(© Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA)Nick FaberSat, February 28, 2026 at 3:59 AM UTC·4 min readA grotesque loss. Unwatchable before the first 20 minutes even came to a close.
The Spartans hosted the Ohio State Buckeyes for their final series at Munn Ice Arena. It started with a barrage of Ohio State goals and ended with Michigan State head coach Adam Nightingale storming the ice after the final horn, yelling at a referee who stood stoically at center ice—watching as Nightingale was held back by the three other officials.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementA tough night for Michigan State, and not a great look overall.
It got ugly fast. Like when you step in front of a group of people and start talking, but you can’t really stop what’s coming out of your mouth—despite knowing all you need to do is shut up. Instead, the word vomit just oozes out. Yeah, it was that ugly.
Ohio State Strikes First—and Keeps Coming
Ohio State grabbed the early 1-0 lead. It all started when the Spartans drew a penalty from the Buckeyes with just under 10 minutes to go in the first period. The power play was short-lived, though. Just 40 seconds into the man advantage, a bad pass from Basall led to an Ohio State interception. That drew the stick of Porter Martone around the ankles of the Buckeye forward, denying a breakaway chance. It resulted in a 4-on-4, with the faceoff to the right of Trey Augustine.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOhio State’s Max Montes won the draw cleanly, and Bryce Ingles received the puck right in front of the blue line. Ingles hesitated for half a second, then ripped a sniper past the top of Augustine’s glove—his first goal of the season and of his career. The Buckeyes led 1-0.
If only the bleeding had stopped there. The No. 1 Spartans looked completely out of sync. Poor defense sparked a scramble in front of Augustine, which turned into a garbage cleanup goal for Jake Karabela—his 10th of the season. Suddenly, it was 2-0 Buckeyes, just 1:56 later.
Surely the best goaltender and defense in the nation would buck up and fix the glaring issues, right? You’d think so. But no. Another 1:35 minutes ticked by, and the Buckeyes added another garbage pickup goal. This time, Max Montes cleaned it up for his 13th of the season. 3-0 Ohio State, with 4:34 left in the first. What a statement period from a Buckeye squad still battling for playoff seeding.
For context, Michigan State had allowed just 10 goals total in the first period across their first 30 games this season. Ohio State notched three tonight alone. Talk about an ugly hole to climb out of.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSecond Period Offers No Relief
The second period brought no improvement for Michigan State. The teams traded chances scorelessly for over half the frame—until Max Montes struck again. His second goal of the night (14th of the season) came as he knifed through a relaxed Spartan defense and beat a sluggish-looking Augustine. This wasn’t the same Spartans team we’d watched dominate the first 30 games of the season.
Finally, with 3:38 left in the second, Munn Ice Arena had something to cheer about—for anyone still left in the stands. Anthony Romani gathered the puck above the blue line and drove down the blocker side. In a 2-on-1 rush (with what seemed like Manisto trailing), he looked to pass but found no clean lane. Instead, Romani pulled the trigger himself and buried it, cutting the deficit to 4-1.
Third Period Seals the Deal
The third period dawned with little hope, but a sliver of it nonetheless. That faded quickly when a simple blueline shot found its way past Augustine. Beating him on such a routine wrister seemed unthinkable just a few hours earlier. Tonight? It felt like almost anyone could beat him. Just wasn’t his night. Final: 5-1 Ohio State.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe end couldn’t come soon enough. Michigan State might have figured this would be a cakewalk, despite the Buckeyes’ earlier win over the Spartans this season. Maybe it was just Ohio State’s night. The refs didn’t help matters, but the Spartans did everything possible to lose this one—while the Buckeyes did everything to win it.
Looking Ahead: One Last Chance at Munn
Nightingale’s postgame tirade underscored the frustration. His team, once unbeatable at home, looked sloppy, disjointed, and overconfident. Defensemen were caught flat-footed, forwards lacked urgency, and Augustine—normally a wall—couldn’t buy a save. Ohio State, meanwhile, capitalized on every mistake, with Montes (two goals) and company proving why they’re playoff contenders.
The silver lining? Michigan State’s lone bright spot in Romani’s snipe, a reminder of the talent that propelled them to No. 1. But questions linger: Was this an off night, a wake-up call, or a sign of deeper issues heading into the postseason?
The teams collide again tomorrow night at 8 p.m. ET—the final game of the season at Munn Ice Arena. The Spartans desperately need a bounce-back to salvage the series and restore some pride.
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