No. 3 Michigan State and Northern Michigan wrap up their season-opening series on Sunday, Oct. 11, at 1 p.m. at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, two days after the Spartans opened their regular season with a 6-2 win. The game streams on Big Ten+, and Northern Michigan’s radio call is on 100.3 The Point.

Where things stand

Michigan State (1-0-0) scored three times in the first period and three more in the third on Friday, and its special teams did much of the work: the Spartans scored repeatedly on the power play and killed all five Northern penalties. Anthony Romani had two goals and an assist, Ryker Lee set career highs with three assists, and Jack Hextall scored his first college goal. Freshman Joshua Ravensbergen made 16 saves in his regular-season debut. Coach Adam Nightingale said he liked a lot of what he saw but that the team still has areas to clean up.

Northern Michigan (1-2-0) was within a goal early in the third period Friday after Grayden Slipec’s tip-in, and newcomer Branden Piku scored his first goal as a Wildcat. Goaltender Oliver Auyeung-Ashton kept them in it with 36 saves. Discipline was the issue: the Wildcats took 14 penalties for 50 minutes, and captain Medrick Bolduc was ejected with a five-minute major and game misconduct in the second period. Neither school had announced anything about his status for Sunday as of Sunday morning. The game ended with a scrum in the final second that produced two 10-minute misconducts.

What to watch

Northern’s penalty kill will have to be better against a Spartan power play that cashed in again and again Friday, and the Wildcats need more than 18 shots to test Ravensbergen. For Michigan State, the question is whether its depth scoring carries over: six different Spartans scored in the opener. Michigan State visits RIT next weekend, and Northern Michigan hosts Stonehill Oct. 16-17.

Sources

• MSU Spartans: Offensive outburst leads No. 3 Hockey past Northern Michigan in regular-season opener
• MSU Spartans: 2026-27 men’s hockey schedule
• NMU Wildcats: Penalties plague Wildcats against No. 3 Spartans
• College Hockey News: Oct. 11 schedule
• Mitten Hockey: Michigan State Game Recap, vs. Northern Michigan (Oct. 9)