Webster's dictionary only has one word for the MSU hockey team - dissatisfaction.
The "if you look up the word, you'll find a Spartans logo next to it" analogy won't be written here. But head coach Rick Comley said only taking three points this weekend after allowing Notre Dame to fight back from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits to tie Saturday's contest left a sour taste in his mouth.
The Spartans (6-3-1 overall, 5-2-1 CCHA) and the Fighting Irish (5-3-1, 4-3-1) tangled in two contests at Munn Ice Arena this weekend, with the Spartans winning 3-1 Friday evening and skating to Saturday's 3-3 stalemate. Heading into the weekend, the Spartans and the Irish were tied for second place in the CCHA. With a win and a tie, the Spartans took three of the four points from the Irish, earning sole possession of second place behind Ohio State.
"We really wanted to get a sweep on these guys and put us ahead in first place," junior forward Lee Falardeau said. "It's hard, but at least we got the one point, but we really should have gotten two out of it."
The Spartans are now unbeaten in six games.
"We didn't play horrible, but didn't seem to have energy or the taste in our mouth to keep it going," Comley said. "Taking three out of the four points is never terrible, and if you don't play well enough to win the game, you better say thanks and come back next week."
Despite tying with the Irish, similar characteristics in the Spartans' game plan carried over from Friday, as they continued to shower the net. Friday, the Spartans shot a weekend high 37 shots at Irish junior goaltender Morgan Cey.
Saturday, the Spartans were up against the CCHA's hottest goaltender in freshman David Brown, who entered the contest with three consecutive shutouts, including two against No. 5 Boston College. The Spartans laced the puck Brown's way 28 times, killing his shutout streak just seven minutes into the game off of junior captain Jim Slater's goal.
"(Brown) had two big wins against Boston College, so we knew he'd be confident," junior forward Brock Radunske said. "So we tried to get pucks to the net and drive to the net, and that was our game plan for solving him."
Costly mistakes in Saturday's third period fed into the Irish momentum. Two late penalties left open power play opportunities that the Irish took full advantage of, striking in the second minute of the third period and again answering with Brown on the bench for a sixth attacker with little more than a minute remaining.
"I thought we played really good (Friday), and it carried over to (Saturday)," Slater said.
"We built the lead up 3-1, and they got the two power play goals, and anytime you get those, it's really hard to take, especially when you're up 3-1 in the third and when they tie it up with just over a minute to go.
"It's really hard to swallow."
