Augustine, MSU See Triumphant Season End One Win Shy of Frozen Four
Michigan State's fairytale season comes to an end on Sunday night against arch-rival Michigan in the rivals' first ever NCAA Tournament match-up
© Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK - Augustine, MSU See Triumphant Season End One Win Shy of Frozen FourOn Sunday night in Maryland Heights, Missouri, Trey Augustine and the Michigan State Spartans saw their fairytale season come to an end in devastating fashion against arch-rivals Michigan. Just one week prior, State knocked off the Wolverines in East Lansing to win the Big Ten Tournament (on top of the regular season crown it had already secured), but with the final spot in the Frozen Four on the line Sunday, Michigan exacted revenge by a 5-2 final score.
It was the rivals' 343rd ever game but first in the NCAA Tournament, with the game's highlight and decisive moment coming in the third period when Frank Nazar III sent a between-the-legs pass to Gavin Brindley on a two-on-one with Brindley scoring to make it 4-2 12 seconds after Michigan took a 3-2 lead via Dylan Duke.
Despite the disappointing finish, Augustine—whom the Red Wings selected in the second round at last June's Draft—has now completed an outstanding freshman season in East Lansing. In 35 games played, Augustine put up a .915 save percentage, a 2.96 goals against average, and a 23-9-2 record. He won the Big Ten's regular season and tournament championship, was named to the conference's all-freshman team, and earned Most Outstanding Player honors at the Big Ten Tournament. He also steered Team USA to a gold medal at the World Junior.
Got a Question?
We've got answers. Submit your questions to THN Detroit's first ever mailbag today. We'll give you our thoughts on all the Detroit hockey topics you're wondering about. A few lucky questions will be featured on next week's episode of The Silky Mitten State podcast. Submit your questions on this Google Form.