Shane Vansaghi gave Michigan State exactly the kind of night that turns heads. The Flyers prospect scored twice Thursday against Notre Dame, had one goal wiped out by video review, and came within inches of completing a hat trick before the Spartans fell in overtime.
His night started with a near-miss that looked like a goal at first glance. Around the middle of the opening period, Vansaghi redirected a Chase Reid point shot and briefly thought he had put Michigan State in front. After the review, though, officials ruled that he had touched the puck with a high stick, and the goal came off the board.
The first period stayed scoreless from there, with Notre Dame carrying the territorial edge.
Vansaghi made sure the next one counted. Just two minutes into the second period, he opened the scoring for Michigan State after taking a drop pass from Eric Nilson and moving down the left side. A defensive mix-up opened the lane, and Vansaghi jumped on it, firing a quick shot that beat the goalie short side for a 1-0 lead.
The Spartans were quickly answered by Notre Dame, but Michigan State still controlled a lot of the second period and outshot the Fighting Irish 16-7 in the frame.
Then Vansaghi struck again. Less than eight minutes into the third period, he buried a one-timer from the right faceoff circle after a board battle worked the puck down the wall. Nilson picked up the primary assist again, slipping a pass from below the goal line to find Vansaghi in space.
That goal showed a cleaner, more polished look from the Spartans. Nilson spotted him, Vansaghi was ready, and the shot came off before the goaltender could fully get set. It was the kind of finish that comes from being in the right place and being prepared to cash in.
Vansaghi still had one more chance to steal the night outright. With a little more than 30 seconds left in regulation, Jimmy Clark found him in the left faceoff circle for a chance at the hat trick. His first shot was blocked, he tracked down the rebound in the low slot, and the second try slid just wide.
For a player who had entered the night with only one goal on the season, the stat line was a big step forward: two goals, one disallowed goal, and a near hat trick.
That’s the encouraging part of this stretch for Vansaghi. He scored his first goal and first point of the season last weekend against Boston University on a strong individual effort, and now he’s followed it with a two-goal performance that could have been even bigger.
He and Nilson seem to be building real chemistry, and with 2026 first-rounder Jack Hextall on the other wing, that line has a chance to become a real problem. If they keep clicking, Vansaghi could start turning these flashes into something steadier.
What stands out most is the variety in how he’s generating offense. Against Notre Dame, he took advantage of a breakdown and found open ice.
On the second goal, he was already in a dangerous spot and finished quickly. Against Boston University, he forced a turnover at the point and turned it into a breakaway.
That kind of range matters.
Since being drafted 48th overall in 2025, Vansaghi has been viewed as a high-floor player who projects to make his mark in a bottom-six role at the next level. That remains the baseline. But nights like this are the kind that make you wonder how much more there might be in his offensive game if it keeps moving in the right direction.
Michigan State, though, did not get the win. Notre Dame ended it 21 seconds into overtime when Sammy Nelson scored the winner.
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