The Falcons did just that.

The game was packed full of energy and end-to-end action throughout, but after the teams played to a 2-2 tie through regulation and overtime, the Falcons won the ensuing shootout, 1-0.

The Spartans (19-11-6 overall, 14-8-6-2 CCHA) earned one point in the shootout loss, good enough to secure a second-place finish in the league standings.

But as the team competes for a NCAA berth, the Spartans wanted to close out the regular season with a victory to add to their resume.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game to win on the road, especially with it being Senior Night,” sophomore goaltender Drew Palmisano said. “They were pumped up and the crowd was really into it. It was just a tough game.”

Special teams play were the main story of the night. The two teams combined for 22 penalties and with that many penalties whistled, it was tough for either team to get into a groove.

“There really wasn’t any,” MSU head coach Rick Comley said of the flow of the game. “The second period especially was all special teams.”

MSU is winless in its last five road games. The team’s last road win came on Dec. 11, 2009 at Bowling Green.

With an energized crowd behind Bowling Green on Senior Night, the Falcons came out of the gates hot and end to end action was the theme of the first period.

But the Spartans were the only team to get on the board.

At 8:23, senior forward Nick Sucharski fired a shot from the point that was tipped in front by junior forward Andrew Rowe past Bowling Green goaltender Andrew Hammond.

The Falcons almost got one back with 1:55 remaining in the opening period, but a shot from the left boards rang off the pipe and the teams went into intermission with MSU sporting a 1-0 lead.

Bowling Green started out the second period with a handful of scoring chances.

Palmisano made a fantastic save two minutes into the period off a rebound shot that appeared to be a sure goal.

Less than a minute later, the Falcons rang off a shot the pipe during a MSU delayed penalty.

On the ensuring power play, Bowling Green got on the board. Junior forward David Solway received a pass in the slot and beat Palmisano glove side.

Power plays and 4-on-4 play dominated the rest of the period, but neither team was able to break the 1-1 deadlock going into the second intermission.

The Falcons started out the third period hot and Bowling Green’s Jordan Saumels-Thomas gave the Falcons the lead at 16:44 on the power play.

But the Spartans responded at 15:00 of the third period. MSU’s forth line, who had barely touched the ice in the penalty filled third period, stormed up the ice and generated a big buzz offensively. After a big scrum in front of the net, freshman forward Chris Forfar notched the game at 2-2.

“We knew going into the shift to try and keep it short, hard and smart,” Forfar said. “We wanted to make simple plays. (Freshman defenseman Torey) Krug had a shot from the point, (sophomore forward Mike) Merrifield tipped it and (sophomore forward Trevor) Nill kept it alive. Then I ended up just finding the puck.”

The two teams exchanged chances through the rest of the third period. MSU carried most of the play through overtime, but to no avail.

After MSU junior forward Corey Tropp missed MSU’s first chance in the shootout, Bowling Green’s first shooter appeared to have snuck a shot past Palmisano. But after the referees went upstairs, they deemed it no goal – citing the shooter actually shot the puck twice.

“We had a problem with (the same play) earlier this year against Notre Dame,” Palmisano said. “The league sent something out saying that shouldn’t have been a goal then. But this time, I hit the puck laterally and he regained it and scored.”

The next three shooters missed and Bowling Green’s Tomas Petruska beat Palmisano to give the Falcons the extra point.

Because the Spartans finished in the top-four of the league, they will have a bye next weekend. Bowling Green head to Nebraska-Omaha for a best-of-three series next weekend.

“It was their Senior Night tonight with a lot of emotion involved,” senior forward Nick Sucharski said of the end result. “We had to come out with a ‘W’ and showed a lot of character in the third period. But we need to play that way for the first two periods as well”