in Preseason Poll

East Lansing, Mich. -- Michigan State was selected as the favorite in the Big Ten coaches pre-season poll, as announced Friday by the Big Ten Conference.

The Spartans, the 2024 regular-season and tournament champions, return 16 letterwinners from last year's squad, including three pre-season First Team All-Big Ten selections Trey Augustine (goaltender, South Lyon, Mich.), and forwards Karsen Dorwart (Sherwood, Oregon) and Isaac Howard (Hudson, Wisconsin). 2024 All-Big Ten Honorable mention selection Joey Larson also returns. MSU lost three forwards and two defensemen who played 30 or more games last season, and 10 newcomers (two transfers and eight freshmen) will look to step in to bolster the Spartan veterans.

Under the tutelage of second-year head coach and Big Ten Coach of the Year Adam Nightingale, MSU earned its first-ever Big Ten regular season championship in 2024 and its first regular-season conference title since 2001. MSU's Big Ten Tournament championship was secured with a dramatic 5-4 overtime victory over Michigan at Munn Ice Arena. The Spartans earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament (their first tournament bid since 2012) and advanced to the NCAA Regional Final for the first time since 2008.

Preseason All-B1G

One of two unanimous selections to the preseason All-Big Ten team, Augustine was a Second Team All-Big Ten and All-Freshman Team honoree in 2023-24 and was also named the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player. In 35 games, he posted a .918 save percentage (fourth B1G/15th nationally), 2.96 GAA, and ranked first nationally in saves (1113), fifth in victories (23), ninth in winning percentage (.710) and eighth in shutouts (3). Augustine backstopped Team USA to a gold medal in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Tournament (U20), and then in May was selected to represent the US at the Men's senior IIHF World Championship in Prague and Ostrava, Czechia, where he made four appearances (4-0-0), with a 1.75 GAA and .936 save percentage.

Dorwart will serve as an alternate captain for the Spartans for the second consecutive season. As a sophomore, he was an honorable Mention All-Big Ten pick and was also an Academic All-Big Ten selection. Established new career bests in goals (15), assists (19) and points (34), tying for second in the Big Ten and 11th nationally in shorthanded goals.

Howard, who came to MSU as a sophomore in advance of the 2023-24 season, was also an Honorable Mention all-B1G selection. He skated in 36 of 38 Spartan games and led the squad with a point-per-game average. He secured career bests in goals (8), power play goals (4), assists (28, fifth B1G) and points (36, seventh B1G). He was a teammate of Augustine's at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Tournament (U20), scoring twice in the gold medal game against Sweden to help the squad secure a gold medal.

The Spartans open the 2024-25 season on the road at Lake Superior State on Oct. 4-5. MSU's home-opening series will be Oct. 11-12, when Boston College comes to Munn Ice Arena.

Three Spartans Earn Pre-Season All-B1G Accolades, MSU First in Preseason Poll

Players Mentioned

Trey Augustine

Karsen Dorwart

Isaac Howard

Joey Larson

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