Michigan State hockey’s 4-3 overtime loss to Wisconsin marked more than the end of the season. It marked the end of an era.

In their final game, the Spartans played like a winning hockey team: next man up, every possession counts, play your role. That identity is expected to return next season, but the seniors who helped build it will not.

Coach Adam Nightingale became MSU's head coach four seasons ago, inheriting players he did not recruit. Several players left their mark, but none more than the three seniors who stayed: winger Daniel Russell, center Tiernan Shoudy and defenseman Matt Basgall.

The future of MSU hockey now lies in the hands of players who never knew the program as a Big Ten bottom-dweller.

“These guys have definitely left the program better than they found it, and that's the goal,” Nightingale said. “And now it's up to the guys in the room that are coming back. They got to carry the torch. These guys have laid an unbelievable groundwork and foundation of how to do things. Doesn't guarantee you're going to win a hockey game, but you can do things the right way.”

Before the Worcester Regional, Nightingale said he wanted his seniors to be themselves. He didn’t want a superhero, he wanted the consistent, everyday players he’s frequently praised. 

They showed up in their final game. Shoudy took 40 draws after senior center Charlie Stramel exited the game with a broken ankle after his fourth shift. And the younger centers followed suit. 

Basgall was the captain he’s been all season. He led the defensive charge and scored a power-play goal to extend MSU’s lead. Russell was himself. He was disciplined on both sides of the sheet and made the routine plays that lead to production. 

The Spartans’ game against Wisconsin was flawed, as every game and loss is. MSU controlled much of the play until the final minutes, when the Badgers rallied.

Sixty minutes of solid hockey without a starting center is easier said than done. The effort was there, but the execution was lacking, Basgall said. More often than not, though, MSU's effort has led to success.