Michigan State goalie Trey Augustine comes up big again as tournament pressure builds

East Lansing, Mich. – Trey Augustine is as close to a goaltending phenomenon as Michigan State hockey has seen since the mid 2000’s. The freshman has been one of the best goalies in the country this season and is in the running for many Big Ten and national awards.

On Saturday night in a win or go home Big Ten Semifinals match against Ohio State, Augustine delivered. Augustine faced 38 shots, stopping 37 of them in holding the Buckeyes to just one goal in the Spartans’ 2-1 win over the Buckeyes. Augustine’s record is now 21-8-2 while the Spartans’ overall record is 23-9-3.

“I thought Trey made some big-time saves for us,” head coach Adam Nightingale said following the game. “I thought their guy made some big time saves for sure, especially in the second period when we had a couple breakaways.”

Ohio State junior goalie Logan Terness had a good night for the visitors from Columbus as well. Terseness made 36 saves on 38 shots from Michigan State and stopped a number of breakaway chances including two from Michigan State junior center, Red Savage.

“It definitely felt like a goalie game out there,” said Augustine, a South Lyon native who was a second round draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings last summer. “Obviously in games like that for me, I’m just doing anything I can to make sure the next one doesn’t get behind me and you have to take his play into effect and he played really well tonight, so a lot of props goes to him.”

Through two periods, Augustine was perfect in net as the Spartans held a 1-0 edge heading into the third period. Just two minutes into the third period, however, the Buckeyes capitalized on a wrap-around goal by Ohio State freshman center Max Montes to tie the game, 1-1. On the ensuing faceoff, the Spartans wasted no time as they retook the lead, 2-1 on a goal by senior defenseman and captain Nash Nienhuis. The goals came just :13 seconds apart from each other.

“This group has done a good job of responding,” Nightingale said. “We got scored on, and it would’ve been easy especially for a younger team to melt and 13 seconds later Nash made a big time play for us to get us the lead and we were able to hang on.”

Augustine didn’t have much time to dwell on giving up the game tying goal, as the Spartans fired back immediately. He also didn’t have a chance before the post-game press conference to thank his captain for regaining the lead.

“I haven’t talked to him much yet, but thanks Nash, it means a lot,” Augustine said with a smile looking across the table in the press room at his teammate.

Nightingale says Augustine’s calm, unflappable personality is one of the things that allows him to consistently play at an elite level. A tight game in a raucous environment didn’t seem to unsettle the freshman. He went from post to post with great quickness to make a big save on a Dalton Messina backhand attempt six minutes into the game, showing that he had no rust after the Spartans’ two-week layoff.

Augustine, who backstopped Team USA to the gold medal at the prestigious, pressure-packed World Junior Championship in Sweden in December, isn’t one to flinch.

“Honestly, it’s not much different,” Augustine said when asked about Saturday’s playoff intensity. “I’ve been playing hockey for a long time and played in some pretty big games so I feel like I’ve always been ready for it but just definitely getting more comfortable with how I perform out there.”

As far as what lies ahead for Augustine and Michigan State, they will face arch-rival Michigan next Saturday night in the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game. It will mark the first time the championship game has been played at Munn Ice Arena.

A win will make Michigan State just the third team to win both the regular season and tournament championship in the league’s 11-season history. Notre Dame accomplished the feat in its first Big Ten hockey season in 2017-18 and Minnesota accomplished it in 2014-15.

Michigan State has proven time and time again this season they’re a team to be reckoned with on the ice. They have a lot of grit, passion and love for the sport from everyone on their roster. However, the Spartans will ultimately go as far as their 19 year old freshman phenom Trey Augustine will take them.

Michigan State goalie Trey Augustine, congratulated by Maxim Štrbák, had 37 saves in the Spartans’ victory over Ohio State on Saturday night. (Photo by Nick King | USA Today Network).