Big Rapids — MSU head coach Rick Comley put Tuesday's game against Ferris State into perspective.

With many players out of the lineup for the No. 6 Spartans because of various injuries, and the game featuring sloppy plays and a lot of time on the penalty kill, Comley isn't happy with Tuesday's 2-2 tie, but knows it could've been worse.

"With this lineup, sometimes the puck's going to go in and sometimes it's not," Comley said. "(Ferris State's defense) took some of our game away, so we couldn't get shots through very well so give them credit."

MSU found itself in a crucial penalty-killing situation, most notably a 5-on-3 disadvantage that carried from the end of regulation into 12 seconds into overtime.

But the Spartans' penalty killers —?junior captain Drew Miller, junior defenseman Ethan Graham and senior defenseman Corey Potter — successfully kept the Spartans in the game and Jeff Lerg made four overtime saves in front of 1,631 at Ewigleben Ice Arena.

One of the more critical stops Lerg made in the overtime session came from the stick of Ferris State forward Adam Miller. Miller was wide open in front of the freshman goaltender, who made his second career start as a Spartan.

"It looked like he was going to one-time it," Lerg said. "Then he kind of held it and brought it back (to shoot). I got my right pad out and got my toe there."

The Spartans (5-1-2 overall, 2-0-2 CCHA) took an early lead in the game on sophomore forward Jim McKenzie's third goal of the season more than a minute into the game. The Bulldogs answered back later in the period with a power-play goal from Miller.

Then in the third, forward Matt Stefanishion gave Ferris State (2-2-4, 1-1-4) the lead — another goal with the man advantage.

Junior forward Tyler Howells scored the tying goal — an unassisted tally seven minutes into the third period, which extended his point streak to seven games.

But Howells took a tripping penalty with 1:48 left in the game and senior defenseman Jared Nightingale also was called for interference a little more than a minute later to set up the Bulldogs' power play. MSU did not have any shots on goal in overtime. Ferris State outshot the Spartans, 32-29.

The Spartans were called for 11 penalties during the game while the Bulldogs were called for nine, giving the specials teams players a bulk of the ice time.

"It wasn't our best game, but we'll take the point," Drew Miller said.

The Spartans welcome Nebraska-Omaha (2-4-0, 0-4-0) this weekend in a two-game set. Faceoff on Friday is at 7:05 p.m. and — because of the men's basketball game at Breslin Center — the game Saturday will begin at 5:05 p.m. at Munn Ice Arena.