It was the first time Michigan and Michigan State met as the nation’s top two teams, and, much like their previous matchups, they split the weekend series. The Spartans came out strong on both nights, but the Wolverines mounted a comeback in game one. Flyers prospects Shane Vansaghi and Porter Martone each found the back of the net during the series.
Game 1: Michigan State 3, Michigan 4 (OT)
After a tightly contested opening stretch with both teams feeling each other out, Charlie Stramel broke through for Michigan State, finishing off a slick slap-pass from Porter Martone to open the scoring.
Charlie Stramel gives us a 1-0 lead late in the first period! pic.twitter.com/rNPSrEf4NF
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) February 7, 2026
Nick Moldenhauer answered shortly after, tying the game at one with a redirection at the top of the crease. Friday night featured no shortage of deflection chances for either side, it appeared to be the focus of both teams.
The second period marked Michigan State’s strongest stretch of the game. The Spartans outscored Michigan 2-0 in the frame and carried a 3-1 lead into the third. Shane Vansaghi notched his third goal of the season during the push, powering his way to the net before finishing with a quick shift from backhand to forehand to lift the puck over Stephen Peck.
Shane Vansaghi breaks the tie to give us a 2-1 lead in the second! pic.twitter.com/c5cE11I0Tq
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) February 7, 2026
Vansaghi was noticeable in both games, consistently pressuring on the forecheck and disrupting Michigan’s breakouts. With his goal Friday, he now sits at three goals and six assists through 26 games this season.
Just two minutes after Vansaghi’s goal, Owen West extended Michigan State’s lead to 4-1. While Martone did not record a point on the play, he provided a perfect screen that allowed West to beat the goaltender cleanly.
Midway through the third period, the Wolverines capitalized on an odd-man rush to pull within one. Vansaghi rotated back defensively on the play, but miscommunication between him and Sean Barnhill left Asher Barnett alone in front against Trey Augustine.
Later, on the power play, it appeared that Martone had restored State’s two-goal lead, but his shot rang off the inside of the far post and stayed out. Moments later, Kienan Draper buried a shorthanded goal to tie the game in a massive momentum swing.
Martone, surprisingly, did not see the ice in overtime. On the second shift of extra time, Eric Nilson was called for tripping, sending the Spartans to the penalty kill. Jayden Perron capitalized, scoring the game-winner for Michigan. Although both teams played disciplined (just one power play for each team), special teams ultimately proved to be the deciding factor. Michigan’s penalty kill and power play produced both the shorthanded equalizer and the overtime winner.
Game 2: Michigan State 5, Michigan 2
On Saturday night, Michigan State once again came out with the stronger start. Already holding an 8-3 edge in shots, Gavin O’Connell opened the scoring as the trailing forward. Anthony Romani spotted him with a cross-ice feed near the blue line, and O’Connell beat Jack Ivankovic, who made a somewhat surprising return from injury, with a shot from just above the slot.
With just under four minutes remaining in the first period, Martone struck on the power play to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead. The goal was nearly identical to his attempt Friday night that rang off the inside of the post and stayed out.
Porter Martone waits for the Stramel screen and picks his spot to make it 2-0! pic.twitter.com/etjfIJm8nH
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) February 8, 2026
Stramel set a perfect screen on the power-play goal, and Martone showed patience by waiting until Stramel was fully in position before releasing his shot.
Stramel continued to make his presence felt early in the second period, finishing off a sweet pass from Maxim Strbak at the far post to extend the lead. The Spartans kept the pressure on from there. Just 90 seconds later, Tiernan Shoudy pushed the lead to 4-0, capping off a well-executed odd-man rush from the fourth line. Griffen Jurecki cleared space by driving the defender back, and Tommi Mannisto delivered a cross-ice pass to set up the finish.
Later in the game, Mannisto added one of the more impressive empty-net goals of the weekend, winning a footrace against Michigan defenseman Ben Robertson and scoring while falling to the ice.
The Flying Fin! Tommi Mannisto makes it 5-2 on the empty netter! pic.twitter.com/TYq4COdgXa
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) February 8, 2026
When he turns pro, Mannisto should draw legitimate interest from NHL teams as an undrafted free agent. He still has another year of NCAA eligibility remaining, but he projects as an effective depth winger who can kill penalties and occasionally surprise opponents with his speed.
Shortly after the Shoudy goal, Michigan State’s top line went to work, sustaining extended pressure in Michigan’s zone. Martone slipped a pretty touch-pass through the middle of the ice to Stramel, who likely would have had his second goal of the night if not for friendly fire at the top of the crease.
Michigan responded with a push late in the second period, carrying it into the third with goals from Perron, Friday’s overtime hero, and Moldenhauer. For a stretch, it became the Trey Augustine show, as he turned aside chance after chance to preserve the lead. After the Spartans successfully killed off Michigan’s third power play, Mannisto effectively sealed the win with his empty-netter. The Spartans’ penalty kill had a great night, killing off all three of Michigan’s power plays and allowing zero shots on goal.
Martone took three minor penalties over the weekend, all coincidental minors that came after the whistle. While it would be ideal to see him rein that in, it’s not as if he was putting his team in shorthanded situations. Further, the roughing call against him Friday was incredibly soft. Even so, Michigan State is at its best with him on the ice, and he needs to keep himself available. He now sits at 16 goals and 20 assists through 26 games this season.
For Michigan State, the series offered both encouragement and lessons, showing their ability to dictate play at even strength against a top opponent, while finding out just how thin the margin for error is against elite competition. The Wolverines gave them third-period scares on back-to-back nights, something the Spartans will need to clean up as they push toward the end of the season.
