Michigan Stuns Michigan State With Dramatic Overtime Comeback

The atmosphere inside Yost Ice Arena on February 6, 2026, was nothing short of electric as No. 1 Michigan and No. 2 Michigan State clashed in a college hockey showdown for the ages. Never before had these two storied rivals met while occupying the top two spots in the national rankings, and the action on the ice delivered every bit of drama fans could hope for. By the time the final buzzer sounded, Michigan had staged a thrilling comeback to claim a 4-3 overtime victory, sending the home crowd into a frenzy and shaking up the Big Ten standings.

The anticipation for this matchup had been building for weeks. Earlier in the season, both teams had split a two-game series, each grabbing a win on the road. This time, the stakes were even higher, with bragging rights, conference supremacy, and national pride on the line. The stage was set for an epic contest, and neither team disappointed.

From the opening puck drop, the teams traded blows in a fast-paced, defensive-minded first period. Michigan State drew first blood with just under five minutes to play in the opening frame. Charlie Stramel, who had been on a hot streak with a hat trick in his previous outing, tipped home a setup from Porter Martone to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead. The Wolverines wasted little time responding. Less than two minutes later, Nick Moldenhauer deflected a point shot from Drew Schock past Michigan State goaltender Trey Augustine, knotting the score at 1-1 as the period ended.

Both squads came out firing in the second period, but it was the Spartans who seized control late in the frame. Shane Vansaghi broke the deadlock with a slick backhand-forehand move that beat Michigan’s Stephen Peck, putting Michigan State ahead 2-1. The Spartans weren’t done yet. With just over two minutes left in the period, Owen West rifled a shot through traffic and into the net, stretching the lead to 3-1. Michigan State’s relentless attack had the Wolverines reeling, and it looked as if the visitors were poised to pull off a statement win in enemy territory.

But if there’s one thing this Michigan team has shown all season, it’s resilience. Entering the third period down by two, the Wolverines dug deep and began to tilt the ice in their favor. Asher Barnett got the comeback started, finishing off a feed from Aidan Park to cut the deficit to 3-2 with just under 10 minutes remaining. The energy in Yost Arena began to swell as Michigan pressed for the equalizer.

Then came the turning point. With Michigan State on the power play and looking to restore their cushion, Kienan Draper, son of Red Wings legend Kris Draper, picked up the puck in his own zone and dashed the length of the ice on a two-on-one. He snapped a wrist shot under the crossbar, tying the game at 3-3 with just over seven minutes left. The crowd erupted, and the momentum had unmistakably shifted. "That’s a game-changing play and a game-changing goal," Jayden Perron said after the game, crediting Draper’s tenacity and effort. "He comes to work every single day, and no one deserves it more than him."

The remainder of regulation was a tense, back-and-forth affair, with both goaltenders—Augustine for Michigan State and Peck for Michigan—standing tall and making clutch saves. Neither side could break the deadlock, and the game headed to overtime, as fitting an outcome as any for such a high-stakes rivalry.

Overtime in Big Ten hockey is played 3-on-3, but an early tripping penalty on Michigan State’s Eric Nilson gave the Wolverines a golden 4-on-3 power play opportunity. The tension was palpable as Michigan worked the puck around the perimeter, searching for the opening. After several passes, Michael Hage found Jayden Perron with a cross-ice feed. Perron wasted no time, blasting a one-timer past a screened Augustine and into the net with 1:50 left in the extra frame. Yost Arena exploded with noise. "It took a team effort to get that win, but it definitely felt good to end it there in overtime," Perron told reporters, still beaming from the game-winner.

Michigan coach Brandon Naurato, who has now coached the Wolverines for four seasons, was effusive in his praise for both his players and the crowd. "I’ve never heard Yost that loud," Naurato said. "Even screening passes is a big deal. He’s a really good goalie, and made some more big saves tonight, but it looked like that last pass was screened a little bit, and all those guys can score. I thought they shared it pretty well, and it worked out."

The statistics underscored just how evenly matched these teams were. Both Augustine and Peck finished with 31 saves, each making highlight-reel stops that kept their teams in the game. Michigan’s victory pushed them to the top of the Big Ten standings, giving them a three-point cushion over the Spartans. For Michigan State, the loss was a bitter pill to swallow, especially after holding a two-goal lead so late. "It was a tough pill to swallow," Spartans coach Adam Nightingale admitted. "But now it’s about regrouping and getting ready for tomorrow."

This game wasn’t just about the numbers or even the result—it was about the spectacle, the rivalry, and the heart-stopping moments that define college hockey at its best. The meeting marked the first time these programs had faced off as the top two teams in the nation, and the contest will surely be remembered by players and fans alike for years to come. As Kienan Draper reflected, "This team can do anything. Coming back down two in the third is not easy, especially against that team, and we just found a way. It’s something that we’ve done all year, is find ways to win, and that one just feels extra special."

With the win, Michigan sets the tone for the remainder of the season and the looming postseason. But there’s little time to rest on their laurels. The two teams are set to meet again on February 7 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit for the second half of their doubleheader, with Michigan State eager for revenge and a shot at evening the score in both the standings and the rivalry. If Friday night was any indication, fans are in for another treat as these titans of college hockey continue their battle for supremacy.