In what was another dominant weekend for the Michigan State Spartans, Porter Martone once again proved why he’s seen as one of the best prospects in college hockey. The freshman winger exploded for four goals across the series, highlighted by a Friday night hat trick that showcased many elements of his toolkit. In the end, Michigan State defeated Notre Dame by a final score of 8-2.
The Spartans wasted little time in this one, with Martone setting the tone almost immediately. Just over a minute into the opening period, Martone won a faceoff in the offensive zone and quickly went to work on the power play. After the initial draw, Martone was given the puck on the right boards and drifted a bit lower in the zone. With traffic forming in front, he snapped a shot toward the net that deflected off a defender and beat the goaltender.
Porter Martone wins the face-off and puts a shot on goal to score on the power play! pic.twitter.com/oQMI3JhfTQ
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) February 20, 2026
It may not have been his flashiest finish of the night (high bar), but it was a perfect example of Martone’s instincts. He recognized the broken coverage, found a shooting lane, and put the puck in a dangerous area. Shane Vansaghi deserves credit as well, setting a strong screen that made it difficult for the goalie. Now, Martone rarely takes faceoffs this season and will only occasionally step in when Charlie Stramel is waved out of the circle. With the Philadelphia Flyers in desperate need of highly skilled centers, Martone winning a draw will spark interest, but this was much more of a one-off.
While the first goal more so demonstrated awareness, the second goal was pure skill and power. Midway through the game, Martone blocked a saucer pass from Cole Knuble near the blue line and immediately turned up ice. After chipping the puck past Knuble, he won the race to the puck, shrugged off contact while being hooked, and somehow managed to put a one handed backhander past the goaltender.
Porter Martone with an insane effort to score his second goal of the game.
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) February 21, 2026
He now has 19 goals and 40 points this season. pic.twitter.com/5cJBaaueT7
It was a highly skilled individual effort in every sense of the phrase. The fact that he scored while being impeded only added to the impressiveness. Although the game eventually turned into a blowout, this was a pivotal moment in what was a one-goal game in the middle frame. The Spartans had just seen a goal waved off and successfully killed a five minute major penalty. Martone’s tally restored their momentum and put them firmly back in control.
Midway through the third period, Martone completed the hat trick with a goal from his office: the front of the net. Finding the rebound of a Daniel Russell shot, Martone was able to pull the puck away from goaltender Luke Pearson and ram it home. Martone was around the puck constantly, winning battles along the boards and finding open ice. Every shift from the Spartans’ first line carried a sense of danger, and Martone finished with 10 shots on goal.
It's a hat trick for Porter Martone!
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) February 21, 2026
We lead 6-2 in the third! pic.twitter.com/4yFQZ2fDwf
Something that stands out about Martone’s performance Friday night was not just the goals themselves, but the variety in how they were scored. One came off a quick release through traffic, another off a strong individual effort, and the third cleaning up a rebound right in the goalie’s face. It was a complete scoring display.
His production this season continues to climb. Through 28 games, Martone now sits at 20 goals and 21 assists, giving him 41 points on the year. He leads all players in goals during Big Ten conference play and trails only Will Horcoff by a single goal for the overall conference lead. Nationally, he is producing points at a rate second only to Quinnipiac forward Ethan Wyttenbach. Now, this is not a knock on Wyttenbach, whose numbers are impressive in their own right, but the level of competition in the Big Ten compared to the ECAC feels important to note. The two conferences really aren’t comparable, with Martone facing much tougher competition. Maintaining this level of consistency against that schedule only strengthens his case as one, if not the, top player in college hockey. With Friday night hat tricks from both Martone and James Hagens, the Hobey Baker race is really heating up in the closing weeks.
With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Michigan State Spartans now turn their attention to a closing stretch against two Big Ten Matchups; Ohio State and Minnesota. These series will serve as a final ramp up before postseason play begins on March 11.
