Michigan State hockey vs. Boston College series preview

1. Goaltending matchup

It’s not a bold take of me to say that the level of success the Spartans have this season largely hinges on Trey Augustine’s game. Lucky enough, if you’re a fan of the green and white, his game is one of the best in the country. That may be underselling it some as well.

The sophomore is coming off a season filled with more accolades than some players get in their careers. He led the Spartans to a 25-10-3 record last season overall, led Team USA to a gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championships last winter, and then also was named to the US Men’s World Hockey Championships after the NCAA Tournament this past May. Playing for the adult team was a big accomplishment in its own right since that roster was stocked full of NHL regulars. 



Augustine comes into the season looking to make an even bigger impact. If the Spartans hope to accomplish their goals this season, Trey will be the reason why.

In an interview on the Spartan Shadows Podcast, I was able to talk to MSU Hockey expert Jeremy Dewar who brought up a good point. On most nights coming into the game, Augustine will have the edge in the goalie matchup. Against BC, however, that may not be the case.

Boston College goaltender Jacob Fowler is probably the other goalie on my “top two goalies in the NCAA” list with Augustine. Fowler's first year at Boston College last season was successful. He went 32-6-1 breaking the NCAA record for most wins in a season by a freshman. He, like Augustine, was named a finalist for the Mike Richter Award for the nation's best goalie. His career-high in saves was slotted against the Spartans last year when he had 43 saves in a 5-1 win for BC. Finally, he shut out Michigan in the Frozen Four to advance to the national title game. 



This will be the most highly-contested goalie matchup of the season more than likely so if you are a fan of high-level goalie play, these are your games this weekend.