Playing three nationally ranked opponents at Munn Ice Arena, the Spartans came out of the four-game stretch with just two points.

After being swept by Miami (Ohio) and then tying both Minnesota and Wisconsin, the Spartans went winless through their toughest stretch of the first half of the season.

However, MSU head coach Rick Comley said he feels that those teams aren’t much, if any, better than the Spartans, — it’s just that his team has been hurting itself with mistakes.

This culminated in MSU blowing a two-goal lead in the third period of Saturday’s 4-4 tie against Wisconsin.

“We just created too many avoidable situations,” Comley said Monday at his weekly press conference. “And until we can get our head back and play the game properly completely, you run the risk of losing a win like that.”

With Miami (Ohio) being the team it is, those losses don’t sting as much as the ties against Minnesota and Wisconsin.

“We played well enough to win two games but hurt ourselves too much,” Comley said.

But it’s not time to push the panic button yet, as Comley’s teams have been known to come on strong in time for the Great Lakes Invitational.

“Two losses, two ties isn’t what we were looking for the last four games,” senior defenseman Daniel Vukovic said. “In years past, maybe we would’ve been happy with ties against teams like Minnesota and Wisconsin. This year, after the games, I don’t know one guy who was satisfied with the two ties. I think we believe we could’ve won both games, and we should’ve won both games if we did little things right.”

Sister-kissin’

Generally, ties benefit no one.

For MSU, a team that has tied 17 games since the 2004-05 season, points have been lost with the inability to find a definitive winner.

“I think it reinforces the need to get rid of ties,” Comley said.

Although he would favor playing until a winner is decided, Comley said a 4-on-4 overtime followed by a shoot-out, like the National Hockey League, would be “the next best step.”

Vukovic also would like to see it go the way of the NHL.

“I think it’ll probably end up going that way sooner or later,” he said. “It kind of leaves a feeling for both teams. You’re not happy. Even if you got dominated and pulled off a tie, you’re not happy.”

No luck

Junior forward Tim Crowder has been stricken with some tough luck this season.

After recording 14 goals last season, Crowder has only one this season. Insult was added to injury this weekend when, on two different instances, Crowder was in position for a quality shot in transition, but the puck stuck on the ice and then in the overtime against Wisconsin, the puck skipped over his stick on what could’ve been the game winner.

“All a coach can do is encourage and give opportunity,” Comley said.

“His ice time hasn’t been cut back, he’s still playing on the line he belongs to be on. He’s just been snakebit. I still believe every time he touches it in the scoring area he might score. I just hope, for our sake and his sake, that he gets a couple breaks and it goes in.”