A day after a determined, focused MSU hockey team pummeled No. 9 Ferris State in Big Rapids, the Spartans lost 5-3 to the Bulldogs at Munn Ice Arena onSaturday.
The teams started the third period tied at 3-3, but Ferris scored a pair of goals midway through the frame - and the sluggish Spartans didn't mount much of an offensive attack afterward.
Fatigue was a major factor in MSU's offensive incapability, as the Spartans were playing with only 10 forwards by the end of the game. Sophomore center Lee Falardeau suffered an undisclosed injury to his left knee in the first period and didn't return. He is expected to miss two-to-four weeks.
Then, early in the second, freshman left wing David Booth was whistled for a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for checking from behind.
MSU killed the entire penalty, but Ferris scored just two seconds after it expired.
"We were all real tired in the third, going three lines," sophomore center Jim Slater. "I thought we put in a good effort, but we didn't play the full 60 minutes.
"The turning point of the game was the five-minute penalty and then they scored right after that."
MSU (7-7-1 overall, 4-5-0 CCHA) never seemed to get into a rhythm Saturday - routinely mishandling the puck, misfiring on passes and, in sophomore goaltender Matt Migliaccio's case, letting in soft goals.
"I didn't like any of the game as much as last night's," MSU head coach Rick Comley. "I didn't think we had the energy we had last night.
"We looked young tonight. We looked tired tonight. We're a team that just has to get better, but you have to be real careful with a young team."
Ferris (12-4-0, 10-2-0) remained in first place in the CCHA with the win. The Spartans beat the Bulldogs in the first game of the series 6-2 on Friday at Ferris' Ewigleben Ice Arena.
But on Saturday, the Bulldogs outshot MSU 18-5 in the third period, and star left wing Chris Kunitz scored a back-breaking goal with 8:45 to play.
Kunitz got the puck in the left circle and snapped a quick wrister that beat Migliaccio short-side to put Ferris up 4-3.
Three minutes later, the Bulldogs all but sealed the win with a point-blank goal by right wing Nick Scheible.
"I didn't have my best game tonight," said Migliaccio, who made 35 saves. "They had a few shots on me, but I still thought I should have had a few of them. We had some tough breaks tonight.
"I thought we played good enough to win. The defense played well in front of me, they really did. It just wasn't a great night for me."
Slater and sophomore left wing Brock Radunske both scored first-period goals for the Spartans. Ferris center Brett Smith also scored in the frame, making it 2-1 MSU at first intermission.
The Spartans fell behind 3-2 midway through the second on goals by Ferris center Mike Kinnie and left wing Phil Lewandowski.
Taking advantage of an MSU power play, Spartan sophomore center Ash Goldie tallied his third goal of the year at 17:33 of the second period - tying the game at 3-3.
Ferris goaltender Mike Brown made 20 saves.
MSU freshman right wing Colton Fretter, who scored his first two goals of the season Friday, notched two assists Saturday.
The Spartans went 1-for-3 on the power play, while Ferris went 0-for-2. MSU now has three weeks off before playing Boston University in the first round of the Great Lakes Invitational on Dec. 28 at Joe Louis Arena.
Personnel: After Friday's dominating win, Comley left his lineup intact for Saturday's game.
Sophomore left wing Kevin Estrada moved up from the third line to the first line after Booth's ejection. Radunske, Slater and Goldie combined to make up for Falardeau's absence.
