MSU Hockey Round 1 Preview: Connecticut
Michigan State Hockey begins its quest for a National Title against UConn
EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 27: Michigan State Spartans head coach Adam Nightingale looks on during a men's college hockey game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan State Spartans on February 27, 2026 at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing MI. (Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images MSU Hockey is set to begin its quest for a National Title as the puck drops Thursday at 1:30pm in Worcester. ESPN 2 will have the coverage.
What are the odds, that hockey and basketball would be facing UConn on the same weekend as they look to extend their seasons. The Spartans have looked a bit shaky in their last few games and with the extra time off have hopefully righted the ship. UConn was the last at large team to make the tournament as they sat with an NPI ranking of 14 and the automatic bids being snatched up by Merrimack (19th NPI) and Bentley (23 NPI).
The Huskies finished third in a subpar year for Hockey East. Senior forward Ryan Tattle leads the Huskies with 13 goals and 19 assists. Joey Muldowney and Jake Richard are the other two offensive threats for UConn.
Interestingly, they do not get much offensive production from defenders as they have totaled only 8 goals this season. This could be an opportunity for MSU to play more aggressively against the Husky forwards. The Husky goaltender, Tyler Muszelik, has put up a .