Men’s Hockey: BU Set for Weekend Battle Against Spartans
Featured Image By Matthew Allen
By Claire Smieszny
At home this weekend, Boston University Men’s Ice Hockey (2-0-1, 0-0-0 HEA) will play arguably its most anticipated series of the season against the Michigan State Spartans (1-1-0, 0-0-0 B1G).
“It’s a great test overall for our whole team,” Head Coach Jay Pandolfo said of the series. “To have a team like Michigan State coming in, and for our guys to gain that experience this early is going to be very beneficial down the road.”
With BU starting the season with three wins under its belt and a No. 1 national ranking in the USCHO poll this week, it’s safe to say that the momentum is in its favor.
Michigan State, despite splitting its series with an unranked University of New Hampshire last weekend, is still a top-notch program with a lot of talent. The Spartans currently sit ranked No. 3.
The two teams have met five times, with the last matchup being in 2015. Since then, Michigan State has risen steadily in the rankings. Their program took a step forward when former USNTDP coach Adam Nightingale was hired to head the program in 2022. They’ve since made tournament appearances the last two years.
The Spartans’ lineup is highlighted by three freshmen additions from the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), the most notable being the 6th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft: forward Porter Martone. Martone has already notched three points in his freshman season and is coming off scoring 37 goals and 61 assists in his 57 games of his final season with the Brampton Steelheads.
This series could end up being a battle of goaltenders, as both BU and MSU possess distinguished netminders. Both the Terriers’ sophomore goaltender, Mikhail Yegorov, and the Spartans’ junior goaltender, Trey Augustine, had save percentages of .927 and .924 last season, respectively.
“Augustine’s got a little more experience than [Yegorov] does, but [Yegorov] gained a lot of experience in only half a season last year, getting all the way to the final game,” Pandolfo said. “He obviously this year is becoming a little bit more comfortable and knowing what to expect, so I expect it to be a great matchup.”
The Terriers need to utilize their offensive weapons: sophomore forward Cole Eiserman and sophomore defenseman Cole Hutson. Both of whom have more than five points through the first three contests of the season. BU also has a coveted CHL product of its own in freshman forward Ryder Ritchie, who has already notched five points.
This series will be a test for the Terriers, but also an opportunity for them to stake their claim over the No. 1 spot for another week.
The Terriers and Spartans will face off at Agganis Arena on Oct. 17 and 18, both with puck drop set for 7 p.m., with streaming available on ESPN 2, TSN, and ESPN+.