The Spartans missed the tournament cut for the second time in three years and have only been to the dance once since Rick Comley took over the reign of head coach from former head coach and current MSU Athletics Director Ron Mason.

And after sending five teams to the NCAA Tournament last year, only Ohio State and Michigan, from the CCHA, earned the opportunity to vie for the national championship this year. The Wolverines make their NCAA-record 15th straight trip to the tournament.

MSU finished with a 20-17-4 mark this year. Last year, when the Spartans received a No. 3 seed in the tournament, their record was 23-17-2.

Ohio State took a No. 3 seed and will play Cornell in the first round, while No. 2 seed U-M will meet Wisconsin. The tournament is set to start March 25. The reigning national champion is Denver.