Michigan State Spartans Go Back-to-Back at the GLI: Defeating Michigan Tech 4-1

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A day after downing Ferris State 5–2, the Spartans returned to the ice in Grand Rapids for the Great Lakes Invitational (GLI) Championship game, this time squaring off against Michigan Tech.

Though enough snow fell outside and temperatures dropped well below freezing, the Great Lakes Invitational wasn’t going to be hosted on a neighboring pond — that ice reserved for your family’s New Year’s Eve showdown. Instead, this championship game would be held where it has been — and will be for a few more years — inside Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids.

Michigan State entered the night still without three of its top players, as Porter Martone, Ryker Lee, and Shane Vansahi continue representing their countries at the World Juniors Hockey Championship. That left the rest of the Spartans tasked with defending their 2024 GLI title on their own.

This wasn’t the first time the Spartans and Huskies had met with a trophy on the line. The two programs clashed five times in GLI championship games during the 1970s and 1980s, with MSU winning four of those five meetings. The next encounter didn’t come until 2000 — another Spartan victory. Then came a two-decade break before the rivalry reignited in 2023, when Michigan Tech claimed the title. Michigan State answered last year by defeating Western Michigan to take the GLI crown.

Now it was 2025. Both teams entered the championship fresh off identical 5–2 wins the night before — MSU over Ferris State, Michigan Tech over Miami (OH).

The stage was set. The puck was ready to drop. And the crowd buzzed accordingly.

The first period featured two teams determined to leave just about everything on the ice. Shots came early and often from both sides.

Gavin O’Connell, the MSU junior, came out with a fiery edge, ripping four shots in the opening frame. Matt Basgall added two of his own, while eight other Spartans tested Michigan Tech goaltender Owen Bartoszkiewicz. The Huskies’ netminder stood tall — more like the brick wall outside my house as a snow squall tried to huff and puff it down than an actual human being.

Michigan State fired 14 shots in the first period alone, only to be turned away every time.

On the other end, Michigan Tech did its best to crack Trey Augustine, sending 10 shots his way in the opening 20 minutes. They were met by rapid, pinball-like arms demanding more speed and better placement.

The second period is when things truly ramped up.

Just past the halfway point of the game, the Spartans found themselves battling for possession deep in the offensive zone. Daniel Russell worked the puck free behind the net, where it squirted out to Colin Ralph. Ralph sent what looked like a relatively harmless shot toward the goal — until it nicked the stick of Anthony Romani and popped up past Bartoszkiewicz. Whether drawn up or pure chaos, the cookie crumbled in Michigan State’s favor.

The Spartans struck first and took a hard-earned 1–0 lead.

With under two minutes remaining in the period and the game still hanging by a single goal, Patrick Geary blasted a shot that dribbled just inches to Bartoszkiewicz’s left. Charlie Stramel happened to be standing there, ready to put the garbage in the trash can and send MSU into the second intermission up 2–0.

It was now or never for the Huskies — and Stramel made sure the answer was never.

Less than four minutes into the third period, Anthony Romani flew up behind a Michigan Tech defender, swiping the puck like a pickpocket you meet right off the bus in Paris. Before the defender even realized what had happened, Romani slipped a pass into the middle of the ice. Out of nowhere appeared Stramel, who ripped a wrister that trickled through Bartoszkiewicz for his second goal of the night and fourth of the weekend.

The Spartans led 3–0 early in the third. The writing was on the wall.

Michigan Tech eventually managed to slip one past Augustine, but Tommi Mannisto sealed the deal with an empty-netter to put things out of reach.

Michigan State earned its second consecutive GLI trophy — and deserved every bit of it — outscoring its two opponents 9–3 over the weekend in Grand Rapids.

Even while missing three key contributors to international duty, the rest of the Spartans understood the assignment and took care of business.

Stramel finished the weekend with four goals, moving him to second on the team with 10 goals on the season and a team-high 23 points thanks to his 13 assists. Mannisto (8) and Romani (7) each added two goals of their own over the weekend, finding the net once in each game.

Next up, Michigan State hosts an exhibition matchup against the U.S. National Team Development Program on January 4 at Munn Ice Arena. From there, the Spartans dive back into Big Ten play on the road, starting with Ohio State and then Wisconsin — the same Badgers team that swept MSU in East Lansing a month and a half ago.

College hockey is ramping up, and the Spartans are hunting for more hardware to bring home.

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