Michigan State Tops Wisconsin, 4-3

Charlie Stramel scored the game-winning goal in the second period, and also had an assist as fourth-ranked Michigan State edged No. 2 Wisconsin, 4-3, tonight at the Kohl Center. It was MSU's first victory against Wisconsin this season, after the Badgers swept a two-game series in East Lansing, Mich., back in November. All three games have been decided by one goal.

Ryker Lee, Gavin O'Connell and Daniel Russell also scored for the victorious Spartans (16-5-0 overall, 7-4-0 Big Ten), who got 24 saves in net from Trey Augustine. Oliver Tulk, Kyle Kukkonen and Tyson Dyck scored the host Badgers (15-4-2 8-3-0), who got 19 stops from Daniel Hauser. The Spartans outshot the Badgers, 27-23, on the evening, while the two teams combined to go 0-for-5 on the power play.

MSU and Wisconsin will close out their 2025-26 season series on Friday night in Madison.

ADDENDUM: MSU finished off the two-step sweep with a 4-1 victory in Game Two. 

Spartans Sweep No. 1 BU on the Road

There will be a new No. 1 team in NCAA Division I men's college hockey next week. Michigan State University saw to that. 

The third-ranked Spartans knocked No. 1 Boston University from its pedestal following a two-step sweep this weekend at Agganis Arena in Boston.

On Friday, MSU (3-1-0 overall) got goals from four different players, and 18 saves from Trey Augustine, en route to a 4-2 victory, MSU's first win at BU since the 1950s. Gavin O'Connell and Matt Basgall also set up two goals apiece for the visiting Spartans. Mikhail Yegorov made 30 stops for the host Terriers. 

On Saturday, BU (2-2-1) scored three times in the third period to tie the contest, but Basgall connected just under four minutes into overtime to lift MSU to a 4-3 win, its third straight triumph overall. Augustine made 31 saves for the Spartans, who also got a goal and an assist from Porter Marone, while Yegorov made 30 stops for BU.

MSU plays another non-conference series next weekend at Northern Michigan before opening its Big Ten slate, while BU will enter Hockey East play with a home-and-home series against UConn.

MSU Routs Michigan, 6-1, in Detroit

The "Duel in the D" trophy will remain in East Lansing. Second-ranked Michigan State University routed No. 13 Michigan, 6-1, on Saturday night before 19,515 fans at Little Caesars Arena in the annual contest between the two archrivals in Detroit.

After Tyler Duke tied the game midway through the second period for Michigan, MSU erupted for five goals over the next 21 minutes to put the contest away. Six different skaters scored for the Spartans, who were led by Joey Larson's one goal and two assists. Shane Vansaghi, Gavin O'Connell and Isaac Howard notched a goal and an assist apiece for MSU, which also got two assists from Nicklas Andrews and finished two-for-five on the power play. Trey Augustine made 17 saves in net for the Spartans (22-5-3 overall, 13-4-3 Big Ten), and also added an assist. Cameron Korpi finished with 34 stops for the Wolverines (16-12-2, 10-9-1), who defeated MSU, 2-1, on Friday in East Lansing. 

It was the fourth and final game of the 2024-25 regular-season series between MSU and U-M, with each team winning twice. Their next meeting could come as early as this year's Big Ten tournament, and then possibly again in the NCAA tournament. MSU will entertain Notre Dame this weekend in Big Ten play, while U-M will host Minnesota.

Spartans Sweep Penn State

Michigan State hockey has continued its winning ways in the new calendar year. 

A week after besting the U.S. National Team Development Program in an exhibition contest, the eighth-ranked Spartans maintained their hold on first place in the Big Ten conference with 5-0 and 7-3 victories at Penn State this weekend.

Fresh off winning a gold medal with Team USA at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, MSU goaltender Trey Augustine made 31 saves in the opener at Penn State on Friday for the shutout, the second of his freshman campaign. Joey Larson led all Spartan scorers with two goals and an assist. In the rematch on Saturday, Augustine made 27 stops while seven different skaters scored goals for the Spartans, with Reed Lebster, Red Savage and Gavin O'Connell contributing a goal and an assist apiece.

MSU (15-4-3 overall, 9-1-2-1 Big Ten), which is one point ahead of second-place Wisconsin in the Big Ten standings and is also on six-game unbeaten string in NCAA action, will next play a home-and-home series with archrival Michigan on Jan. 19-20. 

BU Parts Ways with Head Coach O'Connell

Boston University is again in the market for a new men's ice hockey head coach.

BU parted ways on Tuesday with former Terriers forward and assistant/associate coach Albie O'Connell, who helmed the Terriers these past four seasons after David Quinn left to coach the New York Rangers in 2018.

O'Connell, 45, led BU to a 58-49-16 record overall in his tenure, including a 19-13-3 overall mark in 2021-22 as they finished tied for fourth in the final Hockey East standings at 10-6-3-5. The Terriers also made the 2021 NCAA Tournament under his watch, where they fell to eventual national runner-up St. Cloud State in an Albany regional semifinal, and then won the 2022 Beanpot Tournament.

O'Connell, a 1999 graduate of BU, skated four years for the Terriers, in which he tallied 42 goals and 66 assists for 108 points in 149 career games. He played three years of professional hockey afterwards before entering the coaching ranks in 2002 with The Berkshire School. He then made collegiate stops at Colby, Niagara, Holy Cross, Merrimack, Northeastern and Harvard as an assistant before returning to his alma mater in 2014.

O'Connell in Charge at BU

Former Boston University player and recent associate coach Albie O’Connell is the new head coach of the Terriers. He succeeds David Quinn, who left BU last month to take the head coaching job with the NHL’s New York Rangers.

A fifth-round draft choice of the New York islanders in 1994, O'Connell skated at forward for BU from 1995 to 199, and tallied 42 goals and 108 points. As a sophomore, he was part of the Terriers’ squad that advanced to the 1997 NCAA title game. After playing two seasons in the ECHL, sandwiched around two seasons in the British League, he turned to coaching, and first served as an assistant at Colby College in 2003-04.

O'Connell, 42, then spent time as an NCAA Division I assistant at Niagara, Holy Cross, Merrimack, Northeastern and Harvard, before returning to his alma mater in 2014 and helping the Terriers to the 2015 NCAA championship contest in Boston. He served the last three years an associate at BU, and aided BU’s run to a Hockey East Tournament title and an NCAA Tournament berth this past season.

O’Connell becomes the sixth-ever head coach in BU men's hockey history, and the fifth alumnus.

Coaching Carousel Continues

The coaching carousel has been going around and around in Division I men's college hockey since the national title game in Philadelphia over a month ago.

Scott Owens resigned at Colorado College, to be replaced by former Elmira skater and Chicago Blackhawks assistant coach Mike Haviland.Owens led the Tigers to 324 wins and seven NCAA Tournament berths in his 15-year-tenure in Colorado Springs. Haviland, who helped Chicago to its 2010 Stanley Cup championship, was head coach at Hershey (AHL) last season, and had previously won two ECHL titles as a head coach.

Jim Roque was let go at Lake Superior State after nine seasons and replaced by former Michigan State forward Damon Whitten, who has coached at MSU, Wayne State, Alaska Anchorage and Michigan Tech in his career. It's the first time Whitten will be a head coach at the college level, with a Lakers club that hasn't made the NCAAs since 1996

Bob Prier resigned after three seasons at Princeton, although whether that was under duress or not hasn't been revealed—I hope it wasn't the case that he was forced out. Prier had succeeded Guy Gadowsky, who moved on to Penn State in 2011. His own replacement will be the first major hiring for new Princeton athletic director Mollie Marcoux, a Princeton hockey alumnae and a three-time MVP for the Tigers.

Lastly, Paul Pearl resigned after 19 seasons at the helm of his alma mater, Holy Cross, to take the associate position at Harvard. Pearl paced the Crusaders to 297 wins and two NCAA berths in his time, including an overtime upset of Minnesota in 2006. He will replace former Harvard assistant Albie O'Connell, who went back to Boston University where he captained the Terriers as an undergraduate.

Just over four months until the 2014-15 NCAA campaign begins—and the chance for more change behind the benches of Division I programs before the first puck drops.