Ann Arbor - MSU’s national title hopes drowned in a sea of offensive futility Friday afternoon at Yost Ice Arena.

The No. 3 seed Spartans were shut out for their second consecutive NCAA Tournament game - this time by No. 6 seed Colorado College, which won 2-0 Friday.

MSU lost 2-0 to North Dakota, which is in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association with Colorado College, in last year’s Frozen Four.

Friday’s loss ends MSU’s season and the storied coaching career of Spartan foreman Ron Mason. Mason will take over as MSU athletics director on July 1, vacating the Spartan coaching post he has held for 23 years.

True to Yost form, the Michigan fans in the stands for Friday’s game chanted “Goodbye, Mason” and “Season’s over” near the end of the contest.

Colorado College (27-12-3) advances to play No. 2 seed Minnesota (29-8-4) at 4 p.m. Saturday for the right to go to the Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn.

“Unless you win the national championship, you lose your last game,” Mason said. “It’s never fun to end a season.

“I felt we deserved at least one goal, but as of all year, we had trouble scoring tonight. We showed how young we really are.”

Five Spartan seniors also ended their careers Friday - right wing and captain Adam Hall, left wing Joe Goodenow, reserve goaltender Nathan Shopbell and defensemen Andrew Hutchinson and Jon Insana.

Both teams’ goalies were spectacular Friday, with MSU junior goaltender Ryan Miller stopping 27 shots and Tiger goalie Jeff Sanger making 25 saves for the shutout.

The Spartans started the first period strong, but after the first five minutes, Colorado College dominated the stanza. The Tigers scored the only goal of the period when right wing Trent Clark tipped a centering pass past Miller at 10:05.

Otherwise, Miller was brilliant in the first - twice stoning Tiger center Alex Kim from point-blank range and snaring a slap shot by Tiger left wing Peter Sejna with his glove.

Sanger was also effective in the first, stopping Hutchinson’s slap shot with his left pad and then denying junior defenseman John-Michael Liles’ rebound attempt early in the period.

The Tigers outshot MSU 15-6 in the first, despite MSU having a two-to-one advantage in power plays.

MSU turned the tables slightly in the second period, out-shooting the Tigers 9-6. But the Spartans still didn’t generate many quality scoring chances against the fundamentally sound Tiger defense.

The Spartans’ best chance in the middle frame came seconds after their third power play of the game expired. Freshman center Ash Goldie fired a tough-angle shot that hit Sanger and bounced in front. Freshman left wing Mike Lalonde and Hall were both there, but Sanger saved Lalonde’s attempt and then Hall hit the crossbar with the rebound at 4:35.

“They played a great hockey game tonight,” Hall said. “I didn’t think their goalie did a great job with rebound control, but the rebounds were coming out where we weren’t.

“Hockey can be the greatest game, and it can be the cruelest game.”

Midway through the second, Miller made a solid save on Tiger left wing Colin Stuart, who broke in alone and tried to score on the backhand, to keep MSU’s deficit at 1-0 into the second intermission.

But the Tigers padded their lead 5:43 into the third on a rebound goal by Kim. Miller was caught sliding the wrong way and dropped left wing Noah Clarke’s shot from the slot. Kim gathered the loose puck to Miller’s right and slid in a backhand shot.

“I was coming across a little faster than the play was happening,” a very emotional Miller said after the game. “I had to reach back and I didn’t get a good handle on it and, fortunately for him, it went right on his tape. Fun.”

The Spartans finished 0-for-3 on the power play, while Colorado College went 0-for-2.

Personnel: Mason continually switched his forward lines during Friday’s game. He started Lalonde and Goldie on the top line with Hall, but soon rearranged them.

Freshman center Jim Slater, who has played on the top line all season, started on the third line with freshman left wing Kevin Estrada and freshman forward Brock Radunske.

During the game, Slater started playing with junior left wing Steve Clark and redshirt freshman right wing Steve Swistak, who were promoted from the fourth line during the second period.

By the third period, Mason was changing lines on just about every shift in an attempt to energize the team.

Mason also busted up two defensive pairings, putting Liles with junior Brad Fast, and sophomore Joe Markusen with freshman Duncan Keith. Fast usually plays with Keith, and Liles with Markusen.

Sophomore center Tim Hearon and junior right wing Kris Koski were healthy scratches for MSU on Friday.