Fourth line carries Michigan State over Michigan in Duel in the D

Detroit — Michigan State’s fourth line was the difference in a 3-2 win against Michigan on Saturday. 

The trio of Tommi Mannisto, Tiernan Shoudy, and Tanner Kelly had a part in all three of Michigan State’s goals, which was enough for Detroit Red Wings goalie prospect Trey Augustine, who made 39 saves in the victory. 

“I think we just play with a lot of tenacity out there and we forecheck and think we all sort of play similar,” Kelly said. “We work really hard and we just try to bring energy to our team every night."

Saturday's victory completed a weekend sweep and secured a 3-1 series edge against Michigan as Michigan State won the “Duel in the D” trophy awarded to the winner of the annual neutral-site game for the first time since 2016. 

The win also kept Michigan State on top of the Big 10 standings with 45 points. Michigan and Michigan State are the only two schools without a Big 10 regular-season title since the conference started sponsoring hockey during the 2013-14 season. 

It’s now effectively a two-team race for the Big 10 title now between Michigan State and Wisconsin. Those teams, fittingly, meet for a weekend series in the regular-season finale in Madison on March 1-2. 

While Michigan State secured its first 20-win season since 2007-08, Michigan is now in the precarious position where it will likely need to win the Big 10 tournament to secure an NCAA postseason bid. 

Augustine, a second-round selection of the Red Wings in 2023, has been one of college hockey’s busiest and best goalies this season and got retribution against Michigan this weekend. 

BOX SCORE: Michigan State 3, Michigan 2

When the teams split their weekend series in January, Augustine allowed 12 goals on 83 shots. This weekend between games in Ann Arbor and Detroit, Augustine limited Michigan to three goals on 71 shots. 

“I think they have a really, really good goalie,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato said. 

Augustine could have been the goalie at Michigan. He had originally been a Michigan commit, but flipped to Michigan State in September of 2022 to play for Adam Nightingale, who he knew well from his time at the United States National Team Development Program in Plymouth. 

Nightingale said on Saturday that he’s known Augustine since the goalie was 15, and the goalie’s poise and confidence was something that stood out in both his recruitment and in his play at Michigan State. 

“His poise and his ability to bounce back and all those different things,” Nightingale said. “I mean, this is what we expected out of Trey.” 

In front of Augustine, the fourth line took the opening faceoff in the first and second periods for Michigan State and set a tone for the Spartans on the forecheck before cashing in offensively. 

“It’s a good opportunity, grateful to be out there starting the game,” Kelly said. ”Obviously coach has a lot of trust in us and I respect that, and it’s good to get out there and start the game the right way.”

Kelly gave Michigan State a 1-0 lead at 12:55 of the first period when he fished out a loose puck and beat Michigan goalie Jake Barczewski on the stick side for his seventh goal of the season and second of the weekend series. 

Kelly had another prime chance with 4:08 remaining in the first period when he collected his own rebound but was denied by Barczewski’s glove. 

Michigan had more quantity in the first period, with a 14-12 edge in shots, but muffed some of its best chances including a shot in the slot by Gavin Brindley that missed the net. 

Michigan tied the score at 1-1 on the power play 3:42 into the second period. 

Brindley won a race to a loose puck below the goal line and centered the puck back to Dylan Duke, who scored his 17th goal of the season. It ended a three-game goal drought for Duke, who leads Michigan in goals and is one away from tying the career-high 18 he scored last season as a sophomore. 

Shoudy gave Michigan State a 2-1 lead at 7:28 of the period when he shoveled in a rebound after Barczewski failed to hold a point shot by Spartans captain Nash Nienhuis. 

It was Shoudy’s third goal of the season and first since Dec. 8 against Notre Dame. 

The fourth line had a hand in the third goal when it controlled possession and Kelly picked up an assist on Karsen Dorwart’s goal that made it 3-1 with 5:41 remaining in the second period. 

On the ice at the end of a lengthy shift, the winger held up the play on the left side and drew Barczewski out of position before setting up Dorwart for his 12th goal of the season. 

Brindley cut the lead to 3-2 at 10:51 of the third period on a backdoor pass from Rutger McGroarty that the Columbus Blue Jackets prospect easily scored for his 17th of the season. 

Shoudy nearly scored again with 5:20 remaining for Michigan State, but his rush chance was stopped by Barczewski with the right pad before hitting the crossbar. 

Duke nearly tied the score with 30 seconds remaining on a rebound for Michigan, but he was impeded on a diving poke check by Michigan State’s Reed Lebster. 

Barczewski had 40 saves in the loss. 

Sean Shapiro is a freelance writer.