MSU head coach Rick Comley still hasn't fully recovered from the emotional disappointment of last Sunday's heartbreaking 5-4 loss to Maine in the NCAA East Regional Finals.
He's already watched the game tape twice.
"We had so many chances to tie that game. If we tie it, we win it in my mind," Comley said Thursday, in a postseason wrap-up interview.
"We have a hollow feeling, because we're good enough to be in the Frozen Four," he said. "We just got in a hole early, unfortunately, and couldn't get out of it. (We) tried hard and certainly played well enough to win that hockey game."
But despite failing to reach the Frozen Four, Comley can't deny that the 2005-06 season was an important step in setting the tone for future seasons of MSU hockey.
After beginning the season 5-1-1, the Spartans went through an injury-plagued 11-game stretch, compiling a record of 1-6-4.
But as 2006 started up, so did the Spartans.
Beginning the new year in seventh place in the CCHA, the Spartans finished the season with a 17-4-3 mark while securing a second place regular-season finish in the CCHA, a CCHA playoff championship and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament prior to being eliminated by Maine in the regional finals.
"It was a good season for our team," junior captain Drew Miller said. "It didn't end the way we wanted it to, but it was a learning experience and it was a step for our program."
The Spartans finished with an overall record of 25-12-8. It was the best record Comley has put together in his four-year span at MSU.
"This team really grew a lot," Comley said. "They took a tremendous step and really found how to win. The second half was just unbelievable."
Although MSU will lose its five seniors — Corey Potter, Jared Nightingale, Chad Hontvet, Colton Fretter and David Booth — Comley is confident that next year's team will be another national contender come tournament time.
"We lose some very good players, we return a lot of good players, we have a lot of good players coming in," Comley said.
"Sometimes you finish seasons and you're missing pieces and you wonder what you have to do to get there - I don't think that's the case with this team. Now we really have to drive ourselves even harder knowing that we're good enough to be there."
One aspect that Comley said the Spartans will have to improve on next season is the defensive void from losing Potter and Nightingale.
"I don't think it's any secret that we're strong in goal, we're really strong up front and we have some people that need to take a step on defense," he said.
"I think what we'll see is a real hunger in this team to take the next step. We proved we're a very good team."
Keep 'em coming
The season might be over, but the awards seem to still be coming in for freshman goaltender Jeff Lerg.
Lerg was named to the Inside College Hockey National All-Rookie Team and was honored as the RBC Financial Group CCHA Player of the Month this week.
"It's definitely a huge compliment," Lerg said. "It's good getting those individual accolades. I feel like I've proven myself a little bit, but I still have something to prove every time I step out."
Lerg also won the CCHA Rookie of the Year award and was honored as the most valuable player of the CCHA playoffs.
