The rivalry and school pride runs so deep in many people that they lose their heads. That’s when bad things happen.

In 20 years of avid hockey watching, what I witnessed Saturday night is near the top of the list of most shameful things.

As expected, there were numerous scrums — 15 players served time in the box for pretty much everything.

With the game all but over, U-M’s Steve Kampfer took a run at MSU sophomore forward Corey Tropp at center ice.

In an attempt to stick up for his teammate, MSU freshman Andrew Conboy went after Kampfer to try and teach him a lesson.

It was in these mere seconds when both Conboy and Tropp completely lost control.

Conboy punched and threw Kampfer to the ice and Tropp came in and struck Kampfer across the head with his stick.

A moment after Tropp committed the violent act, you could see him look down at Kampfer and come to the realization of what had just occurred.

I have talked to Tropp many times and never, ever, would have guessed he would commit such a heinous act.

I don’t condone what happened, but it’s clear he got too far into the moment and completely lost his head. Now he will have to serve the punishment dealt down from the CCHA and MSU head coach Rick Comley.

Yost Ice Arena is known by many as one of the toughest buildings to play in because of how loud and crazy the fans can get. But this was so much different than the usual cheer.

While Kampfer was being helped off the ice, the student section began a cheer that was so loud the ground was trembling in the press box.

I’ll give you a little hint on what it was — the first word rhymed with “duck” and the second word was “State.”

When the final horn sounded and it came time for the ritual handshake, tempers were still flaring and players were pushing and shoving each other through the line.

Members of the Wolverines team even came over and had a few choice words for Comley.

But it didn’t end there.

When the Spartans returned to their locker room, a parent of a U-M player barged in and attempted to fight Tropp.

This type of thing is absolutely unacceptable.

The CCHA has to come down with some sort of fine or punishment on U-M for not having proper security outside of the opposing team’s locker room.

What if this man would have entered the locker room with a weapon?

Granted, all of this stemmed back to Tropp’s cheap shot, but U-M fans are crazy if they thought the league or Comley was going to overlook something as serious as this.

The CCHA will review the incident this week, and Comley has already said that both Tropp and Conboy likely will not travel with the team this weekend.

Instead of being the victims in this incident, U-M fans became part of the problem and committed some big-time sins of their own.