Augustine Voted Team MVP - Michigan State University Athletics (2024)

East Lansing, Mich. --Michigan State hockey has announced its 2023-24 postseason team awards, with freshman goaltender Trey Augustine (South Lyon, Mich.) earning team MVP and Outstanding Rookie honors and senior captain Nash Nienhuis (Sarnia, Ontario) earning three team awards.

Augustine was voted by his teammates the recipient of the Ron Mason Most Valuable Player Award as well as the Outstanding Rookie Award. The youngest starting goaltender in college hockey, Augustine was a Second Team All-Big Ten and All-Freshman Team honoree. He backstopped the Spartans to Big Ten regular-season and post-season titles, earning Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors, stopping 70 of 75 shots (.933). In 35 games, Augustine posted a .918 save percentage (fourth B1G/15th nationally), 2.96 GAA (fifth B1G), and 23-9-2 record. He led the nation in saves (1113), ranked fifth in victories (23), ninth in winning percentage (.710) and eighth in shutouts (3). Augustine was also selected as the recipient of the Steve Swistak Memorial Scholarship.

Nienhuis was voted his team's Dr. John Downs Outstanding Defensive Player and the Bill Burgess Outstanding Senior and was also the recipient of the Blue Line Club President's Award as the senior with the highest grade-point average. Nienhuis was the lone senior on a young Spartan blueline, mentoring a group that featured four freshmen in the everyday lineup. He surpassed his career best in points (24) and scored more goals (9) than he had in his first three seasons combined, while matching his career best in assists (15) and finishing +20. A Big Ten All-Tournament Team pick, Neinhuis boasts a 3.625 cumulative GPA as an advertisingmanagement major, earning College Sports Communicators (CSC) academic All-District honors as a junior and Academic All-Big Ten honors three times in his career.

Another multiple-award winner is alternate captain Karsen Dorwart (Sherwood, Oregon). He was named the team's Outstanding Offensive Player (as voted by the team) and also won the Spartan Fitness Award, whose winner is selected by Performance Coach Will Morlock for a commitment to weight room and off-ice training. Dorwart earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors as well as Academic All-Big Ten kudos. He established new career bests in goals (15), assists (19) and points (34), and tied for second in the Big Ten and 11th nationally in shorthanded goals. He was second among all Spartans in special teams points (4-8-12).

Fifth-year senior and alternate captain Nicolas Müller (Arisdorf, Switzerland) earned two awards. He was selected as the recipient of the Amo Bessone Award – which honors the combination of community service, athletic performance, and grade-point average. He also earned the Spartan Shield for the second consecutive season – that honor is awarded by the coaches to the player who best exemplifies dedication, hard work, and leadership. Müller skated in all 38 games, posting seven goals and 22 assists (+10). He tied for the team lead in special teams points (1-12-13).

Senior Jon Mor (Highland Park, Ill.) was voted the winner of the team's Goofus Award as the team humorist. A three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Mor has been a locker room anchor in what can be a difficult role as a backup netminder. He saw his first collegiate action in the exhibition game against the USNTDP and also saw his first countable collegiate action in Michigan State's senior night win over Ohio State. Mor is a three-time winner of the Goofus Award, joining fellow three-time winners Rob Woodward (1991-93), Chris Bogas (1997-99) and Anthony Scarsella (2017, 2019-20) and four-time recipients Zak McClellan (2005-08) and Ryan Keller (2013-16).

Freshman Patrick Geary (Buffalo, NY) also captured two team awards – his teammates selected him as the Most Improved Player, and he is also the recipient of the Dave Carrier Award, which honors the "comeback player" who overcame injury or adversity throughout the season. Geary played in 32 games, and each of the final 30. He recorded five goals and eight assists on the season (+1), which included the overtime game-winner against Michigan in the Big Ten Championship game at Munn Arena.