No. 3 Seed Michigan State Opens NCAA Tournament Against No. 14 Seed UConn

No. 3 Michigan State (25-8-2, 16-6-2 B1G) vs. No. 14 UConn (20-12-4, 12-9-3 Hockey East)
Dates/Location	Thursday, March 26, 1:30 p.m. DCU Center \| Worcester, Mass.
Radio	MSUSpartans.com \| Michigan State Athletics App Scott Moore (PxP) & Rob Woodward (Color)
TV	ESPN2 Kevin Gehl (PxP) / Angela Ruggiero (Analyst)
Live Statistics	Click Here
Game Notes	Click Here

NOTES TO KNOW:

• Michigan State is making its third consecutive and 30th overall appearance at the NCAA Tournament. It's the first time Michigan State has gone to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments since 2006-08. The Spartans are 31-31-1 in their previous 29 appearances with 11 Frozen Fours and three national championships.

• The Spartans are the No. 3 overall seed in the tournament and the top seed in the Worcester regional that also includes No. 6 seed Dartmouth, No. 12 seed Wisconsin and No. 14 seed UConn.

• MSU secured its third consecutive Big Ten regular season championship winning the Big Ten with 51 points to top Michigan (49) and Penn State (41). It's MSU's second outright title in the last three seasons after sharing a co-championship with Minnesota in 2024-25.

• The Spartans finished as the Big Ten leaders in goals against average (2.23), save percentage (.927), power play percentage (.309) and penalty kill percentage (.802) during Big Ten games. MSU was third in scoring at 3.67 goals per game through 24 contests.

• Michigan State's power play is clicking at a nation's best .353 percent success rate since January 1, going 18-for-51 over its last 17 games. MSU's 4.0 goals per game since Jan. 1 ranks fourth nationally.

• Michigan State's top line forwards Daniel Russell - Charlie Stramel - Porter Martone have generated 130 points this season on 54 goals and 76 assists, and are a combined +86 on the ice with Stramel leading at +30 to Russell's +29 and Martone's +27. They're the fourth-highest scoring trio playing in the NCAA Tournament.

• In Big Ten action, Martone finished #2 in scoring (20-16-36) while Stramel (11-20-31) was #4 and Russell (8-20-28) was #5. Martone's 20 goals led the Big Ten, making him one of just four players in conference history to score 20 or more goals against B1G opponents in a single season and just the second freshman (Cole Caufield 24, 2020-21; Kyle Connor 22, 2015-16, freshman; Tyler Motte 20, 2015-16).

• Matt Basgall was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Trey Augustine earned Big Ten Goaltender of the Year for the second consecutive season. Stramel and Martone joined the pair on the All-Big Ten first team, while Russell was an honorable mention. Head Coach Adam Nightingale was Big Ten Coach of the Year.

• Augustine and Stramel were named Top 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, marking the fourth time in program history that Michigan State has produced multiple finalists in the same season, following Mike York/Chad Alban (1998), Kip Miller/Bobby Reynolds (1989) and Craig Simpson/Kelly Miller (1985).

• Stramel is #2 nationally in face-off wins (461), #21 in assists per game (0.71), #18 in goals per game (0.54) and #11 in points per game (1.26). His seven game-winning goals this season are tied for the national lead.

• Augustine is one of three finalists for the Mike Richter Award for the second consecutive season, and has been at least a semifinalist for the award in each of his three seasons at MSU.

• Augustine is among the best in the country ranking #11 in goals against average (2.09) and #6 in save percentage (.929). He is 36-18-2 all-time against ranked opponents and 16-6-2 when facing an opponent ranked in the Top Five.

• Martone (47 points) and Stramel (44 points) mark the first time MSU has produced multiple 40 point scorers in a single season since 2007-08 (Tim Kennedy, 43; Justin Abdelkader, 40). With Daniel Russell sitting at 39 points, MSU has a chance to produce three 40 point scorers for the first time since 2002-03 (John-Michael Liles, 50; Brad Fast, 46; Jim Slater, 44).

• Martone ranks #2 nationally in goals per game (0.73) and #26 in assists per game (0.70), making him #4 in points per game (1.44) to lead all Spartans in points (24g-23a-47p).

• Martone is now third in goals all-time among MSU freshmen with 24 and sits three back of the all-time record set by Rod Brind'Amour in 1988-89 (27). Martone's 47 points are fifth-most by an MSU freshman, four behind Rem Murray's 51 in 1991-92.

The Spartans are headed to Worcester!

We'll take on No. 14 overall seed UConn in the first round on Thursday afternoon! pic.twitter.com/Su4NDxowGk
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) March 22, 2026