Luca Di Pasquo is Always Ready — Even if His Last Save of the Season has Already Been Made
A look at the unsung hero who pushes Michigan State starter Trey Augustine to be better and serves as one of his closest friends.
If things go according to plan for Michigan State, Luca Di Pasquo likely won’t play another game this season.
That’s the reality of being Trey Augustine’s backup.
Augustine, a Detroit Red Wings prospect and already one of the most decorated international American goalies1, is largely the foundation of Michigan State’s success. A workhorse in net, who helped change the entire trajectory of the program when he flipped his commitment from Michigan to Michigan State in 2022, and already has a reputation for winning big games and owning the biggest moments.
When Michigan State defeated Michigan 6-1 on Saturday night, retaining the annual “Duel in the D” trophy for the neutral site game at Little Caesars Arena, Augustine stopped 17 of 18 shots and once again prompting the line from Michigan coach Brandon Naurato that Michigan State “has a very good goalie,” when asked about some of the differences in the game and the challenges when facing the Spartans.
For the No. 22 ranked Spartans, Augustine represents one of the biggest reasons they could potentially win their first NCAA championship since 20073.
Behind all of this, according to Augustine, Di Pasquo is the unsung hero, his roommate, at Michigan State that pushes him to be better.
“He really does, he’s a great guy and friend, and honestly he challenges me in practice,” Augustine told me earlier this season. “We are super close off the ice, I think having that type of goalie partner pushes you in a couple ways.”
According to Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale it’s Di Pasquo’s daily demeanor and preparation that stick out to him. There are times, especially with a clear-cut starter, where the backup goalie’s greatest strength is his ability out work and frustrate others each day in practice with stops.
And that’s what Di Pasquo does, every single practice according to his teammates. And when he’s given the net for a game he’s done exactly the same thing.
In seven starts this season Di Pasquo has a perfect 7-0 mark with a 1.70 goals against average, .933 save percentage, and two shutouts. His five game stretch between December and January, while Augustine was with Team USA, is one of the most impressing streaks of any goalie this season in college hockey.
Di Pasquo led the Spartans to their first Great Lake Invitational championship since 2009, stopping 45 of 46 shots in the tournament with wins against Northern Michigan and Western Michigan. He followed that up with a trio of Big 10 wins, sweeping Wisconsin and winning the opener of the series against Penn State before Augustine returned to the lineup.
If Michigan State wins the Big 10 regular season title, and right now the Spartans have a five-point lead on second-place Minnesota with four games to play, Di Pasquo’s work in early January can’t be overlooked.
Speaking this past weekend after he watched Augustine beat Michigan, Di Pasquo explained the mental approach to the role.
“For me, I’m here to help the team win games, so the belief always has to be there,” Di Pasquo said. “I think it was kind of nice proving to some other people what I could do (in games), but really for me, I didn’t change anything, and I kind of gear up for every weekend like I’m going to play.”
And for Di Pasquo perspective is important, while he’s from Livonia — roughly an hour from East Lansing — his path to Michigan State took a winding and convoluted road, where despite being an American never really got a chance in the USHL, which produces more college hockey goalies than any other league.
Di Pasquo only played two games during the 2020-21 season in the NAHL with the Shreveport Mudbugs4. He dazzled with the Maryland Black Bears the following season in the NAHL, committing to Michigan State during that campaign, but only got one call-up to the USHL — a win for the Green Bay Gamblers.
Di Pasquo spent the following season in the BCHL with the Penticton Vees, where he started 40 games and then put on a historical playoff run, going 16-1 with a .924 save percentage to win the Fred Page Cup.
From Louisiana to Maryland to British Columbia, then finally back home at Michigan State at the start of last season.
“It was a long road and a lot of different cities, and it all started during that COVID-year where I was a 16-year-old goalie just trying to find a place to play,” Di Pasquo said. “I kind of bounced all of the place, and kind of kept bouncing until I found a spot.”
One of the biggest questions surrounding Michigan State’s future is when Augustine will sign his entry-level contract with the Detroit Red Wings.
It’s one of those questions that no one really wants to answer publicly, Augustine has his media-trained answers ready5, and the Red Wings have kept things really quiet about their intentions, a side-effect of the Steve Yzerman-run regime6.
When Augustine departs for Detroit7, it’ll be an opportunity for Di Pasquo back in East Lansing.
And based on what he’s done in games this season, and everyday at practice, Di Pasquo will be ready.
Augustine, before he’s turned 20, has already won back-to-back World Junior gold medals, an under-18 world championship, and played for the senior national team.
They might get some No. 1 votes this week after Boston College lost to Boston University in the Beanpot Championship game on Monday.
I remember watching that game as a senior in high school, with this save by Jeff Lerg on Brian Boyle effectively burned into my brain.
Shreveport won the Robertson Cup that season as NAHL champions with Cole Hudson and Arsenii Sergeev splitting the net in the playoffs. Sergeev is now the starting goalie at Penn State, Hudson is playing Division III hockey at SUNY-Brockport.
It’s almost become a running joke each time I talk to Augustine, I ask about the NHL deal, he finds a way to laugh off, tastefully, any answer.
If there’s any hint at what could happen, it’s the fact that Melvin Strahl, a 2023 Columbus Blue Jackets third-round pick, currently playing for the Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL, is expected to enroll at Michigan State before next season.
Well technically the Grand Rapids Griffins and the AHL, although if he signs this spring it wouldn’t surprise me if Augustine got reps in the ECHL with the Toledo Walleye right away.