A Season To Build On - Michigan State University Athletics (2024)

Spartan Hockey enjoyed its finest season in nearly two decades in 2023-24

The Spartan hockey program "felt like the old days", as the longtime season ticket holders tell us. A string of sellout crowds returned to Munn Ice Arena, where our fans cheered on the Spartans to both regular-season and Big Ten Tournament titles. MSU advanced to the regional finals of the NCAA Tournament, ending its season later than any other year since winning the national championship in 2007. With the fifth-youngest team in college hockey in 2023-24, the Spartans know that they have plenty to build on going forward. Here's a quick look back at some of the highlights of an unforgettable campaign.

• Michigan State hockey finished the 2023-24 season with a 25-10-3 overall record, its most victories since the 2007-08 campaign. A record of 16-6-2 in Big Ten conference games was also its most conference wins since the same season.

• The Spartans captured both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles, just the third time in the history of the Conference that the same team captured both the regular and post-season crowns.

• MSU earned its first-ever Big Ten regular-season title (52 points), its first regular-season title since the 2000-01 campaign when the Spartans ruled the CCHA with a 21-4-3 mark.

• MSU, after winning its first-ever games in the Big Ten Tournament in 2022-23, defeated Ohio State (2-1) and Michigan (5-4, OT) to capture its first-ever Big Ten Tournament title. It was MSU's first postseason tournament title since 2006.

• Michigan State welcomed 110,117 people through the turnstiles in its 17 home games, (10th nationally), averaging 6,482 per game, which ranks sixth. MSU had the fewest home games (17) of any school ranked in the top 15 in total attendance. Michigan State surpassed total home season attendance six figures for the first time since 2007-08, and has sold out 21 consecutive home games against Big Ten opponents.

• The Spartans played the fifth toughest schedule among Division I programs, behind Notre Dame, Boston University, Denver, and Duluth.

• With a sweep of No. 1 Wisconsin in November, the Spartans delivered back-to-back weekend wins over the top team in the national poll for just the third time in school history and the first time since 1974.

• A 3-2 win over Michigan on Feb. 10 at the Duel in the D marked MSU's first win in that rivalry game held at Little Caesars Arena since it opened in 2018.

• At the conclusion of the fall semester, the Spartan hockey program had its best-ever single-semester gpa, boasting a 3.426 fall GPA with seven perfect 4.0's and 16 student-athletes with a 3.5 or better. In the spring, MSU posted a 3.451, with four perfect 4.0's and 20 players with at least a 3.5 gpa. Nine of the 12 eligible student-athletes earned Academic All-Big Ten honors (students must complete 12 months in residence at MSU to be eligible.) Six upperclassmen are eligible for Academic All-America honors, requiring a 3.5 cumulative gpa.

• Adam Nightingale was a Spencer Penrose National Coach of the Year finalist and was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year. He owns a two-year record of 43-28-5 (.583), the second-best mark for a Spartan mentor in his first two seasons behind Rick Comley (46-31-4, .592).

•Freshman defenseman Artyom Levshunov became the 57th All-American in program history, earning second team honors. He was the program's first selection since 2019 (Taro Hirose) and the first defenseman to earn the kudos since Torey Krug (2012). Levshunov's 35 points was the second-most for a freshman defenseman in program history, and ranked 10th all-time for points by a defenseman in any season at MSU. He was MSU's top-scoring defenseman since John-Michael Liles had 50 points and Brad Fast had 46 in 2002-03.

• Six Spartan players earned All-Big Ten honors at the conclusion of the season, with five earning a spot on the first, second or honorable mention teams. Levshunov was selected as the league's Freshman of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and he earned a spot on the First Team and All-Freshman team. Trey Augustine was a Goaltender of the Year finalist and was a Second Team and All-Freshman team pick as well. Karsen Dorwart, Isaac Howard, and Joey Larson all earned Honorable Mention honors. Nicolas Müller was the team's Sportsmanship Award winner.

• The Spartan contingent at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship was one of the deepest and most diverse of any school in the country. Freshman Trey Augustine and sophom*ore forward Isaac Howard earned gold medals with Team USA. Freshmen forward Tommi Männistö (Finland) and defenseman Maxim Štrbák (Slovakia) each were named to their nation's top three players list at the conclusion of the championship. MSU's four players participating in the championship tied for the second most of any school in the country, while MSU and Boston University each had players representing three different nations – BU had one each for the US, Sweden and Canada.

• Augustine completed one of the finest first-year campaigns in program history between the pipes, and was the youngest starting goaltender in the country. A Second Team All-Big Ten selection, Augustine was a finalist for the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year as well as the Mike Richter Award as the nation's top goaltender. A member of the Big Ten All-Freshman team, he backstopped MSU to its most victories since 2007-08, its first-ever Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles, and into an NCAA regional final. He led the nation with 1113 saves on the season and boasted a 2.96 GAA and .915 save percentage.

• MSU's scoring depth ran through all four forward lines, as the Spartans boast 10 players with 20+ points, its most since 1995-96, when it had 11 skaters accomplish the feat. MSU also had 10 players with 20+ points in 2000-01, 2005-06, and 2007-08 as well. Michigan State has four players with 30+ points for the first time since 2007-08, and last had five with 30 points or more in 2005-06 - the last time it was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

• The Spartans boasted two forward lines - the all-sophom*ore line of Isaac Howard-Karsen Dorwart-Daniel Russell and all-newcomer line of Gavin O'Connell-Red Savage-Joey Larson -that combined for 36-59-95 and 41-44-85 points, respectively. The all-senior line of Reed Lebster-Nicolas Müller-Jeremy Davidson finished with a combined 25-45-70, and the fourth line of Tommi Männistö-Tiernan Shoudy-Tanner Kelly had14-30-44.

• MSU's team offense (3.87 goals per game) ranked second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally. With its scoring depth throughout the lineup MSU did not have an individual in the national top 40 in points or goals, or in the top 20 in assists.

• A total of nine MSU players established new offensive bests in goals, assists or points.

• MSU's power play unit ranked second in the Big Ten and fifth nationally at .271 (29-of-107). The Spartans recorded a power play goal in 23 of 38 games.

• MSU's seven shorthanded goals tied for fourth in the country and was the most shorthanded goals for MSU since the 2002-03 campaign (10). The Spartan penalty kill operated at 80% (120-150), good for third in the Big Ten.

• MSU's lineup, in addition to having two freshmen goaltenders, skated four freshmen defensem*n (Artyom Levshunov, Maxim Štrbák, Patrick Geary, and Austin Oravetz), along with sophom*ore Matt Basgall, junior David Gucciardi, and the senior captain Nash Nienhuis. Levshunov has played in all 36 games on the top pair with Nienhuis, while each of the other three freshmen have all played in at least 30 games. MSU is the fifth-youngest team in the country overall. Four of MSU's seven regular defensem*n recorded at least 10 points, and all had at least five.