For Michigan State University hockey, one rough third period cost the team a trip to the Frozen Four and sent the Spartans packing after just one game in the NCAA tournament.

Cornell’s Sullivan Mack fired a rebound shot past sophomore goaltender Trey Augustine with 10 seconds remaining, ending MSU’s storied 2024–25 season.

Heading into the NCAA Ice Hockey Regionals, the Spartans carried history and momentum. They had won the Great Lakes Invitational for the first time since 2009-10, claimed back-to-back Duel in the D wins over Michigan, beat Wisconsin at Wrigley Field in the Frozen Confines game and secured both the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles for a second straight year.

“I think these guys have played in a lot of really big games,” MSU hockey head coach Adam Nightingale said leading up to playing Notre Dame in the conference tournament. “I think as far as confidence to it, it all goes back to your preparation. These guys have committed a lot, they got here July 1. They made great strides in the weight room, great strides on the ice, sacrificed a lot.”

Whether in the conference or NCAA tournament, one loss can end a season. For bubble teams, winning a conference tournament might be the only path to an NCAA berth.

Getting knocked out of a conference tournament can end a season for teams on the edge. But for MSU, a loss in the Big Ten tournament wouldn’t have ended their season — they were still well-positioned for an NCAA bid.

And sometimes the prior experience and the knowledge of playing in a trophy game doesn’t matter in order to win a national championship. Being crowned the Frozen Four champions on Saturday, April 12, the Western Michigan Broncos had never previously made it past the regional portion of the tournament in 52 years as a program.

The Broncos dominated on all fronts, knocking off defending champion Denver and beating Boston University 6–2 to win their first-ever national title. Their grit, fight and determination brought a banner back to Kalamazoo.

But catching a team on a hot streak can also ultimately take a toll on one’s season. For MSU, it caught several teams on a roll including Notre Dame in the Big Ten tournament, Penn State on the Spartans senior night, who had been the hottest team in the nation since the first weekend in January, and the Cornell Big Red, who were coming off of a conference tournament win and were determined to keep its season alive for retiring Head Coach Mike Schafer. 

The NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs show how quickly things can change. In 2023–24, the Vancouver Canucks won the Pacific Division and reached the second round before falling to Edmonton in seven games. Just a year later, they were mathematically eliminated before the playoffs even began.

The question for early exits is always the same: What’s next? Just three seasons ago, MSU was fighting to make its first playoff appearance in over a decade. Now, it’s a Big Ten powerhouse. Nightingale called the loss to Cornell the harsh reality of single-elimination hockey — where anything can happen.

But he and his squad know one thing for sure. This team will be back.

“We will be back. We’re thankful about the health of our program and when you look at when your program is healthy, it’s consistent,” Nightingale said after the loss to Cornell. “We’re in single elimination and we can judge on winning and losing, but I watch our guys do it on a consistent basis, so that doesn’t just happen by chance.”

With Nightingale at the helm, Associate Head Coach Jared DeMichiel leading special teams and the goaltenders, Assistant Coach Mike Towns, Director of Player Development Brad Fast and Strength Coach Will Morlock, MSU has the staff to stay competitive.

The potential for MSU hockey is sky-high. With Augustine returning in net, junior forward Isaac Howard back up front, and incoming freshman Cayden Lindstrom — the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft — the Spartans are built to contend for a national title in 2025–26.