Via Red Wings Prospects on Twitter, FloHockey’s Chris Peters posted an article which describes Team USA goaltender and Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine as the “x-factor” for the Americans’ World Junior Championship team:
At last year’s World Juniors, he made four starts and won each of them, while competing for reps with Jacob Fowler. When it came to the final two games of the tournament, Augustine got the nod and delivered exceptional performances, including 19 saves in a tight 3-2 win over Finland in the semis and 24 saves in a 6-2 win in the gold-medal game.
What is scarier for opposing teams is that Augustine is playing some of the best hockey of his career this year.
After an exceptional freshman season at Michigan State, helping the Spartans win the Big Ten tournament and reestablish itself as an elite program, Augustine has been even better as a sophomore.
In 14 games with the Spartans this season, he has won 11 games, posted two shutouts and owns a sparkling .930 save percentage. Michigan State has been among the top teams in college hockey this season and looks like a legitimate threat to compete for the national title.
Augustine has not allowed more than three goals in any game this season and has faced his fair share of shots. In the biggest games of the Spartans season so far, against Boston College and Minnesota, Augustine went 2-1-1.
He is as dialed in as we’ve seen him, which is an especially high bar to clear considering Augustine’s mental preparation and on-ice demeanor have become hallmarks of his game.
Continued; great stuff from Peters as usual.
