With two Spartans caught up ice, the Wildcats charged in on a 3-on-2 situation, culminating in Matt Butcher’s wrister beating Jeff Lerg through the five hole, giving Northern Michigan a 3-2 overtime win over the Spartans Sunday night at Munn Ice Arena.

“It was definitely the most exciting goal in my life,” Butcher said.

The Wildcats won the best-of-three CCHA Quarterfinal series, 2-1, and will advance to the CCHA Semifinals against Michigan on Friday.

When asked after the game if the penalty on Lerg was a legitimate call, MSU head coach Rick Comley responded, “in my opinion, no.”

“It was a hit, it was contact, that was all,” Comley said.

“Unless it’s a flagrant penalty, (it shouldn’t) decide the game.”

Senior defenseman Daniel Vukovic said it’s the sickest feeling he’s had in hockey.

Northern Michigan goaltender Brian Stewart was stellar in goal for the second straight night, stopping 41 shots.

MSU came out firing and appeared to take a 1-0 lead midway through the first period, as Bryan Lerg scored on his own rebound, but the play was blown dead by referee Brian Aaron, who apparently lost sight of the puck.

It was the second MSU goal in two nights that Aaron waved off.

But the Spartans kept plugging away. Lerg hit the crossbar on a shorthanded chance and freshman defenseman Jeff Petry hit the post on a blast from the point.

“Things really didn’t go our way all weekend,” junior forward Justin Abdelkader said.

Northern Michigan caught the game’s first break late in the period.

MSU was attempting to break into the offensive zone, but a pass skidded off the stick of Lerg and the Wildcats broke out the other way as forward Andrew Sarauer tipped a pass home in front of the net.

After not getting the bounces in the first, the Spartans got one early in the second period, as a Wildcats clearing attempt went off the skate of junior forward Tim Crowder — who had his back turned — and right onto the stick of Lerg, who pulled a quick move and slid a backhand past Stewart.

The tie didn’t last the period though, as the Wildcats took a 2-1 lead on a goal by Phil Fox right as an MSU penalty expired.

The Spartans had trouble getting anything going in the third period, as Northern Michigan blocked shot after shot — 32 in the game — and never allowed MSU to get anything going in front of the goal.

But MSU gained more and more momentum as the period went on, culminating in the tying goal by junior forward Nick Sucharski with 2:58 remaining.

MSU continued to press for the remainder of regulation, but the Wildcats held firm and the game headed to overtime.

The Spartans controlled most of the play in the extra session but could not convert.

“You had a feeling in overtime that they were going to spring it,” Comley said. “That we going to have all kinds of pressure on them and they were just going to pop something lose and they did with the power play.”

The Spartans will wait until Sunday to find out their fate in the NCAA Tournament.

“They played hard, they won, and they’re going to The Joe and we’re not,” Vukovic said. “And we’re waiting.”