Michigan State Defenseman Earns Big Ten Honors

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Tim Marshall | Last updated Jan 29, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Michigan State senior defenseman David Gucciardi was named the Big Ten Second Star of the Week for his performance against the Minnesota Golden Gophers last weekend, as announced by the conference on Tuesday.

Gucciardi's presence on the blue line was prevalent during the Spartans’ offensive onslaught in Game 1, where Michigan State dominated the Gophers, 9-3. The Spartans ended with 14 players getting on the scoring sheet, a season high.

The defenseman's two-goal performance was the most offensive production he’s had in his career, and it was his only multi-goal performance in four seasons with the Spartans.

“I might have had three [goals] when I was about nine years old, but that's about it,” Gucciardi said.

The Spartans closed the series with a tie on Saturday but would win the shootout to secure a crucial extra point in the Big Ten standings. Michigan State won the season series over Minnesota, taking 10 of the available 12 points. They now have a 5-point lead over the Gophers in the standings and have a clear path to a second consecutive Big Ten regular season title.

The Spartans' domination over the Gophers is important because Minnesota has been the conference standard over the past decade.

Gucciardi has been present for the entire shift of the Spartans’ program. In his sophomore season, Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale was hired to rebuild. During that first season, Minnesota was on a different tier than the Spartans, even beating them 8-0 in one game.

Now, in Gucciardi’s senior season, it has come full circle as the Spartans have proven to be on the same tier and arguably have a slight edge over the Gophers.

The Spartans have had at least one player earn a weekly Big Ten Star of the Week in 12 of the 13 weekends they’ve played. Michigan State points leader and Hobey Baker contender Isaac Howard tied the program record with four appearances in a single season.

Spartan forwards Daniel Russell and Charlie Stramel are the other two players to collect multiple stars this season. Gucciardi, freshman Shane Vansaghi and goaltenders Trey Augustine and Luca Di Pasquo have all been recognized once by the conference.

Michigan State will be on the road this week, taking on the Ohio State Buckeyes. Game 1 is set for Thursday at 8 p.m.

This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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