MSU head coach Ron Mason earned his 900th career win the way he has earned so many others Saturday night at Munn Ice Arena.

The top-ranked Spartans (3-0-1 overall, 3-0-1 CCHA) relied on a tested defense and solid goaltending to beat Ferris State 2-0 in front of 6,732 fans.

Junior goaltender Ryan Miller made 23 saves and recorded his second shutout of the year to help Mason, already college hockey’s all-time winningest coach, push his career record to 900-371-79. No other college hockey coach has even reached the 800-win plateau.

MSU President M. Peter McPherson, Athletics Director Clarence Underwood and head football coach Bobby Williams highlighted a group of well-wishers that congregated on the ice to honor Mason after the game.

“The most special thing was seeing all the other coaches out there,” Mason said. “It’s something that doesn’t happen at many schools this size.”

Junior defenseman John-Michael Liles said he was honored to help Mason get No. 900.

“It’s amazing to think just how far ahead he is,” Liles said. “When I was recruited to come here, I didn’t really think about the numbers, but 900 is just unbelievable.”

The milestone game itself was a roller coaster. At times, MSU looked like the defensive force that has held the Bulldogs (2-1-0, 0-1-0) to two or fewer goals in 12 of their last 13 meetings.

At other times, particularly during the second period, the teams raced up and down the ice at a break-neck pace with no real sense of order.

MSU took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission despite squandering four power play chances in the opening frame.

Senior right wing Adam Hall stationed himself in front of Ferris goaltender Mike Brown and redirected a soft shoot-in from junior defenseman Brad Fast into the short side of the net 3:29 into Saturday’s game.

The goal was Hall’s second of the season.

But the Spartans couldn’t capitalize on their power plays, including a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:18, until 14:13 of the second period.

With Bulldog defenseman Simon Mangos serving an interference penalty, Fast cycled the puck to freshman defenseman Duncan Keith along the blue line, where Keith faked a shot and fed freshman center Ash Goldie skating through the slot.

Goldie did the rest, lifting a backhand shot past Brown’s glove for his first career goal.

MSU came into the game leading the league with a .333 power play success rate, and finished Saturday’s game 1-for-5.

MSU outshot Ferris 18-5 in the first period and 40-23 for the game.

Miller preserved the 2-0 lead, making some of his most difficult saves of the season, including a point-blank stop on Bulldog center Jeff Legue.

Ferris goalie Brown, a true freshman, also played well and stopped 38 shots.

With the win, MSU is undefeated (18-0-2) at home since a 2-1 loss to Nebraska-Omaha on Oct. 20 last season.

The Spartans will travel to Omaha for their first road series of the year on Friday and Saturday.

Injury scare: MSU junior right wing Troy Ferguson had to be helped off the ice after a first-period check, but returned to the Spartan bench later in the period.

Game delay: The start of the second period was delayed about 15 minutes by a Zamboni malfunction.