The Wildcats (1-4-0 overall, 0-3-0 CCHA) entered the third period down 5-1, but a goaltending change combined with relaxed play by MSU led to three goals – the final one coming with less than 30 seconds left in the game.

This was after the Spartans (3-1-0, 1-0-0) pounded Northern Michigan in the second period in every facet of the game scoring four goals and holding the Wildcats to three shots.

“They took it to us in the second,” Northern Michigan head coach Walt Kyle said. “We made a lot of mistakes. We didn’t play organized and we’ve got to do better.”

It did not take Northern Michigan very long to strike, as it took a 1-0 lead less than three minutes into the game.

Wildcats forward Nick Sirota capitalized on MSU not clearing the zone and snapped a shit over the shoulder of junior goaltender Jeff Lerg.

But the lead wouldn’t stand for long, as MSU tied it up on the power play less than eight minutes later.

Junior forwards Tim Kennedy and Justin Abdelkader combined on an impressive give-and-go with Kennedy finding Abdelkader in the circle and he fired a
laser over the shoulder of Northern Michigan’s 6-foot-4 goaltender Brian Stewart.

The second period represented MSU’s best 20 minutes of hockey to this point of the season.

Nearly all of the Spartans’ passes hit their mark and the bounces went MSU’s way, as well, especially in a stretch of 3:41 where the Spartans scored
three times.

Freshman forward Andrew Rowe, playing in his first collegiate game, scored his first collegiate goal on a nifty backhand in front of the goal and then it got worse for the Wildcats.

After junior forward Matt Schepke put MSU up two, freshman forward Corey Tropp capped the charge with his first collegiate goal.

“Tropp needed to score to get some confidence,” Comley said.

Kennedy gave MSU a 5-1 lead later in the period when he found himself at the right place at the right time, as he tapped in a rebound of freshman defenseman Jeff Petry’s shot that hit Stewart in the shoulder and fell back behind him.

“(Stewart) was unlucky, I thought, a couple of times, but it was that kind of night with pucks going in,” Comley said.

Yet, for as good as the second period was for the Spartans, things completely broke down in the third, as MSU allowed 14 Wildcats shots while generating just six of their own and, of course, the three goals. Two of the
goals came from forward Ray Kaunisto.

“Everybody competes and battles and if you open a door for them, they’ll walk through it and that’s what they did,” Comley said.

Facing a two goal deficit with time winding down, the Wildcats couldn’t pull their goaltender until there was just over a minute remaining in the contest. They were able to get one goal with 22 seconds left, but ran out of time.

“They did what they needed to do to get back in the game and we were able to hold them off, but we don’t leave the rink feeling good and they probably
do,” Comley said.

The uprising for the Wildcats represents a disturbing trend for the Spartans, who have been outscored 8-1 in the third period this season.

“You got to play 60 minutes,” Comley said. “You must be able to win the third period if you’re going to be a good team.”