On Saturday, Flyers prospects Porter Martone and Shane Vansaghi and the Michigan State Spartans faced the Wisconsin Badgers with a Frozen Four appearance on the line. The teams entered the game after different experiences in their opening contests, with Michigan State holding onto a one-goal game that saw UConn pepper Trey Augustine with over 40 shots on goal, while Wisconsin completely locked down Dartmouth. Quick goals were the theme of the game that eventually needed overtime to decide a winner.
On the first shot of overtime, Ben Dexheimer beat Augustine to end Michigan State’s season.
Wisconsin 4, Michigan State 3 (OT)
The opening 10 minutes were fairly low-event, with neither team eager to give up an early goal. Wisconsin generated the best looks during that stretch, creating a pair of chances off odd-man rushes. As the period wore on, though, Michigan State began to take control, stepping up in the neutral zone defensively and turning those stops into counterattack opportunities.
The most significant development of the first period came when Charlie Stramel left the game after blocking a shot. Obviously, it was a huge loss for the Spartans, who were without their first line center. In his absence, Eric Nilson and Tiernan Shoudy rotated double-shifting duties on the top line.
Wisconsin broke through early in the middle frame, scoring directly off a faceoff as Quinn Finley ripped a shot past Trey Augustine. Not long after, the game’s first penalty followed, with Porter Martone getting called for roughing after knocking Finley down after he had already moved the puck. Coming off a perfect five-for-five performance on the penalty kill, the Spartans were able to weather the storm and keep it a one-goal game.
Martone helped swing momentum back the other way a few minutes later, drawing a high-sticking penalty to send Michigan State to its first power play of the night. He nearly tied it himself with a strong chance cutting into the slot, but Daniel Hauser flashed the glove to keep it out. In the final seconds of the man advantage, though, Gavin O’Connell found the equalizer with a bit of a goofy one, as an attempted pass deflected off a Wisconsin defender and popped over Hauser’s head and into the net.
The Spartans quickly followed it up with another, taking the lead off the rush just 31 seconds later. Shoudy sprung Tommi Mannisto with a stretch pass, and Mannisto delayed some before cutting wide to allow Patrick Geary to join the play. He then found Geary with a cross-ice feed, and the Michigan State defenseman made no mistake. Two goals in 31 seconds had suddenly flipped the script.
Ryker Lee was called for interference with about six minutes remaining in the period, but Michigan State again came through on the penalty kill. Then, moments after exiting the box, Lee appeared to extend the Spartans’ lead on a breakaway chance. However, after review, the no-goal call on the ice stood.
With 12 minutes remaining in regulation, Martone drew his second penalty of the night, this time for hooking. Michigan State’s always-dangerous power play wasted little time capitalizing, as Matt Basgall found the back of the net with a point shot through heavy traffic. Tiernan Shoudy provided the screen, parked right at the top of the crease in front of Daniel Hauser. Martone picked up the secondary assist on the goal.
Matt Basgall from the point makes it 3-1 on the power play!
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) March 28, 2026
Tune in now on ESPN2! pic.twitter.com/BKKq2O0PLX
Score effects really started to kick in once the Spartans went up 3-1, with Michigan State sitting back a bit while Wisconsin pushed hard in search of an equalizer. A scramble in front with just under five minutes remaining led to a Luke Osburn goal, cutting the Badgers’ deficit to one. Then, just 34 seconds later, Gavin Morrissey tied the game with yet another net front scramble.
Coincidental minors sent the game to four-on-four with three minutes left in the third. Wisconsin generated the better chances with the extra ice, but neither side was able to break the tie as the game moved to overtime. The Badgers completely controlled the third period, outshooting the Spartans 18-6.
It took Wisconsin just 24 seconds to find the winner in overtime, as a point shot from Dexheimer found its way through traffic in front and beat Trey Augustine, who whiffed on the save attempt. It was a rough collapse for the Spartans, who were thoroughly outplayed over the final 20-plus minutes.
Michigan State was without Charlie Stramel for most of the night after he exited in the first period, but Wisconsin had also given the Spartans trouble during the regular season. The Spartans were the favorite to come out of their group, but the Badgers always loomed as an underrated, difficult matchup for them based on earlier meetings.
Martone’s season comes to an end with 50 points (25 goals, 25 assists) in 35 games for the Spartans. It’s widely expected that he will turn pro in the coming days, potentially joining the Flyers for their late-season playoff push.
