Fifth-ranked MSU was pushed to its limit by Bowling Green on Friday night, but the Spartans stormed back for a gritty 4-3 overtime victory in front of 5,408 fans at Munn Ice Arena.

Senior right wing Adam Hall notched the game-winner 4:57 into overtime, giving MSU a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three CCHA Tournament first-round series. The series continues at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at Munn.

Freshman left wing Brock Radunske, who was playing on the Spartans’ top line after injuries ravaged MSU earlier in the game, passed to Hall alone in front of the net and the team captain lifted a perfect backhand over Tyler Masters to seal the win.

“I was just standing in the slot and trying to get a puck on the net,” Hall said about his team-leading 18th goal of the season. “Right when we were walking out the tunnel to go into overtime, I was the last one out of the tunnel and Coach (Ron) Mason was right behind me and he said, ‘You know what? Don’t even aim it, just shoot the puck.’

“It was a little bit too much excitement for me.”

Junior goaltender Ryan Miller stopped 23 shots for the No. 2 seed Spartans (25-7-5). Masters saved 33 for No. 11 seed Bowling Green (9-24-6).

While the Spartans were relieved to win Friday’s game, it might have come at a cost. Two of the team’s best players - junior defenseman Brad Fast and junior left wing Brian Maloney - sustained injuries and could miss significant playing time.

Fast injured his right shoulder while being checked in the second period and did not return to the game. He is listed as day-to-day and might not play Saturday.

Maloney’s injury is more severe. He crumpled to the ice late in the second period after smacking his left side against the ridge separating the boards from the glass behind the Bowling Green goal. He was admitted to Sparrow Hospital and was expected to stay overnight for observation.

He will not play Saturday and his status for the rest of the season is uncertain.

“We had to ask people to step up,” Mason said. “We’ll make adjustments and we’ll have a lineup that will be a quality lineup.”

Bowling Green shocked the host Spartans by snatching a 1-0 lead just 2:13 into Friday’s game. Falcon defenseman Grady Moore ripped a slap shot from just inside the blue line that was tipped past Miller by left wing Steve Brudzewski.

MSU freshman forward Mike Lalonde evened the score at 1-1 about five minutes later. Leading the MSU rush, Lalonde chipped a loose puck past Falcon defenseman Kevin Bieksa in the slot and skated in alone on Masters. There, he easily beat the goalie with a simple backhand move at 7:19.

The feisty Falcons had numerous other chances in the first period, in which they outshot MSU 12-8. Bowling Green’s leading scorer, center Greg Day, created a breakaway for himself late in the period, but after faking Miller to his derriere, Day missed wide with a shot.

Falcon center Colen Pappas also had a good opportunity, but his slapper from the left circle hit the outside of the post and bounced away with 1:25 left.

Bowling Green finally broke through to take a 2-1 lead in the second period on a goal by Bieksa during 4-on-4 play. Day set up the goal from behind the net when he found Bieksa alone in the left circle. Bieksa had plenty of time to wrist a shot past Miller.

Still, MSU outshot the Falcons 15-4 in the second and had a couple of golden chances of its own. On one possession, MSU junior right wing Steve Jackson got the puck alone on the left side of the crease and seemingly had an open net at which to shoot. But Falcon defenseman Marc Barlow hustled over and jammed Jackson’s stick on the shot attempt, causing the puck to pop up harmlessly.

Later in the same possession, MSU freshman center Lee Falardeau fired wide on a rebound shot with Masters slightly out of position.

The Falcons extended their lead to 3-1 at 5:41 of the third - the exact second that their only power play of the game expired. Falcon left wing Austin de Luis scored the even-strength goal after MSU freshman center Jim Slater accidentally tipped a centering pass right to him at the side of the Spartan crease. De Luis roofed a quick shot over Miller for his fourth goal of the year.

But Lalonde countered with his second goal of the night - and 10th of the season - on an MSU power play with 9:29 to play. For the second time in about a minute, Slater sped past a pair of Falcon defenders, but this time, he flipped the puck over to Lalonde instead of shooting. It was a good decision because Lalonde beat Masters high glove-side to start MSU’s comeback.

“I know I keep saying it, but this was probably the biggest one of the year,” Lalonde said. “It got everyone up and kept everyone going.

“We came in looking to sweep these guys and they made it tough on us for sure. They probably will again tomorrow night.”

Slater, who was easily MSU’s best player in the third period, tied the game with a dramatic goal with 50.8 seconds left in regulation - immediately after Mason pulled Miller for an extra attacker. Hall was the extra man off the bench and the puck slid right to him at the left point. There, he unleashed a slap shot that Slater tipped past Masters while streaking across the shooting lane.

“I just got my stick on it and it went over the guy’s shoulder,” Slater said. “It was one of the best ones I’ve ever had in college, so far.”

Personnel: The fourth line continued to be the revolving door of MSU’s lineup, as Mason reshuffled the grouping again Friday.

Sophomore center Tim Hearon and redshirt freshman right wing Steve Swistak got the call to play Friday, while junior forward Troy Ferguson and junior right wing Kris Koski were scratched.

It was the fourth time this season that Swistak has dressed and only the second time that Ferguson has been scratched.