After falling behind two goals early in the first period, the Spartans battled back and scored three straight goals. But the Wolverines tallied the next three goals, defeating the Spartans 5-3 to earn the weekend sweep and all but end the season for MSU.

The Spartans battled throughout the duration of the game, but U-M simply had too much offensive firepower and held possession for the majority of the game, winning the shot battle, 44 to 21.

And it didn’t help that the Spartans were playing without junior forward Corey Tropp, the team’s leading scorer. Tropp injured his ankle when he stepped on a puck during warm-ups and didn’t dress for the game.

Although highly unlikely, the Spartans could still earn at at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament. But even MSU head coach Rick Comley doesn’t see that happening.

“I thought our kids were very courageous and got back into it,” Comley said. “There’s always disappointment when you finish the year. But it was the frustration of a year ago that spurred them on to be so much better and surprise everyone. Now what they have to do is take a much improved team and use this as motivation and take the next step.”

Even though the Spartans took three-of-four games from the Wolverines during the regular season, they quickly realized U-M was much improved since their last meetings.

“They are playing the best hockey that we’ve seen them play all year,” freshman forward Torey Krug said. “They come out flying. They are an unbelievably fast team. That’s what you saw the last couple days. All of their talent is starting to come together.”

With the utmost desperation entering the game, MSU came out of the gates with more jump than they displayed at any point in Friday’s game. The Spartans were whizzing around in the offensive zone and giving the Wolverines fits.

But two failed attempts to clear the defensive zone cost the Spartans two goals within 30 seconds of each other.

First, it was U-M forward Matt Rust who netted a power play goal on a shot that traveled through traffic and snuck by MSU sophomore goaltender Drew Palmisano. Then, it was U-M forward A.J. Treais, who found himself open in the slot and tucked a shot through the legs of Palmisano only 21 seconds later.

After allowing two goals on eight shots, Palmisano was yanked and senior goaltender Bobby Jarosz was inserted into the game. It was the second-straight night Palmisano was pulled.

“It was 2-0 and it looked like it could be the same as last night,” Comley said of his decision to pull Palmisano. “The next one that goes in, it’s over. You don’t have any choices. You feel bad doing it, to be honest with you.”

Just when it seemed like Saturday’s game was going to mirror the 5-1 massacre that took place Friday night, the Spartans bounced back with three straight power play goals to end the first period.

The first two goals were credited to junior forward Andrew Rowe. While the Spartans were on a 5-on-3 power play, Rowe skated up the left wing with the puck and attempted a pass across the crease to sophomore forward Brett Perlini. But the puck hit off a U-M defenseman’s skate and slid through the legs of U-M goaltender Shawn Hunwick.

Rowe struck 36 seconds later, again on the power play, by converting a wrap around to bring the Spartans within a goal.

And then, for the first time in the series, MSU took the lead. With 0.7 seconds remaining on the clock, senior forward Nick Sucharski tacked on the Spartans’ third power play goal of the night.

Freshman forward Chris Forfar won a battle behind the net and was able to slide the puck out to the top of the crease. In came Sucharski, who fanned on the shot but was able to get just enough on the puck to put it past Hunwick.

The Spartans went into the locker room red hot. But that’s where the momentum ended. In the second period, the Wolverines were in complete control and held the Spartans to only one shot on net in the entire frame.

“I wish we never really had that intermission there,” Rowe said. “We were really on fire.”

The wind was pulled out of the Spartans’ sails at 3:54 of the second period when U-M forward Ben Winnett walked into the slot and fired a wrist shot past Jarosz stick side.

U-M forward Chris Brown reclaimed the lead for the Wolverines at 2:40 of the third period after a scrum in front of the MSU net. The puck started behind the net and found its way right out in front. Brown came in and snuck the puck between the right post and Jarosz’s right skate.

The Wolverines carried most of the possession through the middle portion of the third period. But when the Spartans earned a power play at 11:02 the momentum swung in favor of the Spartans.

MSU generated several quality scoring opportunities on the power play, and for the rest of regulation. However, the Spartans couldn’t solve Hunwick.

U-M forward David Wohlberg ended the Spartans season with an empty net goal at 19:29.

After finishing the regular season in second place in the CCHA, the Spartans were disappointed with the early playoff departure and end to the season. But Krug said the team, which is losing only one starting senior, will come back even stronger next year.

“It leaves a bad taste losing to those guys,” Krug said. “But it gives us more incentive to come back next year and work harder in the summer. It was an unbelievable season. I can’t stress that enough. We’ve come a long way and we’ve grown as a group of players. It leaves that taste in your mouth and gives you more incentive to work harder in the offseason and come back and get them next year.”