The team needed the first game Thursday night – a 4-4 tie against the Black Bears – to settle into a rhythm, said junior defenseman Brock Shelgren, who had a goal and an assist on the night.

“Last night was our first real test,” Shelgren said. “We were getting our feet wet. Tonight, we were more ready and up to the task.”

For the second time in the series, MSU struck quickly in the first period with a goal by Shelgren, assisted by junior forward Trevor Nill.

After a series of penalties by both teams, the teams went into intermission with a 1-0 MSU lead.

Junior forward Brett Perlini scored shortly into the second period giving the Spartans a 2-0 lead they kept for the rest of the second period and half of the third.

MSU junior goalie Drew Palmisano had several acrobatic saves and the MSU defense played stout to prevent the high-scoring Maine power play from capitalizing on six power plays through the first two periods.

The Spartans made it nearly 18 minutes into the third period before a five on three advantage for Maine finally cost MSU the lead.

Maine forward Spencer Abbott was able to find an opening in the three man defense and cleared the puck past Palmisano and into the net.

Maine won the ensuing faceoff on a five on four advantage and Abbott bounced a puck off the post and behind Palmisano.

Head coach Rick Comley said the Spartan bench was dead quiet, after the back-to-back Black Bear goals.

The Spartans would have liked to give Palmisano the shutout, but will take the win against a top 10 team.

“It would have been nice to get the shutout for (Palmisano),” senior forward Dustin Gazley said. “But it didn’t happen that way.”

MSU came back full-strength and Gazley was able to put it past Maine goalie Dan Sullivan for the game winner with about five minutes left on the clock.

The goal almost came without looking, Gazley said.

“A good pass from Brock,” he said. “I just kind of threw it at the net, luckily it went in.”

Comley said he was happy Gazley was basically on a breakaway, otherwise he might have passed it.

MSU was able to play strong enough defense to pull out the 3-2 win and take three of the weekends four points from Maine.

Comley said he learned some important things about his team this weekend.

“(Maine is) a very dangerous team,” he said. “I leave this weekend knowing we can play with very good teams.”