MSU now is 3-3 in shootouts on the season, also losing against Michigan Tech in the first round of the Great Lakes Invitational on Dec. 27, supporting head coach Tom Anastos’ theory of luck trumping skill in the post-overtime event.

“There’s no science to it,” Anastos said bluntly following Saturday’s loss.

Anastos added that he likes to keep the shootouts in perspective, but outside of the obvious reason of earning the additional point in the standings, he feels better about the game coming off the ice with a shootout victory.

In Big Ten play, a shootout is conducted if the game remains tied after 60 minutes of regulation and five additional minutes of sudden death overtime. Each team is granted three skaters, but it will continue until one team scores and the other doesn’t, if it remains tied after the first three skaters.

Both teams earn one point in the standings, with the additional point going to the winner of the shootout.

Senior forward Greg Wolfe had a chance in Friday’s shootout loss, but failed to score. Wolfe, like Anastos, considered playing in shootouts like a coin flip.

“Not a great feeling losing two shootouts, but we’ve had our fair share this year,” Wolfe said. “It’s kind of a coin flip.”

MSU leads the Big Ten in shootout appearances.

Sophomore forward Michael Ferrantino is the lone Spartan to participate in all six shootouts, scoring in three. Ferrantino said he isn’t sure why MSU keeps finding itself in shootouts, but could avoid the unpredictable element of the game by finding the back of the net in overtime.

“I don’t know if it’s the way we’re playing in overtime or what we’re doing, but for sure finding a lot of them,” Ferrantino said. “I guess credit (us for) not getting scored on in overtime, but we’re not really scoring either.”